Berkeley USD increases supports for African American students

Berkeley Unified School District recently ramped up work to understand and resolve the “uneven and unacceptable” outcomes of its Black students via its African American Success Framework (AASF), a three-year plan “to disrupt the equity gaps with a systematic process and approach of assessment, planning […]

Efforts continue to expand broadband access

A Jan. 9 brief released by the Pew Charitable Trusts details the goals, requirements and other considerations for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program, an ambitious federal investment in high-speed, affordable internet. BEAD dedicates more than $42 billion to construct broadband networks, offers […]

CSBA webinar explores the basics of trauma-informed education

Trauma is a complex subject and the events or conditions that cause it or how it will manifest itself vary by individual.   During CSBA’s Feb. 21 webinar “Trauma-Informed Education: What governance teams need to know,” attendees learned about principles and strategies of equity-centered, trauma-informed education […]

New California cybersecurity laws impacting education

California was among 18 states to adopt laws related to cybersecurity that directly or indirectly apply to the education sector in 2022, according to the report “State and Federal Education Cybersecurity Policy Developments 2022,” published by Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) in January. “Cyberattacks are […]

New requirements promote access to drinking water in California schools

California will now require all newly constructed K-12 public schools, as well as any undergoing modernization, to provide water bottle filling stations. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 2638 (Bloom, D-Santa Monica) into law on Sept. 29, 2022, after it received unanimous approval in its […]

New studies examine underlying causes of disproportionate discipline

State and district efforts to limit the use of suspensions for minor infractions and adopt nonpunitive strategies such as restorative justice have helped to reduce the overall out-of-school suspension rate from 6.9 percent in 2010 to 3.8 percent in 2018. Yet African American students, who […]

Cultivating recruitment, retention and school climate to increase teacher diversity

Research demonstrates the cyclical relationship between school climate and teacher recruitment and retention. A positive climate can improve a school’s ability to recruit and retain qualified, diverse educators, while having these educators can improve school climate. That’s why it’s so critical that local educational agencies […]

Legislative Analyst’s Office predicts further budget downturn for Proposition 98 Guarantee

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s January Budget Proposal estimates that the Proposition 98 Guarantee will drop by $1.5 billion for the 2023–24 fiscal year. The state’s nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) thinks that figure is a bit optimistic and estimates the guarantee will end up about $2 […]

Commission on Teacher Credentialing outlines 2023 priorities

In its first meeting of 2023, the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) outlined its work for the year, reviewed analysis from the first three years of the Teacher Residency Grant Programs, and, after much discussion, approved Literacy Program Standards and Teaching Performance Expectations for […]

School Boards in Action: 5 Questions with Jacquelyn Johansen, Menifee Union SD

Jacquelyn Johansen, trustee, Menifee Union School District What does your district have planned for the 2022–23 school year to foster learning recovery and educational advancements? The Menifee Union School District carries a deep urgency for learning recovery. We have added instructional minutes to the day, […]