Local Control Funding Formula and History Social Science in CA Schools

A Special Alert from CCSS Legislative Analyst Fred Jones to all CCSS Members Social studies educators have a new opportunity to enhance or reclaim the place of social studies education in California. New systems of state funding of public education (the Local Control Funding Formula, or LCFF) require school districts to show that they are using state money to improve student achievement in all required curriculum areas, one of those being History-Social Science. Teachers, parents, and others who want to promote History-Social Science need to step forward and participate in the new process. According to the new Local Control Funding Formula passed into law last summer, local school districts and county offices are given historic flexibility to spend state resources (including Categorical funding streams) the way they think works best for their students and community needs.  However, the same LCFF law require districts to formulate -- with the input of the public and educational stakeholders -- "Local Control Accountability Plans" (LCAPs) detailing their priorities and how they will be spending these resources; these plans must be submitted to the state by July 1, so districts are busily holding public meetings and doing surveys to gather the input of stakeholders. The LCAP will set the policy and budgetary goals of your district for the next several years; the State Board of Education has provided districts a general template for performance indicators to be included in their LCAPs, (available on the home page of the California Department of Education, http://www.cde.ca.gov) but most of the details will be left to individual districts.  This LCAP moment presents one of the best opportunities to insist that History-Social Science (or if you prefer to use a politically salient term used by politicians, "Civics") instruction and knowledge be included as something all schools should be held accountable for delivering to all K-12 students (at all grade levels). You can help coordinate the active participation of your instructor colleagues, parents and even local civic leaders and business owners in your community.  Inform them when your district will be holding public meetings to get LCAP input; eventually your school district board will have to vote upon the recommended LCAP, at which time this will be another opportunity to make our pitch for HSS education. Additional resources are available at the CCSS home page (http://www.ccss.org)  If you have questions or comments to share, please email Jim Hill, Chair CCSS Government Relations Committee, mailto:jimhill@csusb.edu

Government Relations Committee Members

Fred Jones, Legislative Analyst Jim Hill, Committee Chair Michelle Herczog, Committee Co-Chair Ben Chaika Cricket Kidwell Anthony Zambelli Ruth Luevanos