Monthly Archives: November 2017

Student Advisory Board grows next generation of leaders

29 Nov
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students
In a small conference room above a restaurant a few blocks from the State Capitol, a group of high school students sit in a circle to discuss education and advocacy. After each student speaks, the group snaps in response. The snaps are a way to let the speaker know the group has listened, and that each voice counts. That message also extends to their participation on the Student Advisory Board on Education. Fifty students from across California come to Sacramento...

National PDK poll: Public wants schools to focus on career prep, personal skills

21 Nov
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public school building
While Americans still view traditional academic coursework as valuable, not everyone agrees that academic preparation should be the only priority of public schools, according to the 2017 Phi Delta Kappan (PDK) Poll of the Public’s Attitudes Toward the Public Schools. Eighty-two percent of the adults surveyed believe that coursework related to job or career skills is important enough to merit spending less time in academic classes. The poll also found that 82 percent of the respondents want schools to focus...

Cyber thieves target school districts

15 Nov
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cybersecurity
Schools and districts are being advised to safeguard against cyberattacks. The latest threat is from cyber bandits threatening to release student records if schools do not pay a ransom to retrieve their records. In some cases threats of violence have also been used. According to the U.S. Department of Education, the FBI is investigating the scheme. The hacking targets schools with weak data security using malicious software or through phishing attacks against district staff or employees. Phishing involves using an...

Member Profile: Emily Murase

8 Nov
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Emily Murase
Each issue of California Schools Magazine features a short interview with a CSBA member. Below is an unabridged transcript of the Member Profile featured in the Fall 2017 issue — an interview with Emily Murase, Ph.D., a board member in the San Francisco Unified School District. How long have you been a school board member? I am currently finishing up my second term and intend to run for a third term in November 2018. I am a graduate of the San...

CSBA video and governance brief resources on CAASPP scores

3 Nov
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pencil
In September, the California Department of Education released the results of the 2016–17 Smarter Balanced English language arts/literacy and mathematics assessments. Compared to the previous year’s results, scores remained relatively flat across all grade levels and student groups, while troubling achievement gaps persist. To help board members make sense of the scores, CSBA has released a new video and governance brief focusing on the 2016–17 CAASPP scores. CSBA Education Insights Video Grappling with CAASPP: Strategies for board members   “Grappling...