FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Tiffany Ryan
April 10, 2023 Tiffany.Ryan@asm.ca.gov
Dr. Akilah Weber Affirms Strong Support for Governor Newsom’s Proposed Improvements to K-12 Accountability System and $300 Million “Equity Multiplier” Proposal
SACRAMENTO — Ahead of tomorrow’s Assembly Budget and Fiscal Review Subcommittee on Education hearing, Assemblymember Akilah Weber, M.D. (D-La Mesa) today issued a statement affirming her support for Governor Newsom’s proposed changes to the K-12 accountability system and $300 million in new ongoing funding for the “Equity Multiplier.” Building on Assemblymember Weber’s work to improve equity in education, the Governor’s proposal — developed in consultation with members of the California Legislative Black Caucus — seeks to address opportunity and outcome gaps across the state and systemically improve African American student achievement.
“For too long in America, African American students have been left behind in the classroom,” said Assemblymember Akilah Weber, M.D. (D-La Mesa). “Governor Newsom’s proposed changes to the K-12 accountability system and $300 million Equity Multiplier proposal are game-changers for closing persistent opportunity and outcome gaps in California. This proposal is exactly what our state needs to work toward repairing the longstanding harms of inequity in education and ensuring our schools are more fair and accessible for all students. I’m proud to have worked with the Governor’s administration on this proposal, and I join Black leaders, educators, and civil rights organizations across California in urging my colleagues in the Legislature to ensure it is adopted as part of the final budget agreement.”
There continues to be a persistent and wide achievement gap among Black students (30.3% proficiency in reading and 15.9% in math). Ten years after the inception of the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF), opportunity and outcome gaps for African American students continue to persist. The Governor’s proposal requires all school districts to publicly identify where African American student performance is very low on a California School Dashboard indicator, and then, through engagement with parents, community members and local interest holders, annually develop and revisit goals and actions to improve performance, supported by funding in the district budget. Accordingly, in implementation, districts serving 95% of African American students in California would need to develop, fund, and implement specific strategies to address significant opportunity and outcome gaps for African American students.
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Assemblymember Akilah Weber, M.D. represents California's 79th Assembly District, which includes La Mesa, Lemon Grove, Spring Valley/La Presa, and parts of the cities of El Cajon and San Diego. Website of Assemblymember Akilah Weber, M.D: www.a79.asmdc.org.