Source: Politico
HOOKED ON PHONICS — Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas is throwing his weight behind literacy legislation that would emphasize the “science of reading” in classrooms after reaching an agreement with Assemblymembers Al Muratsuchi, Blanca Rubio and several interest groups on the topic.
His AB 1454, which is unrelated to the issue as currently written, is expected to be gutted and amended in Muratsuchi’s Assembly Education Committee today to deal with the evidence-based reading practice that is broadly popular among education professors. The proposed amendments are not yet in print but are detailed in a committee analysis.
The deal puts Rivas’ political clout behind a national push for so-called phonics-based instruction, which has been re-energized in recent years after a widely acclaimed podcast exposed some of the damage caused by schools that didn’t use the approach. Columbia University’s Teachers College in 2023 closed the shop of one of its star professors who pushed flawed curriculum downplaying phonics.
The bill would require the state Department of Education to identify teacher training on reading instruction that follow rules around their efficacy, and provide funding for that professional development. Training would also have to include information on how to support students with reading difficulties and English Language Learners.
The deal has support from Californians Together — which advocates for English learners — the California Federation of Teachers, the Association of California School Administrators and EdVoice, a charter school-aligned group.
But the powerhouse California Teachers Association has not yet blessed the deal. It was a central critic of past failed efforts to mandate phonics-based instruction, though it remained officially neutral on a phonics bill from Rubio that had many of the same provisions as the Assembly deal. Last year, Rivas pulled a proposal to mandate phonics-based instruction after the CTA opposed it.
The agreement loosens some of the training requirements for teachers compared to prior proposals and makes the measure contingent on funding being provided in the state budget.
“Strong reading skills are the foundation for every student’s success, and I am committed to improving California’s reading and literacy rates,” Rivas said in a statement. — Blake and Eric He