San Diego city schools have received about $22.5 million in state funding to help with the roll out of new curriculum guidelines called the Common Core. The district plans to put the bulk of the money into training staff.
California adopted the Common Core English and math guidelines in 2010, but this is the first year the state has given districts money to support the shift. The state's budget included $1.25 billion which can only be spent on training, classroom materials and technology to help meet the new curriculum guidelines.
About 63 percent, or $14.1 million, of the one-time funding coming to San Diego Unified will go toward training staff in school-site teams, said Teresa Walter, Executive Director of the district's Office of Teaching and Learning.
“You really look at what students know and should be able to do," she said. "You compare that with where they are. Together, you plan instruction and deliver it and then you see – ‘how did students do?’ So it gives them that opportunity to really focus and hone their instruction to meet the needs of the students in front of them.”
School districts have until July 2015 to spend the money. The new standards require teachers to focus more on skills like critical thinking and problem solving.
