KPCC News In Brief

Legislative analyst issues education reform recommendations

California’s legislative analyst has issued its periodic list of reform proposals intended to make government more effective and efficient. KPCC’s Adolfo Guzman-Lopez reviews the analyst’s public school recommendations.

Adolfo Guzman-Lopez: The legislative analyst issued 12 public school recommendations.

They include opening charter school authorization to public agencies other than school districts, such as universities. The analyst suggested that California align public school accountability standards with those of the federal government.

The analyst also suggested combining seven separate funding programs having to do with class size and teacher pay. That would reduce school district paperwork, and would offer administrators a clearer picture of what state money they can expect.

Jennifer Kuhn of the Legislative Analyst’s Office predicts that the proposals won’t fall on deaf ears.

Jennifer Kuhn: Maybe half of our recommendations are implemented in a two-year period and half aren’t. And then we have to take a look at the ones that haven’t been, to look at whether they’re still salient issues that the legislature would want to pursue.

Guzman-Lopez: These reforms may be necessary. But Sacramento’s got a bigger problem: how to find the money to keep state government running.

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• December 1, 2008 4:46 PM
• Categories: Business/Economy, Education, Politics/Public Affairs