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Uploaded: Tuesday, February 26, 2013, 12:36 PM
Buchanan pushes for education reform
Proposes changes to state education code
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by Glenn Wohltmann
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 | Assemblywoman Joan Buchanan (D-Alamo) is proposing laws that could measure teacher performance, streamline discipline and dismissal procedures for teachers and require reporting on suspected child abuse by school personnel.
Buchanan, now chair of the State Assembly's Education Committee with a district that includes San Ramon, is proposing a package of three bills that would change the state education code.
In the proposed legislation, Buchanan said teacher performance should be measured -- but not by test scores alone. Buchanan told a group of educators that teacher performance be judged by "multiple measures," including formal and informal evaluations as well as student performance.
"If you're a teacher, you give a test not only for a grade, but to see what students have learned," she told the group last week.
Buchanan said teachers need time to work with other teachers, too.
The assemblywoman caught flack last year when she voted against a bill that could have let school districts fire teachers who commit sexual or drug-related acts with children.
Buchanan has defended herself regarding her vote; she explained that the bill was flawed, and said district already have ways of ousting an employee involved in physical, sexual or drug-related child abuse.
Regarding discipline and dismissal procedures, Buchanan told the group, "it just takes too long and costs too much money."
"The focus of our bill is going to be cleaning up the part of the statute that needs cleaning," she said. "You want to preserve the intent, but you want to update it."
Buchanan said that includes reducing the appeals process from a year and a half to six to seven months.
Regarding child abuse cases, she pointed to the Miramonte and Moraga school districts. In Miramonte, third grade teacher Mark Berndt was charged with committing lewd acts on 23 boys and girls, ages 6 to 10, between 2005 and 2010, despite complaints that date to two decades ago. No complaint was filed by that school's principal.
The Moraga school district is being sued by former student Kristen Cunnane, who claims two middle school teachers sexually abused her in the 1990s. Again, Buchanan said, the principal filed no complaint.
Buchanan said districts will be required to have a policy regarding mandated reporting, make sure all personnel are aware of the requirement, and will have to review the policy every year.
It's the right thing to do," said Bill Faraghan, assistant superintendent of human resources. "It's hard to understand that it hasn't been required."
Buchanan also discussed Gov. Brown's proposal to give poorer school districts more money.
"It's hard to go from a convoluted formula to a straightforward one on one sweep. The problem is that every one of the districts (in California) has been cut by 21 to 23 percent," she said. "It's going to be hard to put into place next year … whatever we do, it's going to change education for the future."
Buchanan has also co-authored legislation that would require districts to inform voters if they want to use an interest-only bond. Those bonds, known as capital appreciation bonds, became a hot-button issue recently when it was discovered that a $105 million CAP issued in Poway will cost the district nearly $1 billion to repay.
A day after her meeting with school officials, Buchanan and state controller John Chiang met with officials from the Contra Costa Council to talk about the state budget.
"Today we have slow growth but a better economy," Chiang told the group.
Buchanan noted that young people now have more student loan debt than credit card debt.
"My concern is, 'What is the engine of growth?' My belief is it's education," she said. "If we don't have a more educated workforce, we're going to be in real trouble."
Buchanan noted that future manufacturing may move back to the U.S., and that manufacturing will require more educated employees to operate sophisticated equipment.
Chiang said Proposition 30, the voter-approved tax increase, with money targeted for schools, will stabilize things, but only for the next seven years.
"Then, we're going to lose $6 billion dollars," he said, adding that could mean California becoming insolvent. Chiang added that California had dropped from 47 to 49th in per-pupil spending.
In terms of revenue, Buchanan said California "seems to be a state that rides a bubble, each bubble as it comes along." She pointed to the savings and loan bubble, the dot-com bubble and the real estate bubble as examples.
The good times, she said, meant the state could offer better pensions to workers, which led to the problem with CalPERS,the California Public Employees' Retirement System, and CalSTRS, the California State Teachers' Retirement System.
While she's pushing for pension reform, she said court have ruled that the state can't renege on promises made to employees.
"We need to come up with a plan that will raise these funds up over time," she said.Are you receiving Express, our free daily e-mail edition? See a sample and sign-up for Express.
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Posted by , a resident of San Ramon, on Feb 27, 2013 at 10:14 am These two are what is wrong with the system. "we have a better economy," what planet is he on, planet goat poop! This is a weasle socialist politician, publicity stunt. Economic growth through deregulation, open markets and competition will bring in the revenue, not silly stuff like this.
How much does california spend educating illegal kids? How much do we spend on social services for these non tax payers? How about we layoff a few high paid adminsitrators? Government in California is huge.
One might find it odd that the Dirkarino beleives that the teachers union is not evil. They are one of the most ineffective organizations at getting their memebers fair wages. They are too ineffective to be evil. Garbagemen often make more than teachers! You want effective teachers, make it attractive for smart people to take jobs as teachers. You want crap, then continue paying these moulders of our future peanuts. The Union fights so hard to protect the jobs because these people are well educated workers that are underpaid and living on the fringe far from where your Piuses and X5s are parked. All the X5 drivers and Pius drivers out there that think they are so hollier than thou, need to take a look at who is teaching your kids and how we can do better. I think you X5 drivers would be surpised to find out what your teacher's salaries actually are! Hey, let's tax all do good hybrid drivers a little more to fund teacher's salaries. They don't mind paying a premium to do a little good. While we are at it, let's tax video games, bicycles, mp3 players, movies, french fries any thing with sugar in it, tanning (even at the pool), toilet paper, paper towels, sandwich bags, viagra, female massage tools, power tools, wonder bras, stereos, TVs, sunglasses, hair color, makeup, hamburgers, curry powder, goat milk, pizza and anything else awesome!
A system where smart people would actually compete for well paying teaching jobs is where it is at, not this malarkey.
Tax and spend social democrats, vote them all out. Socialism breeds mediocrity, thats what generation Obummer, Pelouwsy and moonbeam are delivering.
These weasles are getting way to big of a pass from the socialist media.
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Posted by Cindy Anderson, a resident of San Ramon, on Feb 27, 2013 at 1:37 pm Wow, you are brash, but make superb points. Our kids have had some great teachers here, but also some real duds. I wish more politicians thought the way you do. D, is quite fun to read.
I drive an X5, please don't hate on this Mom too much.
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Posted by Bob P, a resident of another community, on Feb 27, 2013 at 4:19 pm Dirka drives a goat, so he saves on gas (but I think his goats have gas). Dirka is to the point, mostly his own points, but he is fair and impartial. He hates everyone in politics, and can you blame him?
Buchanan is a joke, and has been since she has been in office. She won her assembly seat and before she had a chance to get used to her office furniture, she was running for Congress. And now she finally gets around to working on education reform? Wasn't that her purported 'sweet spot'?
The teacher's are for the most part, dedicated and professional. There are a few bad apples, and the challenge is to weed them out quickly and without having to spend millions to do it. The teacher's union, and unions in general, are not evil per se. They by their very nature breed mediocrity, they protect average performance, and because their goal is to protect all, they end up unable to adequately address problem areas when they arise.
Our major problems with the education system is equality in funding and ensuring that proper outcomes are measured and rewarded. Until those areas are addressed, much of what the politicians do will be for nothing.
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Posted by Chris Fuller, a resident of Blackhawk, on Feb 27, 2013 at 6:06 pm I just read a few Dirka posts. This guy is funny! He speaks the truth no one else has the courage to do and with a laugh. Most of the stories here are so boring and poorly written. The blog is clearly bias. I actually read this blog because he rips the liberal staff. As others have said, I would vote for this guy and his goats.
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Posted by Allen R, a resident of San Ramon, on Mar 1, 2013 at 2:39 pm Please don't tax wonder bras, or anything else awesome. Very funny Dirka, you make superb points. We have had enough of the liberal democrats tax and spend approach.
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Posted by Bob P, a resident of another community, on Mar 1, 2013 at 3:02 pm The sad fact is, everyone say's that they have had enough of liberal politics, yet they keep re-electing them over and over again. The 2 parties have become so polarized that most fair minded, middle of the road voters are left lost and voiceless.
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Posted by Dirka_dirka, a resident of San Ramon, on Mar 1, 2013 at 7:35 pm Bobby your are right on the money, the Dirkarino is and live and let live guy. My goats don't like it when we don't feed them enough, or milk them too much, it is about ballance. Free ranging is where it's at, but theyregulate the herd too much. It is that simple, where is the great unitor? George Soros has his hand way too deep In these social democrats. Our forefathers would be ashamed.
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Posted by Roz Rogoff, the San Ramon Observer, on Mar 5, 2013 at 1:58 pm
Roz Rogoff is a member (registered user) of San Ramon Express Well Joan is termed out next year and you can bet she's already planning her run for California State Senate when Mark DeSaulnier terms out in 2016. Once these politicians get the bug they move on to the next rung on the ladder to stay in office. So much for "term limits."
Buchanan is grandfathered in on the old term limits law; so she will be able to serve two 4-year terms in the State Senate if she wins election in 2016. Hopefully we will have better choices of candidates by then.
Roz
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Posted by Dirka_Dirka, a resident of San Ramon, on Mar 5, 2013 at 3:45 pm Vote her out and send her out to pasture with the goats. She is worthless. [Portion removed due to disrespectful comment or offensive language]
Dirka Dirka Bakala
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Posted by Bob P, a resident of another community, on Mar 5, 2013 at 5:38 pm Once these career politicians get a taste of feeding on the public trough they will go to extreme measures to avoid going back to the private sector. The revolving door in Sacramento is big and has room for all these retreads.
It wouldn't be so bad if they actually accomplished something during their political careers, but they mostly just waste money and take up space.
Dirka, once a Democratic candidate gets elected to state office in California, they are good for life, unless they decide to retire, or just start acting crazy like Pete Stark did.
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Posted by Dirka_Dirka, a resident of San Ramon, on Mar 7, 2013 at 1:31 pm Bobby, you can't give up. Apathy is defeat. The Dirka is not necessarily against democrats and for republicans. The Dirka wants to oust the status quo. Polarization is the issue, as you so keenly pointed out. The Dirka despises socialist ideals and the entitlement attitude of the Pius and X5 San Ramon crowd. Alas the Dirkarino is not building a manifesto, rather pointing out hypocrisy, politician weaseldome and anti-capitalism free market behavior.
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