In The News
Lawsuit filed over funding for underserved students
Money for disadvantaged students could be redistributed, activist says
Friday June 12, 2009
By The Register Pajaronian
The Watsonville Register-Pajaronian, June 16, 2009
Money for disadvantaged students could be redistributed, activist says
A group of education activists and advocates filed a lawsuit Thursday that challenges the California Department of Education's decision to suspend monitoring for programs that serve disadvantaged youth.
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell's decision to temporarily stop site monitoring of school programs that provide for underserved students means that it could be easier for cash-strapped districts to use state and federal money for other purposes, said Shelly Spiegel-Coleman , executive director of Californians Together, one of the groups that filed the lawsuit.
The lawsuit is led by Watsonville Mayor Pro Tempore Luis Alejo, who is an attorney.
California receives millions of dollars for underachieving students, migrant students and English-language learners, Spiegel-Coleman said. The money includes funds from Economic Impact Aid, one of the largest state funding sources that helps educationally disadvantaged students. "These categorical funds are considered (the) core of the safety net for these students," she said.
These monitoring programs have been successful, finding that some schools have placed underqualified teachers and aides in classrooms and did not provide an adequate number of books, said Cynthia Rice of California Rural Legal Assistance. To remove the monitoring is dangerous, she said.
"It's like saying we're not going to monitor red-light violations anymore," she said.
But state officials say that the program is costly, and takes time away from other, essential programs. "During these challenging times, I want districts and schools to be able to focus their energy on improving student achievement and not preparing for program audits," O'Connell stated in a March 23 memo.
O'Connell said that he wants a "top-to-bottom review" of the state's compliance monitoring system.
"I want to see a redesigned system that focuses the greatest attention on those schools that need the most assistance," he said.
The lawsuit states that the state is legally required to monitor the programs, but California Department of Education spokeswoman Hillary McLean said the budget passed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the state Legislature loosened restrictions on certain categorical funds, giving districts flexibility in how they use the funds. "Districts are dealing with unprecedented budget cuts," she said. "For us to monitor the spending doesn't make sense. They can use (the funds) for any purpose they choose."
Spiegel-Coleman countered that, while the state should improve its monitoring system, it's unrealistic to cancel it.
"California, historically, for years and years, has been doing this monitoring," she said. "In this financial crisis, it's too easy to use these funds for other things."