BAY AREA COUNCIL ADVOCACY PROPELS IMPORTANT EDUCATION LEGISLATION

The Bay Area Council’s advocacy of legislation to improve the college readiness of California high school students got results this week when Governor Jerry Brown signed SB 1458 into law. The law, drafted by Senate President Darrell Steinberg, strengthens the measures used in the Academic Performance Index — California’s primary public school accountability tool. The new measures will include graduation rates and student readiness for college and career, among other things. In our letter to the Governor asking for his signature, the Bay Area Council wrote: “The eventual broader measures in pursuit of college and career readiness will better incentivize educators toward identified impactful behaviors.  Researchers project that by 2025, 40% of jobs will require a college degree. Without an increased commitment to college readiness and access, Californians with college degrees will amount to just 35% of the 2025 workforce, well short of what is needed.  Without these improvements to college and career pathways for students, the recovery and growth of the California economy will be hindered by a lack of highly educated workers.” To participate in the Bay Area Council’s education policy work, contact Linda Galliher.