Month: April 2013

California schools tackle Common Core challenges

How are school districts and county offices of education preparing to implement the Common Core State Standards? It’s a daunting task, reveals the spring 2013 issue of California Schools magazine. To be ready for new common national academic standards, local educational agencies will have to dramatically change instructional methods and prepare students—and technological systems—to handle revolutionary computerized tests. This would be a tall order in the best of budgetary times. Yet despite years of harsh cuts in state support for public education, LEAs throughout the state are finding creative and innovative ways to meet the CCSS challenge.

Refocused policy document will guide CSBA’s work

CSBA’s Policy Platform Review Committee is hard at work reorganizing the organization’s key policy framework for consideration by the Delegate Assembly in May. For years, the process of updating the eight primary policy areas, with its dozens of supporting statements, during the Delegate Assembly meeting every two years had proved cumbersome and time-consuming. While the Platform’s purpose in guiding the association’s policy and political leadership activities is essential, the process needed revision.

Credential commission strengthens qualifications for interns teaching English learners

At their meeting in May, the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing attempted to wrap up a number of issues that have been in the works for many months. First up was the issue of adopting updated California Administrator Performance Expectations and draft standards for administrator credential programs. This work has been the subject of stakeholder meetings for more than a year. CSBA has been actively involved in ensuring that the standards provide training in working with boards, community and other elected officials as an important part in the success of a principal in his/her duties.

Is your superintendent meeting performance expectations?

By Christopher Maricle, Policy and Programs Officer It’s that time of year, when boards and superintendents give some thought and energy into fulfilling one of the board’s most critical functions – the superintendent evaluation. It’s through this process that boards practice an important part of […]

Torlakson’s good news: More students are graduating; fewer are dropping out

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson had some good news for the California public education community: more students are earning high school diplomas and fewer are dropping out.  According to the latest figures from the state’s new data system, which tracks progress of individual […]

There’s power in numbers! Register today for Board Member Action Day, May 10

The theme for CSBA’s Legislative Agenda is Governance First and there’s no better way to demonstrate the importance of local school governance than to participate in Board Member Action Day on May 10. That day, school board members statewide will head to their Assembly Member’s […]