Post Type
Statement: John Affeldt on Governor Newsom’s Executive Order
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 24, 2020
Contact:
Duc Luu
Statement by John Affeldt on Governor Newsom’s Executive Order
The following is a statement by John Affeldt, managing attorney at Public Advocates concerning Governor Gavin Newsom’s Executive Order delaying adoption of the Local Control Accountability Plans (LCAPs) under the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF):
In these especially challenging times it is critical that school district officials throughout California honor the spirit of California’s Local Control Funding Formula which requires the meaningful and ongoing participation of parents, students, teachers and other community members in determining how state dollars will be equitably spent locally to support high-need public school students.
We applaud Governor Newsom’s decision to delay the adoption of the 2020-21 LCAPs until the Fall, and not to cancel them as some school leaders had urged. By fulfilling their responsibility to create LCAPs, districts will have an opportunity to address sooner, rather than later, the profound consequences of the pandemic on the education opportunities of more than 6 million young Californians and set a course that prioritizes their needs. It will be as important as ever that districts support robust democratic engagement in the adoption of both district budgets and LCAPs over the coming months, including, where necessary, participation in virtual public meetings and decision-making.
We also applaud the Governor’s addition of a requirement that districts report by July 1st on how they have been serving high-need students during this period of physical school closures and how they are carrying out state expectations for quality distance learning. The need for schools to continue to educate students effectively and to be transparent about how they are doing has not been diminished by the coronavirus.
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Public Advocates Inc. is a nonprofit law firm and advocacy organization that challenges the systemic causes of poverty and racial discrimination by strengthening community voices in public policy and achieving tangible legal victories advancing education, housing and transit equity.