REPORT: The Education Trust-West 2013 Policy Agenda

The year 2013 jolted California’s education system. Seismic shifts in school finance, standards, curriculum, and instruction sent shockwaves through our state’s education policy landscape. Long-familiar landmarks such as revenue limits, categorical programs, and STAR assessments were replaced by a host of new initiatives with acronyms that Californians are starting to become familiar with, including the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF), the Smarter Balanced Assessments Consortium (SBAC), the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). In advance of the release of our 2014 Policy Agenda later this month, our 2013 Policy Agenda is available here for you to review. Many of these new initiatives fall into areas we have already been working in. The changes that were made have the potential to shift California’s education landscape towards equity and to help close our state’s achievement and opportunity gaps; however, we also know that without close attention to equitable implementation, these initiatives could widen existing gaps and create fissures between our highest need students and their more advantaged peers.

Published: October 8, 2014

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Karla Fernandez

Communications Manager

Karla Fernandez (she/her/hers) joins Ed Trust–West as a Communications Manager with over 11 years of experience advancing social impact initiatives.

Karla started her career as a teacher at Chicago Public Schools and UIC College Prep. After teaching, Karla joined United Friends of the Children to support LA County’s youth in foster care as a college counselor. Through Leadership for Educational Equity, Karla also served as a Policy Advisor Fellow for the office of a Los Angeles Unified School Board Member. She solidified her interests in policy analysis and quantitative research during her time with the Price Center for Social Innovation, the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles, and the USC Presidential Working Group on Sustainability. Before joining The Education Trust–West, Karla was the Associate Director for the Southeast Los Angeles (SELA) Collaborative, a network of nonprofits advocating for communities in SELA.

Karla holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Anthropology from the University of Chicago, a Master of Public Policy from the USC Price School of Public Policy, and a Graduate Certificate in Policy Advocacy from the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. Karla is based out of southern California and is passionate about using data analysis, communications, and digital strategies for policy advocacy and social justice efforts.