New survey shows support for school boards, need to boost engagement

Results from the latest annual poll conducted in July by Policy Analysis for California Education and the University of Southern California (USC) Rossier School of Education of California voters on their opinions of and priorities for public education identified several major threats facing public schools. […]

Brown Act amendment allows for removal of “disruptive” individuals

On Aug. 22, 2022, Senate Bill 1100, an amendment to the Brown Act, was signed into law giving presiding members of school district boards, county boards of education and other legislative bodies the statutory right to remove a disruptive individual from public meetings. Although federal […]

School Boards in Action: 5 Questions with Carrie Flanders, Brea Olinda USD

Carrie Flanders, school board president, Brea Olinda Unified School District What does your district have planned for the 2022–23 school year to foster learning recovery and educational advancements? Brea Olinda Unified School District has invested in school counselors, intervention teachers and two new program specialists […]

CTC discusses Literacy Program Standards, teaching expectations

The California Commission on Teacher Credentialing met Aug. 25-26 to discuss updates on credentialing requirements, among other tasks. Commissioners took part in a lengthy discussion about the development of draft Literacy Program Standards and Teacher Performance Expectations (TPEs) for Multiple Subject, Single Subject, Education-Specialist Mild […]

How equity walks can be leveraged by boards to further success for all students

By Nicole Anderson As governance teams lead for equity through continuous improvement to close equity gaps, it is critical they become data savvy through a process of embracing and monitoring both quantitative (test scores, grades, etc.) and qualitative (equity walks, surveys, etc.) data to inform, […]

Help support your district’s long-term substitute teachers with new toolkit

Districts across California are reporting many start-of-year vacancies and will be relying on long-term substitutes and reassigned coaches, specialists and central office staff to start the school year. Start-of-year vacancies bring unique challenges for everyone, and long-term subs often don’t get the information and support they […]

SB 906 on homicide threats creates obligations for board members who regularly interact with students in grades 6-12

On July 21, 2022, Gov. Gavin Newsom approved Senate Bill 906 which seeks to address homicidal threats in middle and high schools. The bill is a response to school shootings in the United States and data suggesting that 93 percent of school shooters planned their […]

SB 1061 heads to Governor’s desk and AB 2584 moves through Senate, signaling potential election reform victories for schools

Two CSBA-sponsored bills that would enact important electoral reforms are on the verge of becoming law. Together, the bills increase transparency for voters, cut costs for local school board elections and prevent school funding from being diverted for election administration. Senate Bill 1061 (Laird, D-Santa […]