The bill’s author, Assembly Member Steven Bradford (D-62), walked a day in the shoes of cafeteria worker Frank Boeheim at Fremont High School in 2010.
On October 12, 2013, just hours before the signing deadline, Governor Jerry Brown vetoed Assembly Bill 917. This bill would have given classified employees a voice in the charter school process. Under the current law, only teachers and parents can sign a petition to establish a charter school or convert a traditional school into a charter. AB 917, authored by Assembly Member Steven Bradford, would have required that at least 50% of all school employees sign the petition.
It is the second time the Governor has vetoed this bill. Despite the outcome, we will continue to stand strong. Classified employees are a vital part of our children’s education. Our voice is critical in decisions that impact the quality of education. It is difficult to learn when a school is dirty, when children don’t have access to healthy meals, or when there is not enough classroom support. Both the State Assembly and the Senate agreed with us and voted to support this bill. But Governor Brown refused to sign it saying “the existing process is tough enough.”
We believe the existing process excludes too many school workers who perform essential work and who care deeply about our public schools. We will continue to move forward for changes that support the needs of our students – inside and outside the classroom. “School workers bring a different perspective to the charter school process,” said Hilda Guzman, a Health Care Advocate at The Accelerated School, who testified in Sacramento in support of the bill. “We understand that students need quality services outside the classroom to support their success in the classroom.”
We thank the members of SEIU Local 99 and our community allies for your support and mobilization and Assemblymember Bradford for recognizing that the charter school conversion process is unequal and that classified workers deserve a seat at the table.
