Politics & Government
Public Education Bills Authored by Marty Block Signed By Governor Brown
Last week, Gov. Jerry Brown signed several pieces of legislation in an effort to improve public education in the state of California.
Last week, Gov. Jerry Brown signed several pieces of legislation in an effort to improve public education in the state of California.
Several of the bills were authored by Assemblyman Marty Block, whose 78th District includes the Spring Valley and Lemon Grove communities.
Block briefly discussed a few of the assembly bills when he about the state of higher education at Grossmont College late last month.
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Block responded to an email query from Mount Helix Patch, discussing each of the bills and what they could mean for public education locally.
AB 620 – Public postsecondary education: nondiscrimination and training due to sexual orientation
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“Students attending our public colleges and universities deserve a campus that is serious about providing a safe environment where all people, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, can excel to their fullest academic potential,” wrote Block. “Sadly, bullying and harassment continue to be a primary concern for LGBT students on campus and are often cited when determining why some students underperform or drop out.”
AB 668 – California State University: missed examinations, undue hardship due to religious beliefs
“Students should not face academic penalty when their religious beliefs and practice cause them to miss scheduled exams and should never be forced to choose between pursuing their education and practicing their religious beliefs. AB 668 ensures that students are able to receive religious accommodations at all CSU campuses when an examination conflicts with their religious practice and does not impose an undue hardship for the university,” wrote Block.
AB 684 – Community college districts: trustee elections
“At-large trustee elections can dilute the voting power of minority groups concentrated in particular geographic areas of a district resulting in a lack of fair representations for those groups,” wrote Block. “The California Voting Rights Act prohibits such dilution. With the approval of AB 684, the California community college district’s board of governors will allow districts to avoid costly, protracted litigation by voluntarily adopting trustee area elections.”
AB 743 – California Community Colleges: establishing a common assessment system
“The 72 community college districts in California are using several different tests to assess college readiness. This confuses students and results in many of them taking more classes than needed,” wrote Block. “This bill is a step toward a more efficient process that will increase the number of students assessed and save millions of dollars in testing costs.”
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