Swun Math's Program Director Carrie Mitchell wrote an excellent piece on the importance of teacher development within schools, especially with the rapidly changing common core standards in math, specifically.
Check out slide 15 to read Carrie's thoughts on teacher development and how California schools can equip their teachers with the proper tools to help their students succeed!
California Small School District Association | Jan-Feb Newsletter featuring Swun Math's Carrie Mitchell
1. “Design to Align for Success!”
SSDA 34th
Annual Spring Conference
March 6-8, 2017
12:30 - 3:30 pm
Pre-Conference only - $95.00
Visit www.ssda.org/events
Small School Districts’ Association ~ 925 L Street, Suite 1200 ~ Sacramento ~ CA ~ 95814 ~ (P) 916.662.7213 ~ (F) 916.443.7468
Pre-Conference ~ FREE with FULL Conference Registration
“Way Cool Tools and
Hot Technologies in 2017”
James Spellos, Founder of Meeting U
Workshops - partial listing
Monday, March 6th
Events
2 Pre-Conferences 12:30 - 3:30 pm ~ Reception 4:00 - 6:00 pm ~ Keynote Speaker 6:00 - 7:00 pm ~ Dessert & Aperitif Crawl 7:00 - 9:00 pm
“Discovering Common Sense in Common Core
Mathematics Teaching and Learning” and
“Cracking the Code of Common Core Math”
Joost DeMoes, Kern County Office of Education
Erin Walker, Elementary Education
Dr. Michael KirstTerri Thoran James Spellos
2017 Keynote Speakers
Kevin Gordon Jack O’Connell
Understanding Your
Role as a Board
Member
Board Members Use
of Social Media
Board Ethics and
Form 700
A Brown Act
Refresher Coarse
Running an Effective
Meeting
Governance
Handbook - Why
You Need One!
SB 1029 - Local
Bond Debt
Reporting New
Statutory
Requirements
Transportation:
How Will Districts
Pay to Replace
Buses Under the
New Law?
CalSTRS/CalPERS
Reform …..
Rearranging the
Deck Chairs on the
Titanic
Federal Updates
The Complex Nature
of Leaves
Negotiations in
Troubling Times in
Education
Budget Planning
And Strategies
STRS/PERS
Educators
Shortage
(2 Hour Workshop)
Teacher Shortage ~
Ideas, Options and
Trends
Advancing Transpar-
rency and Accounta-
bility: How a District
Educated Parents to
be True
Stakeholders
School Dashboard ~
What Does it Mean
to My District?
From Gotcha to
Growth: A Rede-
signed System for
Teacher Evaluations
Leading Learning:
Your Leadership
Matters in Student
Success
School Facilities
Program - “Back to
the Future”
Top 10 Tips for a
Trouble Free
Construction Project
My Voters
Approved My Bond
Now What?
Considerations and
Strategies When
Issuing Debt
Social Tsunami:
How to Drink from
the Information Fire
Hose Using a Straw
Online Curriculum
for Every CTE
Classroom
Use of Technology
to Improve Writing
Designing a Master
Schedule for
Student Success
Kids Teaching Kids -
Social Emotion Skills
with Media
Governance Legal/Fiscal HR/Personnel Accountability Technology/C & I Facility/Bond
NEWSLETTERNEWSLETTER
In this issue: Jan/Feb 2017
New Legislators Sworn-In in Sacramento, Kick off 2017-18 Legislative Session . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
New Expanded Fair Pay Protections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Achieving Remarkable Success with Online Credit Recovery Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Are your employees eligible for student loan forgiveness? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Give Teachers the Professional Development They Need (and Want!) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Governor Brown Releases 2017-18 Budget Proposal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
ScholarShare Scholar Dollars Grant Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
New Year, New Minimum Wage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Small School Districts Association
925 L Street, Suite 1200, Sacramento, CA 95814
Fax: (916) 443-7468 Tel: (916) 662-7213
www.ssda.org
2. SSDA Page 2 Jan/Feb 2017
SSDA’s“Design toAlign for Success” Conference
March 6-8, 2017
McClellan ConferenceCenter
5411 LuceAvenue, McClellan, CA 95652
REGISTER TODAY!
EARLY BIRD discount
extended through
January 31, 2017
(IF APPLICABLE)
Name Title
Please print your name as you would like it to appear on your name badge - Please complete a registration form for each attendee.
District/Company School Site
City Zip
Phone (____) Fax (___)
E-mail Address
2017 ANNUAL SPRING CONFERENCE DISTRICT/COE REGISTRATION RATES:
Spring Registration Fees Include: Choice of Two Sunday Pre-Conferences,
General Sessions, Workshops, Receptions, Meals and much more!
Membership Package Plan Members Non-Members
Early Bird
Through Jan. 31
Beginning
Feb. 1
Early Bird
Through Jan. 31
Beginning
Feb. 1
Registration Fee
1st
Attendee No Charge No Charge $428 $475 $630
2nd
Attendee $383 $425 $383 $425 $630
3rd
Attendee $338 $375 $338 $375 $630
4th
Attendee $293 $325 $293 $325 $630
5th
Attendee FREE FREE FREE FREE $630
6th
Attendee $293 $325 $293 $325 $630
Retired Superintendent $275 ~ $248
One-Day Rates
Can’t attend the entire conference?
Just coming for a day?
Members Non-Member
Monday, March 6, 2017: $150 $300
Tuesday, March 7, 2017: $275 $550
Wednesday, March 8, 2017: $150 $300
Meal or Reception Only: $ 45 $ 90
CANCELLATION POLICY - Cancellations must be received in writing
By December 31, 2016........................................................................................................................................Full Refund
Between January 1, 2017 and February 28, 2017 .........................................................................$100.00 Cancellation Fee
After February 28, 2017.......................................................................................................................................No Refund
Notice of cancellation must be written and sent to:
SSDA Annual Conference - Cancellations
925 L Street, Suite 1200, Sacramento, CA 95814
Fax: (916) 443-7468 or Email: shelly@ssda.org
3% credit card processing fee will be applied when paying via credit card
The Lions Gate Hotel Accommodations
Reduced room rates of $95.00 per night, please call (877) 539-7070 and mention Group Code SSDA17 to receive the reduced pricing
(cutoff date for the reduced room rates is Sunday, February 12, 2017).
SEND YOUR REGISTRATION VIA:
MAIL: Small School Districts’ Association
925 L Street, Suite 1200
Sacramento, CA 95814
FAX: (916) 443-7468
EMAIL: shelly@ssda.org
P.O #: __________ Credit Card: Visa MasterCard AMEX
Billable Amount: $_______________ Full Conference One-Day Rate Two-Day Rate
Credit Card #: ________________________________________________ Exp.: __________________________
Billing Address: ______________________________________________________________________________
Date: ____________________ Signature: _________________________________________________________
Name as it appears on card: ____________________________________________________________________
3. SSDA Page 3 Jan/Feb 2017
Barrett Snider
Capitol Advisors Group
On the first Monday in December,
nearly a month after the election,
California’s State Legislators were
sworn into office and bills were
introduced, marking the official start of the 2017-18
Legislative Session. In taking stock of the changes
from the election, there are a number of remarkable
take-aways and issues that are worth considering:
Democrats Capture Supermajority in Both Houses –
Legislative Democrats have reached the requisite
number of votes to enact legislation over the objec-
tions of Governor Brown after securing two-thirds of
the seats in each house of the Legislature (they con-
trol 27 of 40 seats in the State Senate and 55 of the 80
seats in the Assembly). The two-thirds vote threshold
is required not only to override a Governor’s veto, but
also to pass or increase taxes, put statewide ballot
propositions before voters, change the rules of the
houses, etc. While this is interesting political trivia,
it is unclear if Democrats can exercise this author-
ity to push a more progressive agenda without im-
mediately losing it in the next election. For example,
many of the seats Democrats picked up in the No-
vember election are in marginal legislative districts
where Republicans can easily mount a serious effort
to unseat Democrats in future elections. Additionally,
Governor Brown is extremely popular with California
voters (particularly independent voters), making ef-
forts to go around him rife with political peril.
Reformers vs. Labor – While Democrats picked up
additional seats in both houses of the State Legis-
lature, the political backdrop for schools within the
democratic caucus is shifting. School reformers like
the California Charter Schools Association (CCSA)
and EdVoice were the clear winners in terms of elect-
ing moderate democrats over candidates funded by
more traditional labor interests (like the California
Teachers Association, California Federation of Teach-
ers, California School Employees Association, etc.).
This could have implications for labor priorities like
AB 52 (Cooper), the mandatory orientation bill, which
has already been introduced in the 2017-18 session.
School Board Caucus Grows – Another interest-
ing thing about the legislature’s new members is
that a remarkable number of new legislators are
former school board members. This dynamic may
help school advocates find a receptive audience on
a number of crucial issues for schools.
Senate Education Committee Overhaul – The
adjournment of the 2015-16 Legislature marked the
end for a large number of Legislators elected under
the state’s prior term limits. The list of termed out
members included three members of the Senate Ed-
ucation Committee: Senator Carol Liu (D-La Cañada
Flintridge), chair of the committee, Senator Bob Huff
(R-San Dimas), vice chair of the committee, and Sena-
tor Loni Hancock (D-Berkeley). Additionally, the com-
mittee also lost Senator Marty Block (D-San Diego),
who did not seek reelection. As the departing mem-
bers spent their lengthy legislative careers working
on and shaping education policy, their departures
were a great loss of experience and expertise for
the Committee. For the 2017-18 Regular Session, the
size of the Senate Education Committee has been
reduced from nine members to seven. Senator Ben
Allen (D-Santa Monica) has been appointed chair of
the committee and newly elected Senator Scott Wilk
(R-Santa Clarita) will serve as vice chair. The commit-
tee is rounded out with Senator Cathleen Galgiani (D-
Stockton), Senator Connie Leyva (D-Chino), Senator
Tony Mendoza (D-Artesia), Senator Richard Pan (D-
Sacramento), and Senator Andy Vidak (R-Hanford).
Senators Leyva, Mendoza, Pan, and Vidak served on
the committee last session.
Continued on page 4
New Legislators Sworn-In in Sacramento,
Kick off 2017-18 Legislative Session
4. SSDA Page 4 Jan/Feb 2017
On the Assembly side, the Assembly Education Committee lost both of its Republican members, one to term
limits (Assembly Member Kristin Olsen, R- Modesto) and the other when Assembly Member Young Kim (R-
Fullerton) lost her reelection bid. While Assembly Member Patrick O’Donnell (D-Long Beach) will return as
chair of the committee, the remaining committee members had yet to be announced at the time of print.
Important 2017 dates for legislative business – Finally, as the 2017-18 Regular Session gets under way, here
are the important dates to keep in mind:
Jan. 4 Legislature reconvenes
Jan. 10 Budget Bill must be submitted by Governor
Feb. 17 Last day for bills to be introduced
Apr. 6 Spring Recess begins upon adjournment
Apr. 17 Legislature reconvenes from Spring Recess
Apr. 28 Last day for policy committees to hear and report fiscal bills for referral to fiscal committees
May 12 Last day for policy committees to hear and report to the floor non-fiscal bills
May 19 Last day for policy committees to meet prior to June 5
May 26 Last day for fiscal committees to hear and report bills to the floor + Last day for fiscal com-
mittees to meet prior to June 5
May 30 - June 2 Floor Session only + No committee may meet except for Rules and Budget Conference
Committees
June 2 Last day to pass bills out of house of origin + Committee meetings may resume
June 15 Budget Bill must be passed by midnight
July 14 Last day for policy committees to hear and report fiscal bills for referral to fiscal committees
July 21 Last day for policy committees to hear and report bills + Summer Recess begins upon ad-
journment
Aug. 21 Legislature reconvenes from Summer Recess
Sept. 1 Last day for fiscal committees to meet and report bills to the Floor
Sept. 5 – 15 Floor session only + No committee may meet for any purpose
Sept. 8 Last day to amend on the Floor
Sept. 15 Last day for any bill to be passed + Interim Recess begins on adjournment
Oct. 15 Last day for Governor to sign or veto bills
Continued from page 3
New Legislators Sworn-In in Sacramento,
Kick off 2017-18 Legislative Session
5. SSDA Page 5 Jan/Feb 2017
BYU Independent Study Online is UC approved as an out-of-state high school (BYU
Independent Study High School), with comprehensive online courses (over 100 UC-
approved online courses), and as an online publisher of content (BYU High School
Suite). As a quick overview, we have three main options available for your students:
Our UC-approved core and elective courses are available to all high school students,
college-bound and otherwise. BYU Independent Study high school courses
are evaluated for their rigor and efficacy and are accredited by the Northwest
Accreditation Commission (NWAC), a division of AdvancED.
BYU Independent Study Courses:
School (Our teacher)
OPTION 1
With the BYU High School Suite, your teachers can teach our 7th- through 12th-grade
curriculum, and your school and teachers are in control! The learning management
system uses your school’s colors and brand, and the courses can be customized to
meet the individual needs of your students. We provide ongoing consulting, so you
always have support.
BYU High School Suite:
Online Publisher (Content only- your teacher)
OPTION 2
We offer more than 200 engaging, transferable university courses that are fully
accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU).
Accessed online, they can be taken virtually anywhere. Most universities and high
schools approve and transfer our course credit based on our accreditation. High school
students do not need to formally apply to BYU to take any of these online university
courses. Additionally, we offer several AP courses for high school and college credit.
Dual- Enrollment Courses
OPTION 3
With these options, you can provide your teachers and students online curricula, credit
recovery courses, and blended curricula options to meet the various needs of your school
or district. Let us know if you have any questions
or if you would like to schedule a visit with us to
discuss this opportunity further.
How can BYU Independent Study help my district?
6. SSDA Page 6 Jan/Feb 2017
DO MORE WITH ONLINE COURSES
Small school districts want their students to graduate on time. Whether your students need core or
elective credit for original or credit recovery, BYU Independent Study has flexible online options that
will keep your busy students on track in high school. We offer 200 courses for credit recovery, blended
and online options for your students, starting as low as $30 per course per student. All with the same
quality content and school support for which BYU Independent Study is known.
For more information, visit byu.is, or set up a free consultation by emailing hssuite@byu.edu or
call (801) 422-3510.
7. SSDA Page 7 Jan/Feb 2017
New Expanded Fair Pay ProtectionsNew Expanded Fair Pay Protections
Paul D. Knothe
Liebert Cassidy Whitmore
California has statutorily prohibit-
ed unequal pay on the basis of sex
since 1949. As a previous blog post
explained, that law was amended
in 2016 to formally change the
standard for equal pay claims
based on sex. Instead of requir-
ing equal pay for “equal” work,
the statute now requires equal pay for “substantially similar
work when viewed as a composite of skill, effort, and re-
sponsibility, performed under similar working conditions.”
Effective January 1, 2017, the protection of the California Fair
Pay Act also applies to race and ethnicity, following Gover-
nor Jerry Brown’s signing of S.B. 1063, titled the “Wage and
Equality Act of 2016.” This statute provides another avenue
for employees to bring pay fairness claims, but is not a mas-
sive change to the employer’s obligations, as discrimination
in pay is already prohibited under the FEHA.
While disparities in pay based on sex, race, or ethnicity are
prohibited, the Fair Pay Act specifically allows employees to
be paid differently based on:
• A seniority system
• A merit system
• A system that measures earnings by quantity or quality
of production
• A bona fide factor other than sex, race, or ethnicity; such
as education, training, or experience. This factor shall
apply only if the employer demonstrates that the factor
is not based on or derived from a sex, race, or ethnicity-
based differential in compensation, is job-related with
respect to the position in question, and is consistent
with a business necessity. For purposes of this provi-
sion, “business necessity” means an overriding business
purpose such that the factor relied upon effectively ful-
fills the business purpose it is supposed to serve. This
defense does not apply if the employee demonstrates
that an alternative business practice exists that would
serve the same business purposes without producing
the wage differential.
Another amendment to the Fair Pay Act, A.B. 1676, also ef-
fective January 1, 2017, prohibits employers from relying
solely on an employee’s prior salary to justify a disparity
between the salaries of similarly situated employees. Em-
ployers routinely consider a new hire’s previous salary as
part of crafting a competitive package to attract the em-
ployee; however, as the Legislature noted, “When employ-
ers make salary decisions during the hiring process based
on prospective employees’ prior salaries or require women
to disclose their prior salaries during salary negotiations,
women often end up at a sharp disadvantage and histori-
cal patterns of gender bias and discrimination repeat them-
selves, causing women to continue earning less than their
male counterparts.”
Employers may continue to consider a new hire’s previous
salary; however, it may not be the only justification for com-
pensating that employee differently than an employee of
a different sex, race, or ethnicity performing the same or
substantially similar work. This factor may be taken into
consideration along with frequently related factors such as
differences in experience, skill, or qualifications. (See Green
v. Par Pools, Inc. (2003) 111 Cal.App.4th 620, 629-30.)
Finally, the California Fair Pay Act may not be applicable to
public agency employers. The Fair Pay Act is part of the
Labor Code, and courts have held that provisions of the La-
bor Code that are not made expressly applicable to public
agencies do not apply. (Johnson v. Arvin-Edison Water Stor-
age Dist. (2009) 174 Cal.App.4th 729, 736; Division of Labor
Law Enforcement v. El Camino Hospital Dist. (1970) 8. Cal.
App.3d Supp.30, 34.) As noted above, other statutes that
are clearly applicable to public agency employers prohibit
discrimination in pay.
Employers can protect themselves against claims under the
Fair Pay Act by auditing their pay practices, reviewing and
revising job descriptions, and ensuring that articulable jus-
tifications exist for any disparities between employees per-
forming similar work.
Paul D. Knothe, Attorney in the Los Angeles office of Liebert
Cassidy Whitmore, advises and represents clients in the
areas of employment law and labor relations. He can be
reached at pknothe@lcwlegal.com.
8. SSDA Page 8 Jan/Feb 2017
solutions uniquely geared toward a small district. They
gained access to 300+ courses for credit recovery, text-
book replacement, course expansion, real-time inter-
vention and intervention support, LMS integration, and
course customization all within one license. This power-
ful partnership and rich portfolio of solutions ignited the
success of the academic recovery and the high school
credit recovery programs.
How the Programs Work
Williams has two dedicated recovery program teachers
who provide one-to-one tutoring for students taking on-
line courses in one of two computer labs in the school.
Students in the two programs attend their traditional
classes during the week and study their online courses in
the school computer labs every Saturday morning, and
they can access their courses from home as well.
In the seventh and eighth grade academic recovery pro-
gram, teachers in traditional classes identify students
who earned less than 60 percent in a core course. The
students are enrolled into a FuelEd online course compa-
rable to the core course the student failed. Students must
complete all the activities in the online course and earn
70 percent to pass the course, as opposed to the required
60 percent in the original course.
Similarly, high school students are enrolled in Williams’
credit recovery program the semester after they failed
a traditional semester-equivalent course. Students must
take an entire online course in the online learning lab, and
must pass that course with a score of at least 70 percent.
California certified FuelEd teachers are the teachers of re-
cord for all online high school credit recovery courses.
This approach to assisting at-risk students, “shifts respon-
sibility to the student and most students respond well,”
say Dr. Richter. “They like accessing their assigned instruc-
tion on their own time, sometimes from home. They also
like being able to check their performance and progress
in the FuelEd platform. Students, who know they are
close to completion, sometimes study after school in the
computer lab. They are excited about their success and
being caught-up.”
Achieving Remarkable Success with
Online Credit Recovery Programs
Achieving Remarkable Success with
Online Credit Recovery Programs
What do you do when you become principal of a 7th–
12th grade school where 30 percent of all high school
students are credit deficient? Look to the experience of
Dr. Nicholas Richter and the remarkable turnaround suc-
cess story of Williams Junior Senior High School in Wil-
liams, California.
When Dr. Richter became the principal of Williams Junior
Senior High School in 2012, he inherited a school strug-
gling to spark success in its students. The school was
comprised of an at-risk population in which 90 percent of
all students qualified for free or reduced-priced lunches,
and more than 60 percent of the high school students
were English Language Learners. While there was a credit
recovery program in place, it was failing to reach these
struggling students.
Dr. Richter and his staff immediately turned their atten-
tion toward implementing an impactful high school cred-
it recovery program and a unique interventional academ-
ic recovery program for seventh and eighth graders. He
and his staff knew it was essential to intervene with strug-
gling students as soon as possible; they did not want to
let even first semester seventh graders get behind. They
also wanted to keep students on track, in school, and
on target to graduate through-
out their school experience.
Through careful research
and product testing they
decided to partner with
Fuel Education (FuelEd)
to implement two inte-
gral programs.
The Williams Unified
School District and
Dr. Richter found
in FuelEd an edu-
cational partner
with a portfolio of
Continued on page 9
9. SSDA Page 9 Jan/Feb 2017
The fill-in questions included in some FuelEd courses is
an important feature that helps both students and teach-
ers. Dr. Richter says, “When you see students’ words, you
get a sense for whether they really know the material.
This product (FuelEd) is more academically rigorous than
other digital options we reviewed.”
Critical Elements in Success
Reflecting on the three years since the inception of the
junior and senior high programs, Dr. Richter makes sev-
eral observations he feels have been key contributors to
their success.
• Struggling students need to experience a little suc-
cess and once that happens, they typically embrace
their responsibility to improve.
• To have that initial success, each student needs to
work individually with a dedicated teacher who can
personalize the instruction to address the student’s
prior experiences, current situation, and future goals.
Achieving Remarkable Success with
Online Credit Recovery Programs
Achieving Remarkable Success with
Online Credit Recovery Programs
• Instruction must be engaging and exciting. The high
quality FuelEd online courses and dedicated teachers
and mentors create the right combination for success.
Dr. Richter attributes the program success to the fact that,
“Students like the programs and their newfound success.
They like the control they have over their learning with
the self-paced online courses and the progress informa-
tion the FuelEd learning platform provides.”
As of June 2015, no Williams’ high school students were
credit deficient and all students but one junior high stu-
dent were promoted to high school.
Fuel Education has special pricing and licensing spe-
cifically for SSDA members! Contact us today by call-
ing 855.402.3533 or by visiting us a fueleducation.com
to start the journey of sparking success in your district
and schools.
Continued from page 8
Jack Schreder Associates, Inc.
School Facility Planning, Demographics, and Capital Funding Specialists
DSA Closeout Certification Management
School Facility Program Eligibility Reports
State School Facility Program Applications
Construction Modernization Facilitation
SFP Audit Close-Out Assistance
GIS Smart Mapping, Demographic Studies
Developer Fee Justification Studies Implementation
School Facility Needs Analysis (Level 2 3 Fees)
Facility Master Plans, Student Yield Studies
Demographic Analysis Enrollment Projections
Lease-Leaseback Planning
Local Funding Options
Negotiated Mitigation Agreements
“Planning for the Future of California’s Public Schools”
Jack Schreder Cheryl King Elona Cunningham
Kristen Schreder Jamie Iseman Tamara Caspar
Evelyn Schafer Melanie Bravo Mora
2230 K Street jschreder@jschreder.com
Sacramento, CA 95816 www.jschreder.com
(916) 441-0986 FAX 441-3048
10. SSDA Page 10 Jan/Feb 2017
LCAPca Progress Adviser are your
district-wide continuous improvement
system. Creating your LCAP SPSA is
just the beginning, with the launching of
the newly updated LCAPca, Progress
Adviser is your go to solution for
monitoring goals initiatives as you
build bridges to close the achievement
gap. Ask us how!
www.progressadviser.com | Tel: 877.955.8478 | www.lcapca.com
OnPointInnovative Learning Environments
www.onpointclassroom.com
Partner with OnPoint to create an
on-going, reflective, and adaptive
relationship to meet the needs,
initiatives and defined goals of your
school or district. Call us today!
www.onpointclassroom.com | Tel: 888.937.3320
info@onpointclassroom.com
Consulting
Curated Educational Products
Installation Setup
Professional Development Training
11.
COOPERATIVE STRATEGIES, LLC DONATING ITS
ENROLLMENT PROJECTION SERVICES
Cooperative Strategies is celebrating its merge with DeJONG‐RICHTER by granting a donation
of enrollment projection services to school districts nationwide.
Irvine, CA – Cooperative Strategies, LLC, an educational facilities planning consulting
firm, is excited to announce it will be offering a donation of enrollment projection
services to several public school districts across the country.
These donations are a way to celebrate the recent merger of Cooperative Strategies with
DeJONG‐RICHTER, LLC of Hilliard, Ohio, a nationally‐recognized educational
planning firm with advanced approaches that combine key data analysis with
community outreach. Their focus on educational assessments aids Local Educational
Agencies (ʺLEAsʺ) in crafting facilities plans that reflect the unique needs of their
students.
ʺThe unifying of Cooperative Strategies and DeJONG‐RICHTER is an exciting time for
the firm. To kick off this new chapter, we wanted to give back to those who have helped
get us to where we are now,ʺ said Benjamin Dolinka, Chief Executive Officer of
Cooperative Strategies.
The selected school districts will receive:
One Enrollment Projection study that looks at expected student populations
over a 10‐year year period.
Will include low, moderate, and high enrollment scenarios, accompanied with a
recommendation of which scenario to choose based on the school districtʹs
history.
An offer of one (1) in‐person meeting with the deserving district.
School districts interested in applying, please contact Cooperative Strategies at
844.654.2421 ext. 320 or email at JVasile@coopstrategies.com to receive the application
format required for potential grantees. Applications will be received through March
15, 2017 and the chosen school districts will be contacted prior to March 31st.
SSDA Page 11 Jan/Feb 2017
12.
Over the past 25 years, Cooperative Strategies has helped more than 2,000 LEAs across
the country with a variety of services such as financial advisory, demographic and
facilities planning. Cooperative Strategies stands by the philosophy of being one of the
only firms able to plan, finance, and execute services with an educational focus. The
firm has also established a positive track record of assisting LEAs with demographic
work and demographic projections to plan for anticipated enrollment increases and
decreases.
Uniting with DeJONG‐RICHTER has given the firm a heavier emphasis on community
outreach in order to understand the dynamics and desires of each of the clients and
their communities. These ideals echo the firmʹs mission to build long‐term relationships
with clients and provide them with resources and services for any and all of their needs
along the way. This commitment allows the clients the peace of mind to focus on their
core mission of educating students.
For additional information about Cooperative Strategies, please visit
www.coopstrategies.com.
SSDA Page 12 Jan/Feb 2017
13. SSDA Page 13 Jan/Feb 2017
The average college graduate has more than $35,000 in student loan debt, according to Edvisors, a
trusted source of information that helps students and families plan and pay for college. Balancing
student loan payments and other monthly living expenses can be stressful for many educators. But
assistance is out there.
The federal government offers three student loan forgiveness programs that teachers and public
school district employees may qualify for – they could have $5,000, $17,500 or the remaining balance
of their loan forgiven.
Your employees may be eligible for loan forgiveness if they’re a:
• full-time teacher who has taught or will teach in a qualified low-income school for five consecutive years;
• school employee or other qualifying public service organization employee who has made 120
qualifying payments;
• Perkins Loan borrower; or
• Parent PLUS Loan borrower who meets qualifying conditions.
Federal forgiveness programs can be confusing to navigate and may not work for everyone. As part
of our commitment to helping educators plan for a successful financial future, Horace Mann offers
Student Loan Solutions workshops to explain program details and eligibility requirements. Represen-
tatives can also walk your employees through the forgiveness process from start to finish.
To schedule a Student Loan Solutions workshop, contact a local Horace Mann representative or visit
horacemann.com/workshops. TPA-0051
Are your employees eligible for
student loan forgiveness?
15. SSDA Page 15 Jan/Feb 2017
Dr. Carrie Mitchell
Program Director, Swun Math
Ready – Fire – Aim!
Just three years into Common Core,
math teachers across the country are
continuing to refine their instructional
delivery to meet the new grade-level
content expectations. Having experi-
encedthenewstatetestsandmeasured
student growth for a few years, student performance goals are
growing less fuzzy. But still, according to a 2016 study by the
RAND Corporation, most K-12 math teachers say they are only
“at least moderately prepared” to help students meet math
standards. They need different tools to refine their aim.
The good news? Teachers know what PD they need.
Perhaps not surprisingly, K-12 math teachers want PD specifical-
ly aligned with the eight Standards for Mathematical Practice
(MPs) – the habits of mind used by mathematical thinkers. Edu-
cators recognize they are no longer in the business of teaching
kids to “do math right.” Gone are the days of plug-and-chug,
just get the right answer and move on. Today’s students must
conceptualize relationships between numbers and their values,
understand, critique, and explain multiple solutions, and accu-
rately apply their knowledge to real-world problems.
K-12 teachers want to learn to adapt their instructional deliv-
ery to include the MPs. But how?
Align PD to the curriculum. Identify the most important
mathematical practice for your teachers to develop, and look
for ways to include it directly into an upcoming lesson. For ex-
ample, according to the RAND study, the MP with the highest
need rating is MP 1 – Make sense of problems and persevere in
solving them. Choose a professional development company
or coach to bring new learning to the faculty. Then, in teams,
identify teacher and student behaviors that would demon-
strate sense making and perseverance within the next unit of
study. What tools or models will be used, and how? What spe-
cific questions will be posed to students, and exactly where in
the lesson they be asked? What words could students use to
answer the questions, to whom are they talking, and for how
long? What strategies will encourage students to take another
try at a difficult problem? What role will the teacher play while
students are engaged in purposeful struggle? Determine
whether your adopted curriculum is sufficient, or supplemen-
tal materials are needed. Gain consensus about where a few
key ideas will be inserted into a lesson and try it out.
Demonstrate what application of professional develop-
ment actually looks like in teachers’ own classrooms.
Give Teachers the Professional Development
They Need (and Want!)
Most teachers benefit from seeing a new professional skill
modeled by a coach in the teacher’s very own classroom.
While the coach may teach all or part of a lesson, the focus of
the demonstration is student engagement with the MP. Find
an efficient way to share classes, plan for roving substitute
teachers, or make creative use of the existing school schedules
to get a grade-level team of teachers to watch a demonstra-
tion lesson – including a pre- and post-briefing with the coach.
Coach teachers in their own classrooms. After teachers
have tried out their new learning from the PD with their stu-
dents, bring the coach back to watch the teacher infuse the MP
into a math lesson. Having the coach work with one teacher
at a time is most comfortable in the beginning, but the most
powerful learning for teacher teams comes from a lesson study
guided by the coach. Again, the focus of the observation re-
mains on the engagement of students with the MP.
Build an infrastructure and establish a culture for success.
This means training administrators to know what to look for
when they visit classrooms to observe student learning. When
site principals focus in on one mathematical practice at a time,
they can cross-pollinate from one classroom to the next, have
teachers share their successes on a bulletin board or at a staff
meeting. Keeping the PD alive through consistent attention is
key to ensuring both teacher and student success. An admin
coach can help principals hone their observations to the single
mathematical practice under study – and can help them form
insightful comments and questions to pull teachers power-
fully together in their professional learning.
It’s true, there’s a great deal more to learn about how to best
help students meet the Common Core math standards. Yet
what we know already is that our aim improves each time stu-
dents use the MPs and practice mathematical thinking. Our
teachers want and need additional professional development
in this area. They’re right. Let’s give it to them.
CITATION: Hamilton, Laura S., Julia H. Kaufman, Brian M. Stecher, Scott
Naftel, Michael Robbins, Lindsey E. Thompson, Chandra Garber, Susan-
nah Faxon-Mills and V. Darleen Opfer. What Supports Do Teachers Need
to Help Students Meet Common Core State Standards for Mathematics?
Findings from the American Teacher and American School Leader Panels.
Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2016. http://www.rand.org/pubs/re-
search_reports/RR1404-1.html.
Swun Math is unlike other professional development companies, which of-
ten provide scattered, one-off seminars. We prefer to build deep partner-
ships with our client schools and districts. As seasoned professionals with
proven skills in classroom management, lesson planning, and instructional
design, we understand the value of trust and transparency, as well as build-
ing a sustainable relationship. In other words, we’re in it for the long haul.
AUTHOR: Dr. Carrie Mitchell is Program Director for Swun Math, consulting
with schools and districts in the areas of Common Core math, assessment de-
sign, and instructional leadership. 714-600-1130 cmitchell@swunmath.com
16. SSDA Page 16 Jan/Feb 2017
B Y M I C H E L L E C A R L
The Next Era
of Doing Business
Ray Morgan Company leverages technology to
save your company time and money
T
he workplace is evolving. Gone are
the days of hulking filing cabinets and
the intraoffice migration of paper from
one desk to another to another.
We’ve gone from machines that produce
seven copies per minute to those that can
churn out 100 in that same time. Copy
machines don’t just copy anymore — they
print, scan, fax, e-mail, collate and staple.
We don’t even need to print — we have “the
cloud” which enables us to work from any
device anywhere.
Today’s technology is making work-
places more efficient. If you’re a business
owner, you don’t want to be stuck in the
past — because it could be costing you time
and money.
Enter a new era: Ray Morgan Company is
a Document Technology Solutions company
that specializes in helping businesses improve
efficiency and cut costs.
“We have evolved from a hardware-
centric company to a technology-solu-
tions-based organization.” says President
Greg Martin. “We utilize a consultative,
collaborative process to meet and exceed
our clients’ goals.”
That process starts with a unique assess-
ment that analyzes your business’ current
hardware inventory, outsourcing, paper
usage, workflow and storage needs. Using
real workplace data, Ray Morgan Company
develops a custom plan of solutions that can
revolutionize your office.
Martin emphasizes that copiers and
printers may be a minor part of a larger
solution. Other solutions include applica-
tions that allow a paperless workflow, new
multifunctional devices that can replace
existing hardware, cloud-based storage and
professional IT services.
This detailed assessment separates
Ray Morgan Company from its competi-
tion — which may be more concerned with
sales than engineering an efficient work-
flow plan for a client. High tech companies
have chosen to partner with Ray Morgan
Company because of the ability to under-
stand secure complex networks and how to
implement the proposed solution in their
environment.
When a customer makes this technology
investment, they know it is only as good as the
implementation, so they choose Ray Morgan
Company because they know it will work as
promised and the same implementation team
will be there for ongoing support.
Ray Morgan Company not only helps
other businesses evolve — it has also
evolved alongside changes in the way we
work. Ray Morgan Company was estab-
lished in 1956 in Chico by its namesake
founder, a tireless businessman who was the
salesman and service tech by day and “did
the books” at night.
When the company transitioned to its
current ownership group in the 1990s, it was
just copiers. Executive Vice President Chris
Scarff recalls the shift from being a sales
company to a technology company.
“When the digital copier was released,
… that changed the impact we had on the
day-to-day business [our customers] were
conducting,” he says.
Realizing the potential for networking
these devices, Ray Morgan Company invested
in software applications that could help its
customers work smarter. That shift allowed
Ray Morgan Company to expand its scope
beyond hardware, and today, IT services is the
company’s fastest-growing division.
“I’m proud that we’ve always been a
little ahead of the game when it comes to
technology,” Scarff says. “That’s a differen-
tiator for us.”
Now celebrating its 60th year of busi-
ness, Ray Morgan Company has regional
offices across Northern California, Central
California, the Bay Area and Nevada, and
has an impressive roster of 25,000 custom-
ers that range from small businesses to large
government entities including some Fortune
500 organizations. Ray Morgan Company was
also recently awarded the Sacramento Kings
contract for the new arena. Through its excel-
lent customer service, Ray Morgan Company
has helped all of these businesses move to a
more sustainable, more viable future.
“Ray Morgan Company is big enough to
matter but small enough to care,” Martin says.
nagroMyaR“
Company is big
enough to matter
and small enough
to care.”
GREG MARTIN
President,
Ray Morgan
Company
Call Ken Mills (530)230-4876 to schedule a 15 min consultation.
Education Solutions Website www.raymorgan.com/education/
17. SSDA Page 17 Jan/Feb 2017
Governor Brown Releases 2017-18
Budget Proposal
Governor Brown Releases 2017-18
Budget Proposal
Abe Hajela
Capitol Advisors Group
The Governor released his Janu-
ary Budget Proposal for 2017-18 on
January 10th. As expected, Gover-
nor Brown took a cautious and fis-
cally conservative approach to California’s revenue vola-
tility and the general uncertainty regarding the national
economy and possible changes in federal policy.
Governor Brown stated that adjustments are necessary
to keep the state’s general fund in balance, but fortunate-
ly revisions to the Proposition 98 guarantee are handled
in a manner that avoid cuts compared to 2016-17 spend-
ing levels. Having said that, after a number of years of
strong growth in funding for LCFF implementation and
other education priorities, the Governor proposes overall
K-12 funding that is essentially flat for 2017-18. With ris-
ing costs related to CalSTRS and CalPERS, this is likely to
cause fiscal pressure on many local education agencies
(LEAs). The Governor did acknowledge that spending
will be adjusted depending on revenue figures that will
be available in May, and if more optimistic forecasts (such
as those by the Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO)) turn out
to be accurate, the news for LEAs could improve.
Revenue Volatility and Fiscal Prudence – It was no sur-
prise that Governor Brown opened his press conference
with concerns about an economic downturn. He utilized
two familiar charts that indicated that most balanced
budgets have been quickly followed by huge deficits and
that the “tide” of revenues (after several very good years)
hasbeguntoturn. TheGovernornotedthatCaliforniahas
a very progressive tax system that relies on high income
earners generally, and capital gains revenue in particular,
for a large proportion of annual revenue. He commented
that it was fine to rely on the wealthiest Californians to
pay a fair share for spending programs, but that the price
of a progressive tax system is extreme revenue volatility.
He argued that a progressive tax system requires con-
stant fiscal prudence and a large budget reserve to deal
with inevitable downturns.
The Proposition 2 “Rainy Day Fund” is calculated to re-
quire $1.156 billion in payments for state debts and lia-
bilities, with an equal amount to the Budget Stabilization
Account (BSA), which is the Prop 2 general fund reserve.
The BSA is projected to reach $7.9 billion by the end of
2017-18, with an additional $1.5 billion in the discretion-
ary general fund reserve, for a total of almost $9.5 billion.
Perhaps recognizing other spending and cost pressures,
unlike last year, the Governor is not proposing an addi-
tional discretionary transfer to the BSA.
Governor Brown’s letter to the Legislature, to which his
larger 2017-18 Budget Summary is attached, states that
this budget “will be the most difficult we have faced since
2012.” While the general fund does continue to grow
slowly compared to the prior year, tax receipts are slight-
ly lower than was projected in the 2016-17 Budget Act.
The Governor proposes balancing the budget through
spending adjustments over the three-year fiscal years
covered by the Budget. He acknowledges, however, that
“it is possible that revenues will recover in the coming
months, particularly if final income tax receipts in April
surge.” We believe there is a fair chance that revenues
will come in higher than projected in this January pro-
posal, but agree with the Governor that the overall eco-
nomic picture is more uncertain and unpredictable than
in past years. While the Governor declined to anticipate
possible changes in federal funding, potential reductions
in for specific programs (particularly healthcare) could
have significant impacts on the California budget.
Actions to Balance the Budget – The Governor pro-
poses $3.2 billion in “budget solutions” to prevent a new
general fund deficit, with the goal of minimizing actual
cuts to programs. $1.7 billion is achieved by adjustments
to the Proposition 98 guarantee from 2015-16 through
2017-18, which are discussed in detail below. The Gov-
Continued on page 18
18. SSDA Page 18 Jan/Feb 2017
ernor notes that even with the adjustments, the Prop 98
guarantee continues to grow in 2017-18 compared to the
prior year. The remaining adjustments are in the non-
Prop 98 portion of the budget, and are primarily realized
by the elimination of unallocated prior year one-time
spending for affordable housing and modernizing state
office buildings, and by suspending planned rate increas-
es for child care in 2017-18.
K-12 Spending and LCFF Implementation – After sev-
eral years of strong growth in Prop 98 spending, and
larger than expected allocations toward full implementa-
tion of the LCFF, 2017-18 will level off considerably. This
is consistent with what we’ve been predicting for the last
18 months or so. While the Prop 98 guarantee contin-
ues to grow modestly, overall funding is largely “flat” for
a number of reasons.
First, the Prop 98 calculation is adjusted downward in
2015-16 by $400 million and in 2016-17 by $500 million,
the amounts the Department of Finance (DOF) believes
are necessary to satisfy the minimum funding guarantee.
These adjustments act to reduce the guarantee in 2017-
18 as well, with an overall savings to the state of about
$1.7 billion. The Prop 98 guarantee still increases in 2017-
18 over prior year, and is projected to be $73.5 billion. For
comparison, in November the LAO projected that the
Prop 98 guarantee for 2017-18 would be $1 billion higher
at about $74.5 billion.
The Governor does not propose trying to make retroac-
tive cuts to prior year spending for K-12, but instead es-
sentially shifts costs from prior years to the beginning of
2017-18. So the reductions are largely achieved through
accounting amendments to expenditures in the 2015-16
and 2016-17 budget years. A little over $300 million of
one-time discretionary money from 2015-16 is shifted to
2016-17, and then a little over $850 million in LCFF fund-
ing for 2016-17 is shifted to the first month of 2017-18. In
essence, this is a one-time “deferral” of 2016-17 LCFF pay-
ments from June, 2017 to the first month of FY 2017-18
(thus the deferral is immediately paid off in July, 2017).
The Prop 98 shifts and deferral described above leave
considerably less funding available for LCFF implementa-
tion in 2017-18. According to the DOF, the proposed $744
million allocation will be sufficient to cover the cost for
the COLA on the statewide LCFF Target. Please note this
does not mean each district will receive prior year fund-
ing plus a COLA, it just means total LCFF funding is be-
ing increased only by the amount of the COLA and LEAs
may or may not receive additional LCFF funding based
on their actual funding and “gap.” This modest allocation
for LCFF means no overall closure of the statewide gap,
and for 2017-18 the LCFF will remain funded at the same
proportion as in 2016-17, which is 96%.
One-Time Discretionary Funding – The Governor pro-
poses to provide $287 million in 2017-18 of fully flexible,
one-time funding for school districts, charter schools and
county offices of education. As predicted, this is a smaller
amount compared to the last three years, which provided
a total of nearly $5 billion in one-time funds. However,
LEAs will still welcome this one-time funding which is dis-
tributed on a per ADA amount. This funding will again be
used to offset any prior year mandate claims.
Rising Pension Costs – Proactively paying down the
state’s long-term liabilities remains a principal legacy is-
sue for Governor Brown. In 2017–18, the employer contri-
bution rates for CalSTRS and CalPERS will climb to 14.43%
and 15.8%, respectively, before continuing their sharp,
upward trajectory over the next several years. Already,
the CalPERS employer contribution rate is expected to
exceed 28% in 2023-24. Despite Governor Brown’s insis-
tence that the pension plans be more aggressive about
paying down future liabilities, the budget proposal does
notproposeanyaugmentationtocoverthehigherschool
employer contribution rates.
School Facilities – California voters passed Proposition
51, the state school facilities bond which authorizes $7 bil-
Continued on page 19
Continued from page 17
Governor Brown Releases 2017-18
Budget Proposal
Governor Brown Releases 2017-18
Budget Proposal
19. SSDA Page 19 Jan/Feb 2017
lion in general obligation bonds for K-12 schools allocated
through the current School Facilities Program (SFP). The
Governor’s concerns with the current SFP are well known,
and the January proposal suggests that some shortcom-
ings with the current funding and allocation system are
apparent in recent audit findings issued by the Office of
State Audits and Evaluations. The Administration propos-
es to work with the State Allocation Board and the Office
of Public School Construction to revise policies and reg-
ulations to ensure that “basic terms, conditions, and ac-
countability measures” are clear for all participants in the
program. The Governor also states his intent to introduce
legislation that will add facility bond expenditures to the
annual K-12 Audit Guide. However, the Director of the De-
partment of Finance did acknowledge that the basic rules
of the SFP were included in Proposition 51 and cannot be
altered by the Governor and Legislature. The proposal
concludes that once the accountability and audit mea-
sures described above are in place, “the Administration
will support the expenditure of Proposition 51 funds.”
Reforming Special Education’s Funding Distribution
– While not providing any specific new proposal related
to special education, the Governor called for a renewed
discussion with stakeholders on redesigning the state’s
special education funding model. Governor Brown has
longfavoredasystemthatfundsdistrictsdirectlythrough
an adjustment to their LCFF, rather than through SELPAs.
However, such a change may be attractive in theory but
raises many practical concerns about the delivery of ser-
vices to children and, more importantly, leaves the issue
of adequate special education funding unaddressed. Any
reforms, according to the Governor, must incorporate the
following principles:
• “School funding mechanisms should be equitable,
transparent, easy to understand, and focused on the
needs of students.
• “General purpose funding should cover the full range
of costs to educate all students.
• “School districts should be provided the flexibility to
establish goals and design innovative ways of deliver-
ing services to all students.
• “School districts are responsible for planning and
implementing programs that lead to continuous im-
provement, measured by academic outcomes.”
Teacher Shortage – The Administration does not pro-
pose additional resources to address the growing edu-
cator shortage. The Governor’s proposal does highlight
a number of investments contained in the 2016-17 State
Budget and some of the on-going work at the Commis-
sion on Teacher Credentialing, including:
• Updating teacher and administrator standards to re-
flect adoption of the Common Core and Next Genera-
tion Science Standards (NGSS).
• Creating an online dashboard of information on teach-
er supply and demand and educator preparation.
• Extending the validity period for teacher licensing exams.
• Establishing the Teacher Permit for Statutory Leave
to authorize long-term substitutes for teachers on ex-
tended leave.
We expect a number of legislative proposals in 2017 to
make further attempts at addressing this growing problem.
Child Care – In last year’s Budget Act, the Legislature
and Administration agreed on a three-year, $100 million
investment in 8,877 California State Preschool Program
(CSPP) slots though 2019-20. This augmentation plan
adds 2,959 slots on April 1 each year ending in 2020. The
Administration proposes $87.9 million in General Fund
dollars for rate and CalWORKs increases, as well as $23.5
million in Proposition 98 dollars to pay for the planned
additional slots (each of these amounts are budget ad-
justments from 2016-17). However, they also propose
pausing this augmentation plan for 2017-18 for both CSPP
slots and provider standard reimbursement rate increas-
Continued on page 20
Continued from page 18
Governor Brown Releases 2017-18
Budget Proposal
Governor Brown Releases 2017-18
Budget Proposal
20. SSDA Page 20 Jan/Feb 2017
es, essentially implementing this plan over four years in-
stead of three. The Administration estimates that pausing
this plan for the 2017-18 budget year saves $121.4 million
in non-Proposition 98 General Fund and $105.4 million
in Proposition 98 General Fund. The Administration also
proposes a net increase of $4.8 million in federal Child
Care and Development funds and $120.1 million fed-
eral funds for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
(TANF), bringing the total federal funding to $736.6 mil-
lion for these purposes.
Additionally, the Governor suggests streamlining various
eligibility rules and policy changes to better align early
education programs to transitional kindergarten to foster
efficiency. The Governor proposes the following
• Authorize the use of electronic applications for child
care subsidies, making it less burdensome for eligible
families to access care and more efficient for provid-
ers to process applications.
• Allow children with exceptional needs whose families
exceed income eligibility guidelines access to part-
day state preschool if all other eligible children have
been served. This allows part-day state preschool
providers the flexibility to fill unused slots with other
students who would benefit from early in-
tervention or education.
• Align the state’s definition of homeless-
ness with the federal McKinney-Vento
Act for purposes of child care eligi-
bility. Many providers receive both
federal and state funds and dif-
ferent definitions of homeless-
ness can be confusing.
• Eliminate licensing require-
ments for state preschool
programs utilizing facili-
ties that meet transition-
al kindergarten facility
standards, specifically K-12 public school buildings.
• Allow state preschool programs flexibility in meeting
minimum adult-to-student ratios and teacher educa-
tion requirements, allowing for alignment with similar
transitional kindergarten requirements.
• Simplify the process by which school districts can
align program minutes for state preschool and transi-
tional kindergarten students.
Career Technical Education Incentive Grant Program
– The Administration propose to fund the final year of the
three-year program at $200 million, calling the program
the largest of its kind in the country, investing $900 mil-
lion over a three-year period.
Adult Education Block Grant Program – The Governor
proposes to fund the program at $500 million with on-
going Prop 98 funding, with no changes to the program.
Proposition 39 – The January proposal provides nearly
$423 million to support school district, county office and
charterschoolenergyefficiencyprojectsin2017-18. With-
out action by the Legislature, 2017-18 would be the final
year of the five-year funding commitment for schools.
Cost of Living Adjustments – DOF calculates the COLA
at 1.48 percent, which impacts the LCFF Target as well as
categorical programs that remain outside of the LCFF.
Accountability – The Administration does not
propose any additional funding for the new
statewide accountability system, and the
State Board will develop its state plan with
federal funds.
We will discuss these issues, and
many more, at our free Budget
Perspectives Workshops start-
ing January 17th. To find the
Workshop closest to you, go
to www.capitoladvisors.org/
workshops.html.
Continued from page 19
Governor Brown Releases 2017-18
Budget Proposal
Governor Brown Releases 2017-18
Budget Proposal
21. SSDA Page 21 Jan/Feb 2017
State Treasurer John Chiang and ScholarShare recognize that students, parents, teachers, and
administrators are spending more time on endless fundraising events to pay for equipment
and programs that are essential to providing kids with well-rounded educations. That is why
ScholarShare is launching a new grant program called Scholar Dollars that will be awarding 20
grants of up to $25,000 to K-8 public and charter schools statewide.
Schools are free to spend the grants on musical instruments, computers, library books, sports
equipment, field trips, or gardening tools. The grants can also be used for tutoring labs, science
and technology and math instruction, student counseling, clubs, and many other activities.
Participation in the Scholar Dollars program is simple. Beginning February 1, 2017, register your
school online at www.MyScholarDollars.com and then get your community to vote in support
of your plan to spend the grant money. The schools that earn the most votes will be awarded
grants. (Grants will be awarded in five categories based on enrollment size.)
“We see Scholar Dollars as an opportunity to collaborate with K-8 schools in calling attention to
theimportanceofstartingtosaveearlyforcollege,”saidStateTreasurerJohnChiang. “Together,
we can enrich the current educational experiences of students while we also inform families
about how the state’s ScholarShare program can make saving for college easy and convenient.”
Look out for a live video announcement that you can share on social media about this exciting
opportunity. For information about the program, visit
www.MyScholarDollars.com.
ScholarShare Scholar Dollars
Grant Program
22. SSDA Page 22 Jan/Feb 2017
School Districts
Banta Elementary School District
Surprise Valley Joint Unified School District
Associates
Dale Scott Company
Digital Deployment, Inc
Next Gen Math, LLC
Parent Square
New Returning Members
23. SSDA Page 23 Jan/Feb 2017
Danny Y. Yoo
Liebert Cassidy Whitmore
This year has kept many
agencies on their toes when
it comes to complying with
the Fair Labor Standards Act.
Thissummer,theNinthCircuit
issued its Flores v. City of San
Gabrieldecisionandchanged
the way many agencies
calculate their regular rate
of pay. You can read about
Flores here and here. Also in the summer, the federal
Department of Labor (“DOL”) issued new regulations
that would change the salary basis test for FLSA overtime
exemptions. These regulations were supposed to go into
effect on December 1, 2016, but they have been put on
hold by a temporary injunction. You can read about the
regulations and the injunction.
As we look toward 2017, there is yet another wage and
hour compliance issue that many California public
agencies should take note of: minimum wage. Earlier
this year, we discussed Senate Bill 3, which will increase
California’s minimum wage each year so that it will
reach $15 per hour in 2022. Effective January 1, 2017, the
minimum wage in California will be $10.50 per hour. (The
federal minimum wage is still $7.25 per hour.)
Does this new California minimum wage apply to
your public agency?
Effective January 1, 2017, Labor Code section 1182.12
expressly states that for the purposes of California’s
minimum wage, “employer” includes the “state, political
subdivisions of the state, and municipalities.” Thus, we
recommend that general law cities comply with the state
minimum wage requirements.
However, for counties and charter cities, there is a strong
argument that the state minimum wage does not apply
to those agencies because those agencies have exclusive
rights under the state constitution to set compensation
for their own employees. In some limited instances, a
matter of statewide concern can potentially supersede
a county’s or charter city’s ability to set compensation
for its employees. Counties and charter cities must,
of course, comply with any minimum wage that they
have set for themselves. For example, the City of Santa
Clara’s minimum wage will be $11.10 per hour, effective
January 1, 2017. For counties and charter cities, legal
counsel should be consulted in determining whether the
minimum wage law applies to them.
What should our agency do about it?
If the state minimum wage applies to your agency, ensure
compliance by reviewing the pay schedule for your
employees, including part-time and seasonal workers.
The following chart is a guide for the minimum pay that
complies with the new California minimum wage of
$10.50 per hour:
Hours Per
Week
Weekly
Minimum
Monthly
Minimum
Yearly
Minimum
20 $210 $910 $10,920
30 $315 $1,365 $16,380
40 $420 $1,820 $21,840
If your agency pays employees around or below these
thresholds, we recommend that you carefully review the
hourly rate at which your agency is paying them. Please
note that if your agency does need to raise the hourly
rate for a particular employee or class of employees, you
may have to negotiate with the appropriate employee
bargaining unit because this directly affects their
members’ wages.
Will the DOL regulations regarding the threshold
salary for exempt employees affect compliance with
the California minimum wage?
No. TheDOLregulationsonlyaddressthethresholdsalary
for employees who are exempt from FLSA overtime.
Employers are still required to pay minimum wage to
these employees, regardless if they are exempt from
overtime. As a practical matter, however, the minimum
salary thresholds for FLSA overtime exemptions ($455
per week) are higher than the state minimum wage
requirements for a 40-hour employee ($420 per week).
Therefore, if an employee is properly classified as exempt
from FLSA overtime, then he or she is being paid at least
the state minimum wage.
Does this apply to independent contractors or interns?
No. This only applies to employees. Agencies should
be cautious, however, on relying on the classification of
independent contractor or intern and should conduct an
independent review of whether contractors and interns
mayactuallybeclassifiedasemployees. Onthatpoint,we
do not recommend employers changing an employee’s
title to a “contractor” or an “intern” in an attempt to avoid
paying minimum wage.
Danny Y. Yoo, Attorney in the Los Angeles office of Liebert Cassidy
Whitmore, represents public agency clients in all facets of labor and
employment law. As a litigator, he has successfully represented clients
in administrative appeal hearings of employee discipline. Danny can be
reached at dyoo@lcwlegal.com.
New Year, New Minimum WageNew Year, New Minimum Wage