History of IDEA
Jeannie Oakes, Founder and Former Director
Youth Voice in School Finance
NEW REPORT: Los Angeles' road to A-G for all
Without Dollars and Sense Powerpoint
Past Educational Opportunity Reports
CTA, flexing political clout, targets Steinberg tenure proposal
- 09-02-2010
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By Jennifer Chaussee/Capitol Weekly
One of the biggest education bills of the year died an ignoble death late at night during an ad hoc hearing of the Assembly Appropriations committee in the final hours of the legislative session. The fact that the bill was authored by Senate leader Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, was not enough to overcome opposition from some Republicans and strong opposition from the California Teachers Association. The death of Steinberg’s SB 1285 (which was later amended into a separate vehicle in the closing hours of the legislative session, SB 681) underscores not only recent tensions between Steinberg and CTA. It also illustrates the strong hold the teacher’s union has on the Assembly Democratic caucus. The union backed Assemblyman Tom Torlakson, D-Antioch, over a state senator, Gloria Romero of Los Angeles, in the race for state superintendent of public instruction. And while CTA took out mailers critical of Steinberg’s initial budget proposal, CTA’s leaders appeared at a press conference with Assembly Speaker John Pérez, D-Los Angeles, earlier this summer to voice support for the speaker’s plan. Steinberg’s measure would have limited the number of teacher layoffs in poor schools, which he contended were hit disproportionately harder in tough economic times. The union opposed the measure because it interfered with the current system of seniority. (more…)
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