OPINION – California’s local government industrial complex has learned how to work the political system to keep resources flowing even when clients stop coming through the door.
Lorena Gonzalez in the Assembly shortly after her 2013 election. (Photo: Rich Pedroncelli, AP)Lorena Gonzalez, the San Diego-area Assemblywoman who successfully pushed landmark legislation to reclassify many California independent contractors as employees, is leaving the Capitol to run the California Labor Federation. Gonzalez, 50, will become the group’s executive officer when the current leader, long-time chief Art Pulaski, retires this summer after serving 25 years as the top executive.
A student works from home via a computer and online instruction. (Photo: Motortion Films, via Shutterstock)Schools, parents and children in California are facing a steep learning curve as they switch to remote learning in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Schools shut down abruptly in mid-March, forcing teachers to scramble to come up with online or distance learning materials. Meanwhile, parents had to figure out how to set up home schools while balancing jobs.
Youngsters at play in a kindergarten.. Photo: Robert Kneschke, via Shutterstock) OPINION: A recent television news headline asked, “Can day cares stay open amid coronavirus outbreak?” The answer has been confusing to many – school are closed, shouldn’t childcare centers be, too? Why are these groups of people okay but not others? What about the safety of the kids and staff?
The photo gallery in the main entrance of CalSTRS' West Sacramento headquarters. (Photo: CalSTRS)The main California State Teachers’ Retirement System pension fund is seriously underfunded, and school district pension costs are more than doubling, biting deep into classroom budgets. But the agency, called CalSTRS for short, has an inflation-protection fund with a growing $9.8 billion surplus and an eye-popping positive cash flow.
A teacher writes on the blackboard in a class for English language learners. (Photo: Viacheslav Nikolaenko)Proposition 58, titled the “English Proficiency, Multilingual Education” initiative, would repeal key provisions of Proposition 227 approved by voters in 1998. For instance, parents would no longer need to sign waivers to get into bilingual education programs. Schools could more easily institute bilingual programs.