June 27, 2003

The Honorable Don Perata
Chair, Senate Elections and Reapportionment
California State Capitol, Room 313
Sacramento, California 95814

Re:  CANEC Opposes AB 1197 Unless Amended (Wiggins)

Dear Senator Perata:

AB 1197 is scheduled to be heard by Senate Elections and Reapportionment on July 2, 2003.   The California Network of Educational Charters (CANEC) respectfully opposes AB 1197 unless amended.  CANEC is the statewide membership organization and collective voice of charter schools in California.

Our first concern is that AB 1197 is redundant of existing law.

Our second concern is that the language in the bill regarding charter schools is imprecise and vague. The following amendments will clarify that language. Our additions are in bold and double underlined, our deletions are in strikeout.

(AB 1197, Amended June 24, 2003 Page 3)

9   (b) (1) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), ‘‘designated
10 employee’’ also includes any board member, chief business
11  officer, superintendent and, assistant superintendent , deputy
12  superintendent, associate superintendent, chief personnel officer,
13  and general counsel of a public school district, charter school, or county office of
14  education., and any person individual having governance or
15  management responsibility in a charter school.
16  (2) If a public school district, charter school, or county office of education does
17  not utilize the traditional title of a position as listed in paragraph
18  (1), an individual who holds a position with duties equivalent to
19  a position listed in paragraph (1) is a designated employee.

Please feel free to contact me if I can provide any additional information.

Sincerely,

David J. Patterson
Director of Governmental Relations and Advocacy

cc:            Assemblywoman Wiggins