Davis Proposes Teacher Training Initiatives

Gov. Gray Davis is calling for $380 million to be spent on a variety of public school initiatives, including a new teacher training program and improvements in algebra instruction, administration officials said Wednesday.

Davis wants to spend $335 million as part of a three-year plan to provide training in math, English and related subjects to 252,000 public school teachers during a three-year period, said the officials, speaking on the condition that they not be identified.

The plan calls for 40 hours of “intensive training” plus 80 hours of follow-up training. As an incentive to local districts, the state would give schools $2,500 for each teacher who participates.

The proposal is the first of several that will be released in coming days as Davis prepares to announce his 2001-2002 budget next week.

The Legislature, which must approve a new budget by June, will hold hearings on the overall spending plan, sure to top $100 billion, later this year. The Davis administration, like the administration of Gov. Pete Wilson, leaks parts of the budget to build support for it.

In addition to the teacher training money, Davis proposes to spend $30 million to attract and retain algebra teachers. The state already requires that students take--though not necessarily pass--algebra as a condition of high school graduation.

To carry out that requirement, the administration says the state must attract 1,300 more middle and high school math teachers. As part of the plan, Davis will offer schools $50 for each student who takes algebra and the algebra test in the 2001-2002 school year. Finally, Davis proposes to spend $15 million to increase training for school principals.

“Well, that’s interesting,” Senate President Pro Tem John Burton (D-San Francisco) said of the proposals. “The only subject matter that is really on my mind at this time is the energy situation and how we can, if possible, deal with it. I’m not thinking of algebra.”