Category Archives: Governor Newsom

SPI, Newsom: New Literacy-Biliteracy Resources – Year 2025 (CA Dept of Education)

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State Superintendent Tony Thurmond and Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the release of the California Literacy-Biliteracy Professional Learning Pack, a comprehensive suite of resources designed to enhance literacy instruction and support educators across the state in improving student outcomes, especially for young readers.

“Literacy is foundational to lifelong learning and academic success,” said Superintendent Thurmond. “With this release, California takes a significant step forward in providing educators with the tools they need to foster strong literacy and biliteracy development from the earliest years of learning as we move the needle on student achievement, particularly for our youngest readers.”

“In California, we know that learning to read is the start of the pathway to success. The Literacy Roadmap highlights our multifaceted approach to improving literacy for California’s students, including current and proposed initiatives,” Governor Newsom said. “When added to our other investments in literacy coaches and reading specialists at high-needs schools and professional development for teachers, we are doubling down on our commitment to ensure no student falls behind in their reading.”

Source: SPI, Newsom: New Literacy-Biliteracy Resources – Year 2025 (CA Dept of Education)

Newsom signs bill banning schools from notifying parents about student gender identity | dailyrepublic.com

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Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill on Monday that prohibits mandating that teachers notify families about student gender identity changes, capping a year-long battle between conservative school boards concerned about “parental rights” and LGBTQ+ activists worried about vulnerable youth.

The new law shields teachers from retaliation for supporting transgender student rights and prohibits K-12 “forced disclosure” rules. It comes in response to school board decisions in some red pockets of California to notify parents if their child changes their name or pronouns, or if students request to use facilities or participate in programs that don’t match their gender on official records.

Source: Newsom signs bill banning schools from notifying parents about student gender identity | State-Nation-World | dailyrepublic.com

Grant Awards for Golden State Pathways Program – Year 2024 (CA Dept of Education)

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Governor Gavin Newsom and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond today announced the awarding of $470 million to 302 local educational agencies (LEAs) from the GSPP, which integrates college preparatory coursework meeting the A–G course requirements for admission to state universities and the opportunity to earn 12 college credits with career exploration, career technical education courses, and work-based learning. The program also helps students identify high-need opportunities in their regions and aligns their higher education and career goals with the jobs needed in their communities.

The GSPP provides LEAs with resources to promote pathways for students in high-wage, high-skill, high-growth areas including technology, health care, education, and climate-related fields, which allows students to advance seamlessly from high school to college and career and provides the workforce needed for economic growth.

Source: Grant Awards for Golden State Pathways Program – Year 2024 (CA Dept of Education)

SPI Responds to Governor’s Proposed 2024–25 Budget – Year 2024 (CA Dept of Education)

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State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond today issued the following statement in response to Governor Gavin Newsom’s proposed education budget for fiscal year 2024–25:

I am grateful to Governor Newsom that there are no major reductions or pullbacks in vital education programs. By preserving our Educator Workforce Investments, Community Schools Investments, and Learning Recovery Investments, we ensure that our students, families, and educators have what they need to improve literacy, math proficiency, and social–emotional wellness. We are pleased to see the Proposition 98 guarantee slightly up from its projected value but disappointed in the Average Daily Attendance decline, with COLA at 0.76 percent when it was projected to be at 3.5 percent.

Source: SPI Responds to Governor’s Proposed 2024–25 Budget – Year 2024 (CA Dept of Education)

School funding proposal aims to achieve equity, but does it go far enough? – The Vacaville Reporter

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By Joe Hong

Black students’ standardized test scores and graduation rates have long trailed those of their white and Asian peers. For decades, educators and legislators have tried to close that achievement gap, and a school funding proposal in Gov. Gavin Newsom’s new budget illustrates just how difficult it is to do.

The idea for the proposed funding began as a bill authored last year by Assemblymember Akilah Weber, a Democrat from La Mesa, that would have provided more money for Black K-12 students. The bill made it through both the Assembly and Senate with unanimous support. While Newsom never vetoed the bill, he ultimately refused to sign it. Weber agreed to drop the bill when the governor promised to include the funding in his proposed budget for the next fiscal year.

Source: School funding proposal aims to achieve equity, but does it go far enough? – The Vacaville Reporter

Fairfield-Suisun board considers implications of governor’s budget – Daily Republic

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By Susan Hiland

The Fairfield-Suisun School District – along with public schools across the state – are feeling the pinch of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposed 2023-24 budget, with the likely end of pandemic-driven one-time funding and no no relief provided as CalPERS retirement rates increase and CalSTRS retirement rates remain high.

The situation is such that schools will likely see most – if not all – spending for recent programs curtailed just to maintain baseline programs.

That was the gist of the message provided Tuesday to trustees of the Fairfield Suisun School District by Laneia Grindle, assistant superintendent of Business Services, who presented the governor’s budget plan and resulting budget year projections for the district.

Source: Fairfield-Suisun board considers implications of governor’s budget

Gov. Newsom proposes cuts to climate change programs amid cloudy economic outlook – Daily Republic

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By Los Angeles Times

Taryn Luna, Mackenzie Mays and Laurel Rosenhall, Los Angeles Times

Facing a projected $22.5 billion budget deficit in the upcoming fiscal year, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday announced plans to reduce investments in the state’s move to zero-emission vehicles, make cuts to other climate change programs and delay funding for 20,000 new child-care slots as California transitions from a time of economic surplus to shortage.

The governor’s administration blamed high inflation, the Federal Reserve raising interest rates and volatility in the stock market as the major forces causing state revenues to drop well below projections from last summer when he anticipated an $100 billion surplus in the current budget year.

Source: Gov. Newsom proposes cuts to climate change programs amid cloudy economic outlook

CA kindergarten saw big enrollment drop during pandemic. What’s happening now? – The Vacaville Reporter

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By Howard Blume

No grade level suffered a steeper enrollment drop during the COVID-19 pandemic than kindergarten, driven by what many parents saw as the futility of placing a 5-year-old in front of a computer all day.

When campuses reopened, enrollment somewhat rebounded, but an overall downward trend deeply worried educators, knowing the harm that missing kindergarten can mean for a child’s development.

For that reason, many expressed disappointment that Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sunday took a step back from a historic expansion of early education by vetoing one bill that would have made kindergarten mandatory and a second bill that would have required school systems to offer a full-day kindergarten.

Source: California kindergarten saw big enrollment drop during pandemic. What’s happening now? – The Vacaville Reporter

California bill slowing school closure process heads to Newsom | National News | kpvi.com

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By Madison Hirneisen

California lawmakers sent a bill to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk this week that would require cash-strapped school districts to run an “equity impact analysis” before closing a school.

If enacted, supporters say it will require school districts to be transparent about the impact of closures beyond the fiscal cost.

Lawmakers advanced Assembly Bill 1912 on Tuesday, which requires school districts to develop an equity impact analysis with metrics that analyze the condition of a school facility, the operating cost of the school, special programs available at the school, pupil demographics and transportation needs of students, among other things, before considering closure or consolidation.

Source: California bill slowing school closure process heads to Newsom | National News | kpvi.com

Solano school leaders applaud state’s first step in lifting mask mandates – Daily Republic

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By Matt Miller

School leaders applauded Gov. Gavin Newsom’s recommendation Monday to lift mask mandates for students in what amounts to a small start in shifting back to pre-pandemic normalcy.

The mandate will be lifted at midnight March 12. Masks will continue to be “strongly recommended” as students head to school March 14 but not required, likely meaning many students will continue to choose to wear their masks and others will not.

“I appreciate the state’s announcement of moving from mask requirements to masks being strongly recommended for our schools,” Solano Superintendent of Schools Lisette Estrella-Henderson said by email. “The new guidelines seem to reflect recent Covid data and feedback from California families. California has had among the lowest pediatric hospitalization rates compared to other states, and the data is certainly trending in the right direction in Solano County.”

Source: Solano school leaders applaud state’s first step in lifting mask mandates

Vacaville school board to hear details of governor’s proposed budget – Daily Republic

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By Susan Hiland

The school board will hear an overview Thursday of the governor’s proposed budget as it weighs the possibility of a cut to state funding due to a drop in attendance.

Assistant Superintendent of Business and Administrative Services Kelly Burks will talk about some of the highlights of the state budget plan and how it may affect the Vacaville School District.

The Department of Finance 18 months ago projected the 2022-23 budget at $130 billion. The newest proposal is a budget at $200 billion. But the windfall in state revenue will not necessarily translate into a windfall at the local level.

Source: Vacaville school board to hear details of governor’s proposed budget

Gov. Newsom signs executive order that makes it easier to hire teachers amid shortages – Times Herald

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By Associated Press

California is making it easier for school districts to hire teachers and other employees amid staffing shortages brought on by the latest surge in coronavirus cases, the governor said Tuesday.

Gov. Gavin Newsom said he has signed an executive order to allow schools more flexibility in staffing decisions like giving additional hours to substitute teachers and rehiring recent retirees for short stints. The order expires at the end of March.

“These are short-term challenges that require short-term and targeted solutions,” said Newsom, a Democrat.

Statement on Governor Newsom’s Proposed 2022-23 Budget – California Budget & Policy Center

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The California Budget & Policy Center, a nonpartisan, research and analysis nonprofit committed to advancing public policies that improve the lives of Californians, released the following statement from Executive Director Chris Hoene following the release of Governor Newsom’s proposed 2022-23 state budget:

“Urgent funding and support for the ongoing public health and economic needs of Californians as proposed by Governor Newsom are critical as each day shows us that COVID-19 and its consequences are far from over for children, families, workers, and adults of all ages. It’s fiscally prudent and essential for the governor and Legislature to use the state’s strong fiscal conditions to ensure every Californian — not just corporations and the wealthy — can be healthy and thrive.

Source: Statement on Governor Newsom’s Proposed 2022-23 Budget – California Budget & Policy Center

SPI Responds to Governor’s Proposed 2022 Budget – Year 2022 (CA Dept of Education)

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State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond today issued the following statement in response to Governor Gavin Newsom’s proposed education budget for the fiscal year 2022–23:

“This once-in-a-lifetime pandemic has created extraordinary challenges for our students, families, and educators. We must now meet those challenges and continue to transform California schools. The Governor’s proposed budget will almost triple the amount of per-pupil investment from a decade ago and will allow the state to address historic inequities, learning loss, and the social-emotional needs of our students. I want to thank the Governor for the attention and focus on our students and schools in a time when we need all the resources possible to help students heal, recover, and thrive.

“As with last year, California continues to need increased investments in mental health to address the severe trauma our students have experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic, which we know will have a lasting impact on their ability to learn and succeed through the rest of their lives. The Governor’s budget proposal aligns with and reflects many of the CDE’s priorities and my priorities.

Source: SPI Responds to Governor’s Proposed 2022 Budget – Year 2022 (CA Dept of Education)

State’s schools risk ‘colossal’ loss of dollars as enrollment drops – Daily Republic

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By Joe Hong, CalMatters

As they await the release of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposed 2022-23 state budget, school district officials across California are worried about losing millions of dollars all at once, resulting in staffing cuts in a time when students need more attention than ever.

After two years of not being penalized for declining enrollment during the pandemic, school districts are bracing for a sudden drop in revenues next year as their funding gets recalibrated to match current enrollment, which plummeted since Covid-19 first closed California’s schools.

“I’ve never ever seen a drop in enrollment come all at once like this,” said Andy Johnsen, superintendent at the San Marcos School District in north San Diego County. “The pandemic changed everything.”

Source: State’s schools risk ‘colossal’ loss of dollars as enrollment drops

VCUSD plans to follow vaccine mandate for students, staff – Times-Herald

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By Matt O’Donnell

The Vallejo City Unified School District, in an email sent to students and their families across the district Wednesday, says it will comply with a state mandate that students and staff must be vaccinated against the coronavirus to attend school in person.

The district will host two upcoming vaccination clinics for students and staff: Friday from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Vallejo High School and Thursday, Oct. 14 at the same time at Hogan Middle School.

Gov. Gavin Newsom said Friday that students and staff would need to be vaccinated to attend school in person.

Source: Vallejo City Unified School District plans to follow vaccine mandate for students, staff – Times-Herald

What California’s new student vaccine mandate means for your child – Times-Herald

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By Emily Deruy

Gov. Gavin Newsom said Friday that students will soon need to be vaccinated against the coronavirus to attend school in person in California. Here’s what you need to know about the new vaccine mandate.

Q: What is the new requirement?

A: Children must be vaccinated against the coronavirus to attend schools in person, starting the school term after the vaccines have full approval from the FDA for two different groups. The requirement will be phased in by grade span, first grades 7-12 and then K-6. School staff will also need to be vaccinated by the time the requirement applies to the first cohort.

Source: What California’s new student vaccine mandate means for your child – Times-Herald

California to require public school students age 12-17 to get COVID vaccine – ABC7 Los Angeles

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California will soon require all public school students age 12 to 17 years old to get the COVID-19 vaccine once the shot is fully authorized by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA).

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s announced the new emergency order on Friday while visiting a middle school in San Francisco.

The COVID-19 vaccine will now join a list of 10 other vaccinations required for children to attend school in the state.

The governor said the state will issue the mandate in the next school term following the FDA’s authorization, the earlier being January 1, 2022 and the latest being July 1, 2022.

At that same time, staff members at all California schools will also need to be fully vaccinated. The state issued a mandate in August for teachers and school staff members, but now it has eliminated the option to submit to regular COVID-19 testing in place of getting the vaccine.

Source: California to require public school students age 12-17 to get COVID vaccine – ABC7 Los Angeles

CA staffing shortage delays ambitious program to extend school day and year – The Vacaville Reporter

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By John Fensterwald, EdSource

One of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s and the Legislature’s most ambitious and expensive education programs — the extension of the school day and of the school year for elementary school students — won’t happen this year, at least in most districts.

And that’s now OK with the Legislature and the Newsom administration, which had funded it to start right away.

School districts and charter schools say they are struggling to find enough teachers, substitute teachers, bus drivers and Covid contact tracers to fill existing and new pandemic-related jobs, so adding before- and after-school positions is unfeasible, they say.

Source: California staffing shortage delays ambitious program to extend school day and year – The Vacaville Reporter

CA Gov. Newsom extends statewide vaccine or test order to teachers – The Vacaville Reporter

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By John Woolfolk

California will be the first state in the country to require public school teachers and staff to either be vaccinated or tested weekly for COVID-19, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Wednesday as many of the state’s 6.1 million students return to classrooms for the fall term amid a sharp rise in infections.

“We think this right thing to do and a sustainable way to keep schools open,” Newsom said at a news conference at Carl B. Munck Elementary School in Oakland.

The new policy for school staff will take effect Aug. 12, and schools must be in full compliance by Oct. 15. Free testing is available to schools through the state’s K-12 school testing program.

Source: California Gov. Gavin Newsom extends statewide vaccine or test order to teachers – The Vacaville Reporter