ACSA has been busy working in the wake of the reports contained in “Getting Down to Facts,” released by the Stanford Research Institute on the issues of school reforms and resources. Already discussions have begun within the education community as the various education groups try to absorb and analyze the 1,700-plus pages in the 22 reports.

ACSA will be soliciting information from its councils and committees as it conducts the immense task of analyzing these reports. One group within ACSA that is playing a vital role in this analysis is a task force put together by the Superintendency Council. A select group of superintendents is currently poring over the Getting Down to Facts reports and is beginning the process of sifting through the data and recommendations they contain.

The next step in the process will find ACSA developing a number of key concepts from the reports, which will then be shared with ACSA’s Delegate Assembly by task force chair Michele Lawrence, superintendent of Berkeley USD. Delegates will then offer their feedback to help ACSA determine its stance on the issues raised in the reports.

“This is going to be a very exciting process for ACSA,” said Legislative Advocate Laura Jeffries. “Our members will be of great assistance in determining which key concepts contained in the reports make the most sense for school leaders to support.”

In addition, ACSA is working with the California School Boards Association on an outreach training program on school finance for school districts. The training will show how to explain the complicated system of financing that schools operate under. These trainees can then go back and help engage their local communities about school finance and answer some of the inevitable questions that will arise as the public begins to hear more about the school resources issue.

This outreach program will likely be taking place in the fall.

Information on the Getting Down to Facts reports can be found at ACSA Online: www.acsa.org.