California must return a $6 million federal grant to develop a data system tracking information about teachers, state officials were told Thursday.

The money was withdrawn in the wake of Gov. Jerry Brown's veto last month of $2.1 million in federal funding for the proposed California Longitudal Teacher Integrated Data Education System, known as CalTIDES.

State officials were warned.

"We went through all the budget hearings telling people they are likely to take it back," said Keric Ashley, director of the California Department of Education's Data Management Division.

He said state education officials tried to compel federal officials to allow the money to be used for other data projects but could not persuade them to modify the competitive grant.

The data system, which would have tracked teacher information, including credentials and courses taught, would have been funded entirely by the federal grant, Ashley said, although the state has already contributed hundreds of staff hours to its development.

In May, the governor had proposed eliminating funding for both CalTIDES and a CalPADS – the latter a data system tracking student information – but opted to approve $6.6 million in federal funds for the latter, expected to be completed this school year.

"The governor has concerns about CalTIDES, so we're still evaluating how to collect and use teacher data so that it enhances accountability, maximizes local autonomy and helps create the best possible learning environment," Brown spokeswoman Elizabeth Ashford said Thursday.

"The federal government refused to modify the grant to allow this money to be used for other projects, which is unfortunate, because we know our schools need funds," she said,

Brown's veto came nine months after then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed six months of funding for both CalPADS and CalTIDES. Schwarzenegger became frustrated with the $34 million CalPADS project, which was fraught with problems that delayed the project by more than a year.

CalTIDES was approved in 2006 and was supposed to be rolled out in 2011-12. A contract to develop the system had yet to be signed with a vendor.

In recent years, California has lost out on millions of federal stimulus dollars in part because it lacks data systems tracking student and teacher information.

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Call The Bee's Diana Lambert, (916) 321-1090. Follow her on Twitter @dianalambert. The Bee's Kevin Yamamura contributed to this report.

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