Al Speaks Up for South Bay Schools -- What About SB 451?

This is an unprecedented move on my part, as I have published a number of posts critical of Assemblyman Al Muratsuchi (D-Torrance, 66th Assembly District). Muratsuchi did a good thing: he expressed clear and convincing concern about Governor Jerry Brown's proposed school funding formulas, which would impoverish Manhattan Beach and Torrance Unified Schools at the expense of other districts.

Finally, the Democrat who slandered his opponent in the 2012 race, who refused to sign the Prop 13 Pledge, who refused to refuse the Union/Special Interests, money has done something commendable.
From Muratsuchi's website:

March 13, 2013 (Sacramento, CA) – "All school districts have been hurting over the last several years, and we can all agree that the status quo is not acceptable.

He gets one cool point for stating the obvious.

However, the Governor's Local Control Funding Formula disproportionately negatively impacts suburban school districts.

Exactly. Finally, someone in Sacramento among the Democratic caucus is exposing the scam of "not all schools or students are created equal" should Brown's proposed funding reforms pass.

After full implementation of the Governor's proposal, Torrance Unified School District and Manhattan Beach Unified School District would be receiving significantly less per student funding than the adjacent Los Angeles Unified School District.

Torrance teachers are among the lowest paid teachers in Los Angeles County. It's disgraceful the cuts and losses which they have to sustain, yet the test scores keep improving, and parents all over the South Bay want their kids to go to Torrance Schools. Manhattan Beach Unified also commands a great deal of academic and scholastic respect. The governor has not right to punish these school districts and their staff because they are doing a great job. Yet twenty-four teachers face the chopping block this year. . .

"We need to find a proposal that helps all school districts recover from the severe cuts, and bring California closer to the national average of funding education."

Regarding "proposals", Muratsuchi does not have to "find" any, because State Senator Bob Huff (R-Diamond Bar) has proffered quite a few. Besides authorizing the "parent-trigger" law, which has empowered parents in Adelanto and South Los Angeles to take over their children's schools, Huff has advanced the following bills:

SB 451 -- Open Enrollment for all students in California. Currently, school districts do not have to compete for dollars because students are required to enroll in the school closest to their home, in the same zipcode. In effect, schools are guaranteed funding based on student attendance, whether they deserve it or not. With this bill, parents and students would be allowed to go to any public school of their choice. School districts would be forced to compete with innovative and efficient proposals along with more responsive curriculum which respected the needs and interests of students as opposed to the arbitrary whim of school boards, bureaucrats, and unions.

SB 452 - Parent Empowerment. Currently, interventions into failing state schools require extensive bureaucratic wrangling. This bill would give parents more power to push for reforms at their local schools.

SB 559 - This bill would give school districts more time before requiring them to notify personnel of layoffs. Instead of March 1, the initial deadline would be June 1, when district administrators would have a better understanding of next year's budget. Final notices would not be due until August 1. Moving these deadlines would save schools millions of dollars and give teachers more assurance about their positions for the next school year.

Muratsuchi (and State Sen. Ted Lieu, along with every legislator in Sacramento) should support these three bills. They represent reforms which would cost the taxpayer nothing, and would save the taxpayer millions of dollars. Furthermore, these bills would assist our kids in getting a better education and ensure more stability and support for our teachers and cash-strapped school districts.
Of course, if Muratsuchi wanted to make a real gesture of good will on behalf of students and taxpayers in the 66th Assembly District, he would sign the Prop 13 pledge, give back all that special interest money, and apologize for the lies he endorsed during his 2012 campaign for the Assembly seat. For now, I am grateful that Muratsuchi is not in lock-step with everyone of Brown's "proposals".