Excessive amounts of lead found in water of California child care centers

Results of lead tests released in May by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) show one in four California child care centers have alarming levels of lead in drinking water, putting children at risk for serious long-term complications that could impact their education and health outcomes. […]

Legal update: ELA to file amicus brief in support of trustees in Garnier v. O’Connor-Ratcliff

In CSBA’s winter 2022 magazine, the Legal Team provided a summary of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals decision in Garnier v. O’Connor-Ratcliff, which held that the decision of two school board members to block some constituents from accessing private social media accounts used by […]

Testing result disparities spark intense discussion in Commission on Teacher Credentialing meeting

In the June 15-16 meeting of the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, the commission approved the transmittal of the second annual report to the Legislature on implementation on Senate Bill 488, which eliminates the Reading Competence Instruction Assessment (RICA), and had an impassioned discussion on […]

CCEE staff recaps resources available to LEAs; What to expect in the new fiscal year

The governing board of the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence (CCEE) met virtually on June 15 to receive updates from each of its three centers on endeavors with school districts and county offices of education. Executive Director Matthew Navo reported on the agency’s goals for […]

Community buy-in necessary for learning recovery efforts to work

Where children lived during the pandemic mattered more to their academic progress than their family background, income or internet speed, according to The Education Recovery Scorecard, released in May by the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University (CEPR) and Stanford University’s Educational Opportunity […]

Mt. Diablo USD working to reduce chronic absenteeism amongst foster youth

An East Bay school district’s efforts to improve attendance and academic outcomes for one of its most vulnerable student groups — foster youth — was discussed during the recent California Department of Education webinar, “Reducing Chronic Absenteeism for Foster Youth: MTSS Case Study.” As local […]

Schools can be affirming, safe places for LGBTQ youth amid book ban disputes 

Public, sometimes vitriolic, debate surrounding student access to books that positively portray lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer/questioning (LGBTQ) characters can have negative impacts on children’s mental health and well-being, even if they don’t attend schools in districts where these conversations are taking place.   “Even […]