(SACRAMENTO, CA) – Last week, the Assembly approved two important education reform bills that passed on a bipartisan vote.
AB 549 strengthens school safety by encouraging school districts to clearly define the roles of specified school faculty on campus, including police officers and mental health professionals.
“I applaud my colleagues for supporting this important piece of legislation, and for recognizing the importance of positive school climate in improving school safety and student achievement,” Assemblymember Reginald Jones-Sawyer said.
“AB 549 will ensure that all our children have the equal opportunity to learn and grow in a safe and nurturing school environment,” said Jamila Iris Edwards, Northern California Director of the Children’s Defense Fund. “I was happy to hear that the State Assembly thought this is an investment worth making.”
In addition, AB 570, which passed the Assembly on a 71-1 vote, will ensure that continuation schools across the state have a comprehensive set of intake policies for students. The measure strives to ensure that no specific group of pupils, including a group based on race, ethnicity, language status, or special needs, is disproportionately enrolled in continuation schools within the school district.
Continuation schools are supposed to create a rich set of options that provide a safety net for students who are at risk of dropping out of school. In spite of this goal research done by the Chief Justice Warren Institute on Law & Social Policy and the John W. Gardner Center for Youth titled, “Raising the Bar, Building Capacity” (2012) found that these schools are often a “dumping ground” for students who are pushed out of regular high schools.
“AB 570 will allow local schools and school districts to develop support services targeted to meeting the students’ specific needs that will enable them to finish high school,” said Jones-Sawyer.
These significant bills now move on to the Senate Education Committee where they will have a public hearing sometime in mid-June.
Assemblyman Reginald Byron Jones-Sawyer, Sr. represents the 59th Assembly district, which covers areas of Los Angeles and the communities of Huntington Park, Walnut Park and Florence-Firestone.