Legislative update: New session begins with a number of bills addressing broadband access

The California Legislature rang in the 2021–22 session in socially distanced style on Monday, Dec. 7, swearing in members and announcing priorities for the coming year. Senators and Assemblymembers wasted no time in introducing 185 new pieces of legislation for consideration when they return in […]

Parents still in need of support from schools as they do their best to keep their children on track

“What has COVID-19 taught us about the digital and opportunity divides in America’s schools?” Brookings Institution researchers asked of a panel of education officials during a Nov. 9 webinar. The answer — or at least one of them — is that family engagement is critical […]

CSBA honors Milpitas USD Board Vice President Chris Norwood as 2020 Board Member of the Year

CSBA is honored to announce Milpitas Unified School District Board Vice President Chris Norwood as the 2020 CSBA Board Member of the Year recipient. Since 2014, Norwood has demonstrated what it means to lead for students, the schools they attend, and their community. The Golden […]

COVID-19 Update: Schools can remain open under California’s new stay-at-home order

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced during a Dec. 3 press conference that, as a result of skyrocketing COVID-19 infection rates and hospital ICUs quickly approaching capacity limits, California will once again be implementing a stay-at-home order. Schools are unaffected by this new order and can continue […]

New report highlights how a more diverse school board can improve outcomes for a diverse student body

School boards with more racially and ethnically diverse members are more likely to allocate money in a way that can benefit racially and ethnically diverse student bodies, according to new research. In a new working paper focused on California governance teams and the ways in […]

Student board member program at AEC helps future leaders develop their governance skills

Student board members are integral to ensuring student voice is heard and included in decisions made by local governance teams that, ultimately, impact tomorrow’s leaders. The Student Board Member Program at CSBA’s Annual Education Conference is the only statewide professional development opportunity in which student […]

How fostering leadership at every level promotes student achievement

As more districts begin some form of in-person instruction and work to address learning loss resulting from the pandemic-driven school closures, a new brief suggests stable leadership within a district benefits children at the classroom level. Researchers at the Learning Policy Institute identified “positive outlier […]

Native American attendance rates lower than general population; Humboldt County officials aim to address root causes

Native American youth in California are still missing far too much school each year, according to statewide data released Nov. 10. During the 2018–19 school year, American Indian or Alaska Native students had an absence rate of 13.6 percent, lower only than foster and homeless […]

CSBA webinar shines a spotlight on current inequities and how to avoid future pitfalls

As the COVID-19 pandemic drags on, district and county office of education officials are increasingly forced to reckon with longstanding inequities related to the digital divide, and how to address student learning in the long-term. In a Nov. 19 CSBA webinar, “Equitable Support for California […]