The San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) adopted Vision 2020, focusing on central office support for schools. This plan aims to guide district work through a Community-Based School Reform Model, allowing flexibility in instructional strategies while providing central office support and maintaining accountability. This emphasizes the district office's role in aiding schools' improvement but lacks specific details. Reforming the central office goes beyond restructuring; it demands a fundamental shift toward direct support for learning. To achieve this, a shared theory of action around learning must guide resource allocation. Additionally, enhancing data literacy in both the central office and schools is crucial for informed decision-making. Moreover, differentiating support and building capacities across schools is necessary, acknowledging that capacity-building isn't just one-way. This requires a targeted approach and access to expertise both within and outside the district office. For genuine reform, collaborative learning partnerships between the central office and schools are pivotal, beyond regulatory relationships. Examining the district's improvement vision through a broader lens that values the role of the district office is essential. The success of SDUSD’s Vision 2020 hinges on understanding the larger frame beyond focusing solely on individual schools.

California's proposed massive cuts to higher education, slashing $500 million from UC and CSU and $400 million from community colleges, will raise fees, reduce courses, and limit enrollment. Chancellor Jack Scott predicts turning away 350,000 community college students, significantly impacting the 45% of first-generation learners. CSU's 35% first-generation population also faces constraints. These cuts affect crucial support programs, services, and class availability, particularly for counseling and childcare. Wealthier UC students shifting to CSUs may intensify competition, disadvantaging vulnerable students. Public dissatisfaction, highlighted by a Public Policy Institute of California study, stresses concerns about affordability and borrowing. Possible solutions, like a sliding-scale tuition system based on family income, supported by 72% of Californians, aim to ease access barriers. Discussions must protect these students and explore strategies ensuring their access and success in higher education, securing California's future.

The push for pay-for-performance teacher salaries could revolutionize education by valuing teaching as specialized talent. This shift, prompted by U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan and supporters, aims to reward exceptional teaching through test score-based incentives. However, this transition could significantly raise education expenses and transform the teacher compensation structure. Drawing parallels with Marvin Miller's revolutionizing baseball players' wages, the switch from uniform teacher salaries to valuing exceptional talent may yield unpredictable effects. Recognizing and promoting exceptional teachers could mimic how colleges offer star professors premium wages. Yet, envisioning a system where teacher talent determines compensation might generate brutal competition, creating substantial salary disparities among educators. While this approach celebrates exceptional teachers, it's uncertain how this would impact overall teacher wages and the teaching profession as a whole. Considering the historical rise of wages in specialized fields, proponents of this shift may not have accounted for the potential salary demands that valuing teacher talent could create.

The focus on John Deasy's role as a "reformer" and political alliances obscures the deep-seated challenges facing the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). Despite Gov. Jerry Brown's budget showing no severe cuts for education, the district confronts fiscal and demographic pressures that could lead to its collapse. LAUSD grapples with declining enrollment due to shifting demographics, losing over 135,000 students in the past decade, leading to a drastic reduction in revenue. Simultaneously, expenses for special education and healthcare have surged significantly, adding financial strain. Special education demands more costly services, while health care costs have risen by 71% since 2002. While potential state revenue decreases may slightly mitigate the impact, the district's survival hinges on Governor Brown's budget approval and voter support for tax extensions. Historical research shows that past reform efforts in the district faced fiscal challenges, indicating that political maneuvers won't alter this reality. Effective changes in education will rely on hard-working individuals navigating these tough financial constraints, echoing the ongoing struggle amid financial limitations for innovative educational initiatives.

The debate on teacher tenure lacks concrete quantitative evidence regarding its impact on teacher labor markets or student achievement. Stories of tenure's effects exist, but research is scarce due to the absence of a control group—every public school operates with some form of tenure. However, variations in tenure policies across states, particularly in probationary period lengths, offer insight. Researchers show that longer probation periods correlate with higher starting teacher salaries, especially in districts with collective bargaining. This is because job security as a benefit leads to teachers demanding higher wages in exchange for increased uncertainty. California, with a two-year probationary period, may face salary pressures, especially in districts bordering states like Nevada with different tenure policies. Extending the probation period might lead to salary hikes in certain districts to attract teachers. However, it's uncertain how this change might influence who enters teaching, district responses in terms of evaluation or training, or its overall impact. Further research on tenure's effects on teacher labor markets is necessary to better inform this significant policy debate.

A new PPIC report highlights the challenge of directing resources to needy schools in California. It suggests a weighted-student funding formula for fairer resource allocation, emphasizing equal base funding per student with additional support for diverse needs. Yet, the short-term hurdle lies in the political demand to maintain current district funding levels, hindering policy changes. Proposals ensure no district loses funds during reforms, aiming to minimize resistance. However, with statewide financial setbacks, debates arise over defining "hold harmless"—maintaining reduced funding or restoring previous levels. Governor-elect Jerry Brown's backing for this model improves the likelihood of reform, but achieving equitable support for vulnerable students faces political negotiation, making the realization of improved education funding for those in need a distant objective.

Governor Brown’s focus on California’s budget crisis emphasized looming challenges for the education system. Despite years of cuts predominantly affecting schools, further deterioration is expected. Reforming education faces a major hurdle: Californians desire an elite system but resist higher taxes. Current Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) surveys reveal this gap between citizens wanting quality education without funding sacrifices. Brown’s imminent severe budget aims to highlight the disparity between expected educational standards and the willingness to pay for them. The January 2011 budget will depict the state's education system under strain. The crucial test lies in whether this realization motivates support for increased taxes to fund desired education, determining subsequent policy changes in Brown’s early tenure.

In education polling, people often rate their local schools highly but give lower scores to the overall public school system. This gap in trust between citizens and the broader system poses a significant issue in California due to its vastness and reliance on state resources. Rebuilding trust in the public school system is crucial for garnering necessary political and financial support. PACE’s recent seminar showcased Strategic School Funding for Results (SSFR), a project in districts like Twin Rivers, Pasadena, and Los Angeles Unified. It aims to grant more autonomy over budgets to individual schools while increasing accountability for resource use and student performance. This shift might enhance transparency in fund allocation but doesn’t solve the broader issue. While boosting confidence in local leadership, concerns about resource usage elsewhere in the system persist. California’s real challenge lies in reconnecting schools with their communities beyond merely enhancing resource efficiency.

he recent conference, co-hosted by PACE and Pivot Learning Partners in Southern California, aimed to revamp teacher evaluations. Current evaluations lack substance, often offering superficial, pre-announced assessments that don't aid improvement. This approach doesn't align with enhancing schools or student performance. Challenges abound: effective evaluations require a broader educational strategy involving recruitment, support systems, and professional development, all currently lacking depth in California. Moreover, there's a lack of consensus on fair evaluation systems due to the state's low administrator-to-student ratio and inadequate assessment criteria. Despite these hurdles, the conference showcased a shared acknowledgment of flaws and a collective drive among districts to seek alternative solutions. This unity sparks hope for a more informative evaluation system supporting teachers and school effectiveness. Yet, achieving this demands comprehensive reforms that intertwine evaluation with broader educational enhancement strategies.

A recent LA Times article indicates positive views among Californians on immigrants, with 48% seeing them as beneficial and 59% supporting residency for long-employed undocumented workers. It urges a reevaluation of laws like AB540 and the California DREAM Act, emphasizing their economic advantages. Despite debates about costs, recent reports suggest that the actual enrollment of undocumented students in California's higher education may be as low as 0.23%. This challenges assumptions about financial burdens. Given California's immigration impact, the incoming governor must advocate actively for comprehensive immigration reform and the DREAM Act.

For nearly three decades, PACE has facilitated discussions on California's education policies by integrating academic research into key policy challenges. Traditionally, this involved publishing policy briefs, organizing seminars, and producing the annual 'Conditions of Education in California' report, offering comprehensive data and analysis on the state's education system. The launch of "Conditions of Education in California" as a blog marks a shift to engage a wider audience and enable ongoing updates. This platform, authored by PACE-affiliated researchers across California, aims to share new data, compelling research findings, and insights on current legislation and policies. The objective remains fostering informed discussions on education policy challenges in California, now extending the conversation to policymakers, educators, and citizens. This inclusive dialogue is crucial to drive the necessary policy understanding and momentum for improving the state's education system.

The Plyler v. Doe Supreme Court case in 1982 established that undocumented children have the right to a public education, protecting around 1.5 million children. However, the educational rights of about 65,000 undocumented high school graduates expire annually, posing challenges for their access to higher education. Texas passed HB1403 in 2001, allowing undocumented graduates to pay in-state tuition, citing economic benefits. Following suit, California passed AB540, providing in-state tuition but facing challenges in enrollment. California Senate Bill 1460, the California DREAM Act, aims to grant access to state financial aid for undocumented students who qualify for in-state tuition. Despite state investments in their education, Governor Schwarzenegger has vetoed the California DREAM Act three times. With federal immigration reform expected, there are questions whether California will seize the opportunity to tap into the potential talent pool of educated undocumented students by passing the California DREAM Act in 2010. The article highlights the resilience, academic achievement, and community contributions of undocumented students, urging recognition of their potential as an asset for the state.

"Getting Down to Facts" is a new research initiative commissioned by Governor Schwarzenegger's Committee on Education Excellence, state Democratic leaders, and Superintendent Jack O'Connell. Led by Susanna Loeb, a Stanford Graduate School of Education Professor and PACE codirector, this project seeks to explore California's school finance and governance systems. Its objective is to provide comprehensive insights essential for assessing the effectiveness of potential reforms. The initiative addresses three key questions: the current state of school finance and governance, optimizing existing resources for improved student outcomes, and evaluating the need for additional resources to meet educational goals. The studies from this project are expected to be available by January 2007.