We are all disheartened to learn of the abrupt ending to our workability grants, when the CDE terminated effective immediate all funding for NPS workability grants.
1. Meetings and conversations with impacted schools.
We’ve held many individual and group meetings regarding the Workability funding change. Our Government Affairs Committee has been tirelessly trying to engage the California Department of Education and lawmakers in finding the best solutions and assurances to this new change.
2. CAPSES present on Hearing on 8/28
A group of impacted programs were able to accompany CAPSES and Capitol Advisors to the California Department of Education for a special Hearing on Workability program. We made sure the CDE heard our concerns and understood the gravity of this sudden decision and the challenges to implement a new funding model.
Thank you Aldar Academy, Spectrum Centers, and Specialized education of California for making time to speak on behalf of all impacted programs and students.
Among our demands during public comments, we emphasized the need for clear guidance from CDE on how our programs and public school students can access these funds with the goal of guaranteeing continuity of services and equal access.
3. Call to action
We urge you to circulate the letter below with your lawmakers and elected officials. Additionally, engaging your SELPA and LEAs around the following logistical needs would help.
4. Letter sent to Decision makers
CAPSES, on behalf of all its members and NPS statewide, submitted a formal letter in response to the Workability I (WAI) State funding change. We are making a clear demand for CDE issued guidance to measure equal access and continuity of services.
What will districts do to have personnel transport students to approved sites to be "placed"?
What are districts prepared to do from a staffing standpoint?
Will "serving" students be done through district personnel?
How will that happen?
What will happen with students from districts who have WAI grants, but are not afforded the opportunity to participate by virtue of their placement in our program(s)?
What will happen with students from districts who have WAI grants, but the district is located far from our campus?Will students in NPS programs have the same opportunity to participate on the same work sites as their district peers?
Will students in NPS programs have the same opportunity to participate on the same school site (school based business) even if they have been expelled, or have an alternative placement in lieu of expulsion?
If NPS' are to provide transportation for students to get to job sites, how will we be reimbursed for that cost? It is not currently built into our Master Contracts. Many of us were absorbing the cost into our WAI funds.How will NPS students receive their compensation?
How will they get the sensitive information for employment (employment/onboarding documents) to districts/employers?
How will the (formerly known as array of services) be delivered to NPS students, especially when the delivery has historically incorporated different/overlapping personnel?
How will the district provide the tracking?
What is the reality of having increased responsibilities on the NPS end despite our inability to be funded for it. Administrative tasks come with costs associated with the execution of the tasks.
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