[Publisher’s Note: The following entry is from Senator Huff’s Chief of Staff Junay Gardner. The opinions expressed are from Sen. Huff’s office. -Flash]
Senator Bob Huff co-authored the Parent Trigger bill that has given the parents at Palm Lane Elementary School in Anaheim the ability to demand classroom reforms for their kids. Despite numerous attempts by CTA members and supporters to prevent the process, it is happening.
Senator Huff sent a letter on Monday to Dr. Linda Wagner, Superintendent of the Anaheim City School District requesting an update on the signature verification process underway at Palm Lane Elementary.
A copy of that letter can be found here.
Senator Huff will continue to hold the Board and Superintendent of the Anaheim City School District accountable for following the Parent Trigger Law, as well as the Principal of Palm Lane Elementary School. He will continue to monitor the petition signature verification process closely. He has not backed down and will not back down on the Parent Trigger Law’s principles and will continue to fight for the parents who have worked so hard to improve their children’s education at Palm Lane Elementary.
We know that movements like Parent Trigger only happen when people take up the cause on the local level and keep fighting, even in the face of some pretty ugly union tactics. These parents wouldn’t know about this opportunity if it weren’t for many people in their communities who are committed to the reforms. It is up to those who are fighting to change the status quo to remember who their opponent is.
Here are recent press releases from Senator Huff on Palm Lane Elementary:
http://district29.cssrc.us/content/senator-huff-supports-palm-lane-elementary-students
http://district29.cssrc.us/content/huff-attend-meeting-implementation-parent-trigger-act
Senator Huff called on the governor and other Democrats to refrain from appealing the historic Vergara court ruling:
Senator Huff’s history of fighting for school reforms is well known. He authored ten school reform bills alone the 2013-14 legislative session, along with many more during his time in the Legislature.
Last year he authored SB 1266 to have Epi-pens stocked at public schools. CTA and the Federation of Teachers opposed it but the bill received unanimous support in both houses and was signed into law. http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201320140SB1266&search_keywords
- SCR 3 – School Choice Week. Died in Senate Rules Committee http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201320140SCR3&search_keywords
- SB 1317 – Charter Schools. Died in Senate Appropriations Committee http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201320140SB1317&search_keywords
- SB 1185 – School Teachers: Termination and reappointment: seniority deviation. Died in Senate Education Committee http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201320140SB1185&search_keywords
- SB 1082 – CA Department of Education: Parent Resources Internet Website. Died in Senate Appropriations Committee http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201320140SB1082&search_keywords
- SB 1070 – Charter Schools: Admissions Preferences. Died in Senate Education Committee http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201320140SB1070&search_keywords
- SB 1022 – Public postsecondary education: labor market outcome information. Chaptered http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201320140SB1022&search_keywords
- SB 971 – School Finance: Categoricals. Chaptered http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201320140SB971&search_keywords
- SB 453 – School Employees: Teacher Evaluation, Termination. Died in Senate Education Committee http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201320140SB453&search_keywords
- SB 452 – School Intervention: Parent Empowerment. Died in Senate Education Committee http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201320140SB452&search_keywords
- SB 451 – Open Enrollment Act: Expansion to all school districts of residence. Died in Senate Education Committee. http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201320140SB451&search_keywords
Here is a recent op-ed in the LA Daily News that isn’t going to make CTA happy: http://www.dailynews.com/opinion/20150127/school-choice-is-good-for-california-bob-huff.
Flash Report readers may recall this op-ed from Senator Huff last year: http://www.flashreport.org/blog/2014/04/29/another-chance-to-put-the-most-qualified-teachers-first-for-our-kids/
On the personnel matter, these situations are very difficult and we cannot comment on any specific allegations or claims from Mr. Ring’s column. However, all Senate employees are hired on an “at will” basis by Senate Rules and are required to follow specific codes of conduct as a condition of their employment. With respect to the incident mentioned in Mr. Ring’s column, staff immediately consulted the Senate Rules Committee on how to address the matter and followed their recommendations, as we are required to do.