January 23, 2017
On January 20, 2017 CAPCA wrote the following memo expressing our strong opposition to the nomination of Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education:
"Mrs. DeVos’s record and her responses during the HELP Committee hearing have brought together people with varying positions on school choice: Whatever the theoretical virtues of choice, they cannot be realized in an uncontrolled, largely profit-driven system of the kind she did so much to bring to Michigan and now—despite failures there—seeks to scale up drastically. In addition to substantive concerns, we are very concerned about the process that the HELP Committee has adopted. There was insufficient time to ask about many important topics, and Ms. DeVos’s responses unfortunately made clear that detailed inquiry would have yielded even more alarming results.Page 1 of the memo includes the names and fax numbers of the members of the HELP Committee. Please write your own letter and fax/call as soon as you can.
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February 20, 2016
Are you concerned about the recent reports of student information being available for public use? The co-chairs of CAPCA have released a memo to assist in informing parents:
"The purpose of these disclosures is an important one—to allow counsel seeking to improve special education services in California on behalf of children to get information they need to prove their claims. It is not surprising that school districts and CDE are urging parents to resist letting their children’s information be used in this process. It is unfortunate that CDE was not more cooperative in redacting student documents to avoid disclosure of confidential information. Parents are in a position in which they must weigh privacy risks on one hand vs. accountability."CAPCA goes on to say:
CAPCA is not taking a position as to whether any particular parent or adult student should object to having information available to plaintiffs’ counsel as part of this litigation. However, given the flurry of information disseminated this week, CAPCA wants to ensure that all families in California have accurate information about this matter when making their individual decision and that they are aware of the purpose of the court’s order and the lawsuit of which it is a part.Read the full memo here (a .pdf document will download and open.)
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January 17, 2016
From Ed Source:
ADVOCATES DEMAND STATE END IMPROPER USE OF FORCE ON SPECIAL ED STUDENTS
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January 24, 2016
From Washington Post:
Report: Why California’s teaching shortage could worsen — and how to reverse it
From Washington Post:
Report: Why California’s teaching shortage could worsen — and how to reverse it
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December 21, 2015
From L.A. Times: