Today Sen. Scott Wilk (R-Santa Clarita) announced his school transparency measure, Senate Bill 1194 (SB 1194), was approved by the Assembly Education Committee. SB 1194 would provide parents and the public information on the makeup of the California Department of Education’s (CDE) Parent Advisory Council (PAC).
“The CDE created this council two years ago to allow parents to offer input on the issues impacting our students. While the concept is sound, today we’re still in the dark about who's on the council, when they meet, or what they’re actually up to," said Senator Wilk. "This bill aims to ensure full transparency from the CDE, so parents know who is advocating for them on the council.
SB 1194 mandates that the CDE post the names and counties of residence of PAC members on its website by January 31, 2025. Additionally, if a member is employed by a local education agency, that information must also be included.
The bill also requires the CDE to update the membership list on its site within 30 days of a membership change.
In April 2022, the California Department of Education (CDE) announced the formation of a statewide parent council. According to the CDE:
“The Parent Advisory Council’s (PAC) mission is to engage families to help shape education policy and represent diverse parent voices in the statewide decision-making process. The PAC is committed to helping close gaps in achievement and to create authentic engagement opportunities that will result in transformative outcomes for California students.”
Applicants began receiving rejection letters in January 2023, but were not able to find information on who was selected. Today, information on who was selected has yet to be made public.
"Transparency and accountability are crucial for successful collaboration. While I'm glad to see the Superintendent advocating for parental involvement, parents deserve to know who is speaking on their behalf. This bill holds the CDE to its promise of sharing this information," concluded Wilk.
SB 1194 now moves to the Assembly Appropriations Committee.