Podcasts about local control funding formula

California's Local Control Funding Formula or LCFF took a major step towards advancing equity.  But as LCFF was coming into existence 10 years ago, education and community leaders in the state's largest school district, Los Angeles Unified, recognized this new formula might not go far enough in helping to address deeply rooted inequities within its student population.  Through a unique partnership between the local community and school district, the groundbreaking Student Equity Need Index (SENI) was born. In 2024, the SENI turns ten. It's an example of a powerful partnership between students, parents, community advocates and school district leaders to drive resource equity. SENI is a research-based index that uses comprehensive academic and community-based indicators to rank schools from highest to lowest according to student need. With these rankings, LAUSD can more accurately understand the needs of its schools and equitably distribute funds to address them.  In many ways, the SENI is a more robust precursor to the state's new Equity Multiplier,  adopted in the 2023 Budget Act, which will target some additional funding directly to schools.In this episode, Pedro Salcido, Deputy Superintendent of Business Services and Operations for Los Angeles Unified School District, and Jessenia Reyes, Associate Director of K-12 Policy for the Equity Team at Catalyst California, take us deep inside the SENI.  They share with host Jason Willis how SENI was developed and how it evolved, the impact it has had to date, and how the district and community groups worked together and through some difficult tensions to build the system. While the SENI originated in California's largest school district, it's an exciting homegrown model that districts around the state can learn from and potentially customize to better address their communities' unique needs.About Our GuestsJessenia Reyes is the Associate Director of K-12 Policy at Catalyst California, a systems change nonprofit organization, and part of the Equity Alliance for L.A.'s Kids that includes Community Coalition in South LA, Inner-City Struggle in East LA, and the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools, which advocated for the SENI.Pedro Salcido is the Deputy Superintendent of Business Services and Operations for Los Angeles USD, the state's largest school district and the second-largest in the nation.  Prior to his current role, Pedro served as Chief of Staff managing all District academic and nonacademic operations, activities and  initiatives, as well as serving as the Superintendent's principal liaison to the Board of Education. Among many other roles and accomplishments, he served as the leading staff member who developed and implemented the District's SENI, an equity-based funding allocation that today has grown to distribute nearly $700 million to the neediest schools in the district..LinksCatalyst California SENI page LAUSD SENI pageBudgeting for Educational Equity podcast is presented by CASBO and WestEd. We are grateful to the Sobrato Family Foundation for additional support. Our series is written and produced by Paul Richman and Jason Willis. Music and editing  by Tommy Dunbar. Alyssa Perez and Hannah Jarmolowski at WestEd provide research and develop written briefs that go along with many episodes.

When Governor Newsom released his proposed budget in January, many K-12 funding issues were pushed off, including the final Local Control Funding Formula cost-of-living adjustment, addressing the Gann Limit, and dealing with a staggering drop in average daily attendance. In this episode, we'll discuss the newly released May revise with members of CASBO's Governmental Relations team and compare the Governor's new proposals against the Legislature's priorities as we outline the road to state budget adoption next month.Guests:Elizabeth Esquivel, Senior Director, Policy & Governance, CASBOGary Stine, Executive Director of Support Services, Orange County Department of Education, and Chair, CASBO Legislative Committee

On this episode of the Maddy Report Valley Views Edition, Mark Keppler is joined by Dr. Julien Lafortune, Research Fellow at the Public Policy Institute of California; Carolyn Jones, Senior Reporter at EdSource; and Alma Lopez, a counselor at Livingston Middle School. They discuss the Local Control Funding Formula in California schools and focus on some specific examples of local success in education.

Happy New Year 2022 from the California Charter Schools Association! It's the start of a new legislative season in Sacramento. Governor Gavin Newsom kicked things off by releasing his proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year. We hear from CCSA's Vice President Colin Miller who gives us more details about the proposed spending plan – and what it all means for charter public schools.  In our Change Makers segment, CCSA's President and CEO Myrna Castrejón interviews Ted Lempert, Executive Director of Children Now, a research and advocacy organization in Oakland. Lempert talks about education funding today under the state's Local Control Funding Formula and what his organization is doing to ensure all students get a high-quality, equitable education. Finally, we bring you an audio postcard from Para Los Ninos in Los Angeles which is offering digital literacy classes to their Spanish speaking parents. Parents learn everything from sending an email to downloading Zoom so they can join meetings. 

Have you had a chance yet to check out the Budgeting for Educational Equity podcast? We're sharing the latest episode here because it delves into a subject near and dear to anyone interested in California education funding: the Local Control Funding Formula, or LCFF, which was adopted in 2013.The LCFF is regarded by many as the most significant resource equity reform the state has ever enacted. It definitely ushered in a new era of school funding for school districts. But how has the LCFF actually worked? Has it accomplished what it was intended to? And how are some of the inherent tensions between local and state decision making authority, oversight and accountability being navigated? In this episode, series host Jason Willis and special guests explore key elements of the LCFF: Mike Kirst, former State Board of Education President, Professor Emeritus at Stanford University, and chief architect of the LCFF under Gov. Jerry Brown, offers a remarkable glimpse into the development of the formula, including some of the difficult choices, innovative thinking and pragmatic considerations that went into creating the new law.Xilonin Cruz-Gonzalez provides a review of the law, based on her unique perspective both as a locally elected school board member in Azusa USD and as Deputy Director for Californians Together, a statewide group that advocates on behalf of English Learner students.  Xilonin also serves as immediate past president of the California School Boards Association.And Richard De Nava, Assistant Superintendent, Business Services at San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools, shares insights about the policy and practical implications of the LCFF. Richard also serves as president of CASBO. *More resourcesNEW: "What's Next for the LCFF," report by Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE), November 2021NEW: "Targeted K-12 Funding and Student Outcomes," PPIC Policy Brief, October 2021"Why the LCFF? California's Landmark Move to an Equity-Based School Funding Formula," from the Adventures in Ed Funding CASBO podcast, March, 2020. "Here's How LCFF Works," Ed100.org lesson on the Local Control Funding Formula.*Subscribe to the Budgeting for Educational Equity series at:Apple podcasts SpotifyGoogleCASBO podcastsWestEd podcastsMore...Follow the Budgeting for Ed Equity podcast on Twitter at: @budget4edequityBudgeting for Educational Equity is presented by the California Association of School Business Official (CASBO) and WestEd. The series is written and produced by Paul Richman and Jason Willis. Original music, mixing and sound by Tommy Dunbar. John Diaz at WestEd  develops the written briefs that go along with each episode.

The Local Control Funding Formula, or LCFF, ushered in a new era of school funding in California when it was adopted in 2013. It's regarded by many as the most significant resource equity reform the state has ever enacted. But how has the LCFF worked? Has it accomplished what it was intended to? And how are inherent tensions between local and state decision making authority, oversight and accountability being navigated? In this episode, host Jason Willis and special guests explore key elements of the LCFF. Xilonin Cruz-Gonzalez provides a review of the law, based on her unique perspective both as a locally elected school board member in Azusa USD and as Deputy Director for Californians Together, a statewide group that advocates on behalf of English Learner students.  Xilonin also serves as immediate past president of the California School Boards Association.Richard De Nava, Assistant Superintendent, Business Services at San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools, shares insights about the policy and practical implications of the LCFF. Richard also serves as president of CASBO. And Mike Kirst, former State Board of Education President, Professor Emeritus at Stanford University, and chief architect of the LCFF under Gov. Jerry Brown, offers a remarkable glimpse into the development of the formula, including some of the difficult choices, innovative thinking and pragmatic considerations that went into creating the new law.Additional BackgroundAs part of the LCFF, all Local Education Agencies receive a per-student funding allocation known as a base grant, plus targeted additional funding depending on the needs of certain students (known as supplemental and concentration grants). Districts must also engage stakeholders before adopting a Local Control and Accountability Plan. While the new law has shifted more discretion for budgetary decisions to local school districts, it has also brought to the surface inherent tensions between local and state decision making authority. More resourcesNEW: "What's Next for the LCFF," report by Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE), November 2021NEW: "Targeted K-12 Funding and Student Outcomes," PPIC Policy Brief, October 2021"Why the LCFF? California's Landmark Move to an Equity-Based School Funding Formula," from the Adventures in Ed Funding CASBO podcast, March, 2020. "The LCFF After Four Years: What Do We Know?" brief summarizing four Getting Down To Facts II technical reports related to LCFF implementation.About our seriesBudgeting for Educational Equity is presented by the California Association of School Business Official (CASBO) and WestEd. We are grateful to the Sobrato Family Foundation for additional support. Our series is written and produced by Paul Richman and Jason Willis. Original music, mixing and sound by Tommy Dunbar. John Diaz at WestEd  develops the written briefs that go along with each episode.Follow us on Twitter at @Budget4EdEquity to keep up to date on the series and share your thoughts, ideas, questions and feedback. 

In this episode of our limited series, “How Sororities and Fraternities Support Mental Health Awareness,” Dr. April Clay, Pi Zeta Zeta Chapter member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. discusses racial injustice as a global concern. This Chapman University graduate and CEO of Clay Counseling Solutions, Inc., shares how the pandemics of COVID-19 and racial injustice are affecting youth and their families. While this college professor and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist acknowledges the personal resiliency of young people under quarantine, she also acknowledges the suicidal increases as a result of these pandemics. Dr. Clay explains the physiological and psychological effects of racial battle fatigue and encourages us all to recognize how our medical wellness is tied to our racialized experiences. Dr. Clay completed her Doctorate in Education with an emphasis on Educational Justice at University of Redlands. She received both her MA in Clinical Psychology and Marriage and Family Therapy and her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at Chapman University. As CEO and Founder of Clay Counseling Solutions, Inc., her organization serves schools, corporations, individuals and families. She is also an Adjunct Professor in the Dept. of School Counseling and School Psychology at Azusa Pacific University. As a professional researcher, Dr. Clay completed a project on the early impact of California's Local Control Funding Formula on African American children with a team out of California State University, San Bernardino. To learn more about Dr. Clay and her organization's free resources, visit her website at ClayCounselingSolutions.com.

Catch up quickly on the latest California state budget news with CASBO’s governmental relations team, Sara Bachez and Elizabeth Esquival. They highlight recent legislative reactions and deliberations since the May Revise was released on May 14, as California grapples with closing a massive state budget deficit. Sara and Elizabeth review key elements of the Governor's proposal, which called for, among other things, a 10 percent cut to the Local Control Funding Formula. They describe some initial, positive momentum with regard to special education funding and the state providing more flexibility to school districts; plus, they share top concerns raised by CASBO and the state's Education Coalition. For a detailed description of CASBO's position in response to the May Revise, read CASBO's May Revise Position Letter, released on May 21, 2020. This letter notes that "the proposed state funding for public education will create new barriers to safety, educational attainment and access; yet, schools are critical to reopening the economy that has been severely impacted by COVID-19. In that spirit, CASBO will continue to emphasize that we prioritize the health and safety of our 6 million students and their families, educational staff, and communities."A recently released Education Coalition letter stated, "Schools cannot physically reopen safely with the funding level that has been proposed in the May Revision."Sara and Elizabeth also explain next steps in the state budget process and -- importantly -- they set out a call to action for the next two weeks to ensure that the voices and expertise of those who serve in local school districts inform the state's ultimate policy and fiscal decisions surrounding the budget. Be sure to visit the CASBO's Advocacy Page.PLUS: We premier a new musical piece created especially for this unique moment by Tommy Dunbar. We call it The Coronavirus State Budget Blues. You'll want to turn it up.About Our GuestsSara Bachez serves as Chief Governmental Relations Officer for CASBO. Contact her at sbachez@csabo.org.Elizabeth Esquivel serves as Senior Director, Policy & Governance for CASBO. Contact her at eesquivel@casbo.org.Tommy Dunbar is a professional musician, songwriter and producer. Since the 1970s he has been playing guitar all over the world with his band, The Rubinoos. Tommy handles all all of our sound, mixing and music for the podcast.About CASBOThe California Association of School Business Officials (CASBO) is the premier resource for professional development and business best practices for California's school business leaders. CASBO is dedicated to promoting excellence and professionalism in all aspects of school business. Founded in 1928, CASBO serves more than 23,000 members by providing certifications and training, promoting business best practices and creating opportunities for professional collaboration. CASBO members represent every facet of school business management and operations. The association offers public school leaders an entire career's worth of growth opportunities.About your series guide Paul Richman is a public education advocate and consultant. Contact him at edfundingca@gmail.com. We value your feedback and ideas!

Why is California's Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) so significant? In this episode, we continue our journey through major milestones in school funding history with our first stop to LCFF-land. Special Guest Saa’un Bell, Strategy Director at Californians for Justice, helps us explore why the state’s shift to an equity-based system beginning in 2013 was so historic.The LCFF was a sweeping law, carrying with it a whole lot of hope and promise, especially for students and families who hadn’t always been heard or served well by the school system. It was a bold law that ironically has come to be known by its rather mundane four initials. There are many ways to tell the LCFF story: a research and policy side, a political side. There is the budgetary formula itself. But first and foremost, LCFF is the story of major change. Saa’un offers the perspective of both a statewide and local community leader who participated with a wide range of grassroots and community partners to help advocate for this change to a more equitable funding system on behalf of students and families.Saa’un helps us tell the “why” story – as in, why LCFF? She describes the work her organization and other grassroots groups did leading up to the LCFF – and the transformational change the new law, championed by former Gov. Jerry Brown, brought forward. LCFF targets additional funds to districts to support students from low-income families, English learners, and foster and homeless youth. Saa'un also shares examples of where student engagement in decision-making as a result of the LCFF has led to positive outcomes, and she discusses what still needs to happen to realize the full potential of LCFF. We also delve into some honest conversation about the connections between funding and race in California. Along the way we provide a brief explainer about LCFF's technical details and we explore one monumental thing that the LCFF did not do…cliffhanger…you’ll have to listen to find out.ResourcesLCFF Lesson from Ed100.orgCASBO school finance guide and LCFF Budget Toolkit California Department of Education: LCFF pageCalifornians for Justice: LCFF page EdSource: Local Control Funding Formula Essentials Guide. CDE Foundation Resource Clearinghouse LCFF resources from California State PTAAbout Saa'un Bell As a former English Language Learner student from Long Beach USD and first-generation college graduate, Saa'un is committed to building a public education infrastructure where all students have the opportunities to fulfill their highest aspirations. Saa’un joined Californians for Justice in 2009, helping to organize community college students and youth of color in Oakland schools. In her current role as Strategy Director, she oversees all communications and narrative strategy for CFJ’s regional and statewide campaigns.About CASBOThe California Association of School Business Officials (CASBO) is the premier resource for professional development and business best practices for California's school business leaders. Learn more at CASBO.org.

In this episode of “Ed Influencers,” ISTE Chief Learning Officer Joseph South sits down with Frances Gipson, Ph.D., chief academic officer for the Los Angeles Unified School District, to discuss her career path in the nation’s second largest school district, student-centered learning, digital equity and technology as a learning accelerator. Along the way, she explains how LAUSD adopted and operationalized the ISTE Standards, and provided professional development to support their implementation. Gipson also shares how the district remains focused on leading with learning as it transforms its educational program with technology.

This episode talks about school climate, one of the school priorities created by the Local Control Funding Formula. It features an interview with Dr. Susan Levine of the Riverside County Office of Education, who talks about some of the innovative work that her county does to help districts understand and improve school climate.

This week, Louis and John speak with retiring Gov. Jerry Brown about his philosophy of education and his views on charter schools, the use of student data and what education leaders agree will be his most important contribution: the Local Control Funding Formula.

This week: Louis and John discuss what's happening in the California races for governor and state superintendent of public instruction and where the leading candidates stand on major educational issues like universal preschool, charter school regulation, teacher tenure and the Local Control Funding Formula. Produced by Sarah Tan

This week: A frank report released by the California Community Colleges with a roadmap to increase transfer and grad rates and a rally in Sacramento organized Californians for Justice in defense of the Local Control Funding Formula and the finance and school reforms it's put into place. Produced by Sarah Tan

Cynthia at K12NN speaks with Sarah Auerswald of MomsLA to answer questions many moms have about Local Control Funding Formula and the ins and outs of parent/teacher/student participation in shaping school district budgets. Get on your Local Control Accountability Plan Advisory Committee! Reach out to your principal, the School Site Council, DELACs/ELACs, and PTA. Chances are the school district will start there to seek Advisory Committee members. Get your middle and high school-aged kids involved too -- student voice in determining funding priorities is required by law. For more information and to join a statewide group of volunteer Advisory Committee members to learn about best practices, go to http://calilcap.k12newsnetwork.com. If we grassroots get together, WE can tell Sacramento what best practices are! We don't have to wait for them or anyone else to tell us or ask us.