Copyright© 2002 by School Services of California, Inc.

Volume 15                   For Publication Date: December 20, 2002             No. 25

 

Dymally Introduces ACR 9 for
Education Code Revision Committee  

One of the bills recently introduced is ACR 9 (Dymally, D-Compton), which establishes a Joint Committee for Revision of the Education Code Relating to Community Colleges.  This legislation cites that the community college system is “…governed, in part, by many sections of the Education Code that were originally enacted for secondary schools…,” and that the mission of the community college system is significantly different from that of the secondary schools;  thus, the need to review and clarify these sections of the Education Code.   

This Joint Committee would have 10 members:  five Senators appointed by the Senate Rules Committee and five Assembly Members appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly.  This committee would then appoint an advisory committee consisting of at least these 17 members:  

  1. The Superintendent of Public Instruction or designee
  2. The Chancellor or designee
  3. The President of the Academic Senate
  4. A member of the Community College League
  5. A president of a community college
  6. A certificated employee of a community college
  7. A classified employee of a community college
  8. The President of the Faculty Association
  9. A member of the Community College Foundation
  10. A student enrolled at a community college
  11. A member of the California Teachers Association
  12. A member of the American Federation of Teachers
  13. A member of the California Part-time Faculty Association
  14. A member of the public at large
  15. A member of a labor organization other than one that is referenced above
  16. A member of the business sector
  17. A community college administrator

The Joint Committee is charged with providing a report to the legislature on or before April 15, 2004 .   

Legislation sponsored by the Chancellor’s Office was introduced in the last legislative session, AB 3058 (Committee on Higher Education), which would have made significant changes in the Education Code for community colleges.  However, it did not make it out of the first committee. Some time ago, the Chancellor’s Office put together a task force for this very issue, and the task force completed its work on recommended changes in the Education Code.  The results were documented but are essentially gathering dust.  Hopefully, if ACR 9 does make it through the process, it will incorporate the results of this task force, rather than re-invent the wheel.  

—Sheila G. Bua