As the legislative session comes to a screeching halt, lawmakers are still working hard. WCRIS is too. Here’s a recap of our advocacy efforts in the last two weeks:
School Safety Grants
Thank you to everyone who wrote to their legislators and shared WCRIS’ Action Alert with your school communities about School Safety Grants!
The legislature received hundreds of messages about Senate Bill 911 and Assembly Bill 1001 via WCRIS’ Advocacy Portal in just one week.
Though there’s not much time remaining in the session, WCRIS is hopeful it will be scheduled for a hearing in front of the Senate and Assembly Education Committees next week.
Substitute Permits for Choice Schools
A bill that seeks to streamline the state’s choice programs was presented to both the Senate and Assembly Education Committees this week. Read the 108-page bill here.
WCRIS testified in front of the Senate Education Committee specifically in favor of a provision in the bill that would count substitute teaching permits as an acceptable credential for teachers at choice schools.
WCRIS requested the update after several WCRIS schools contacted our office, frustrated that their teachers with substitute teaching permits were flagged in their choice audits. Read WCRIS’ testimony here.
More Overregulation for Choice Schools
This session, there have been several proposed and (some passed) bills that increase regulation on private schools, the most burdensome being for choice schools. WCRIS will always question additional regulations, even if they’re well-intended.
This week we submitted testimony opposing a requirement of a minimum amount of physical activity each week for public and choice schools.
All of our schools incorporate physical activity into their school days as it’s vital to children’s health. But our schools must be allowed to be flexible with the structure of their school day to comply with state law requiring a certain number of hours of instruction while incorporating spiritual activities or other programs that align with each school’s unique mission and values.
Assembly Bill 1016 joins over 10 other proposed or passed bills from this legislative session that seek to overregulate private schools, with choice schools bearing the brunt of the regulation. Read WCRIS’ testimony here, which lists some such bills.
