California Assembly Bill: AB 1505

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California Assembly Bill: AB 1505
Summary Overview

Introduction:
On October 3rd, 2019 California Assembly Bill 1505 was approved by the Governor after a 60-16 vote by the Assembly floor in September. After several teachers’ union strikes in Los Angeles and Oakland, and pressure from school districts in financial distress due to lost enrollment/competition from charter schools misplaced in their district, Patrick O’Donnell drafted the bill in order to limit the impact of charter schools upon poor school districts and their teachers. At first, the bill was detrimental for charter schools, but after deliberations and amendments as a result of influence from pro-charter advocates (such as Governor Newsom), a compromise was reached for the opposing parties involved.

Details:
The California Assembly Bill 1505 will not go into effect until July 1st, 2020, giving existing charters a chance to adjust to the new law. The bill also ensures that high-performing charters (especially those that close the achievement gap, or offer great opportunities for a diverse set of students) already in existence will be protected, and allows for extensive appeals in the event a new or existing charter is rejected. Overall, AB 1505 makes changes to authorizations, appeals, and renewals for both new and existing charter schools.

Specifications:

⦁ Gives local school districts (instead of the county or state) the power to reject or accept charter school petitions within their district lines.

⦁ Allows charter authorizers (now local school districts) to reject a new charter school application due to financial distress or duplication of an academic program already in place at an existing school.

⦁ Also authorizes a full appeal process for charter schools denied approval.

⦁ Charter authorizers are now allowed to close charter schools if they are not serving all student populations.

⦁ Requires that charter school teachers hold official teaching credentials, with a specified transitory period (until July 1st 2025).

⦁ Mandates charter renewals (by the district the charter is located in) from five to seven years for middle and high performing charters. Low-performing charters shall not be renewed.

⦁ There will be a two-year moratorium for non-classroom based charters.

⦁ Implementation and data collection/monitoring of the bill will be overseen by the California Department of Education (CDE).

*Other stipulations may be found on the official legislative bill itself.*

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