School personnel: professional development for classified school employees.

Existing law authorizes the governing board of any school district to grant any classified employee a leave of absence not to exceed one year, as provided, for the purpose of permitting study by the employee or for the purpose of retraining the employee to meet changing conditions within the district. Existing law authorizes the governing board of a school district to grant reimbursement of the costs, including tuition fees, to a permanent classified employee who satisfactorily completes approved training to improve his or her job knowledge, ability, or skill. This bill would require a local educational agency, if it expends funds for professional development for any schoolsite staff, to consider the needs of its classified school employees, as defined, to update their skills and to learn best practices in various optional areas, including, among others, pupil learning and achievement, pupil and campus safety, and special education.