Survey finds teachers are stressed due to student misbehavior and lack of parental support

Teachers across the country are overwhelmed and feeling burnt out, according to survey findings released by the Pew Research Center on April 4. More specifically, 77 percent of public K-12 teachers say their job is frequently stressful, 68 percent say it’s overwhelming, 70 percent say […]

Webinar addresses ins and outs of transition to CSBA County Board Member Services

On May 8, CSBA and county board representatives hosted the webinar, “CSBA leadership and Transitional Working Group discuss essential role of county boards,” to provide an overview of the transition from the California County Boards of Education (CCBE) to CSBA County Board Member Services (CBMS), […]

Early literacy report shows narrowing of achievement gaps but slow growth overall

Only half of K-2 students across the U.S. are on track for learning to read, with three in 10 students considered far behind, according to a research brief released March 13 by Amplify, a curriculum and assessment company. Findings show that while schools across the […]

SBE nearly doubles community school sites funded through state grants

The California State Board of Education (SBE) meeting on May 8 saw the board take action on community school funding, waivers related to instructional minutes lost to teacher strikes and late start changes, career technical education efforts, reading screeners and charter school grants. The board […]

CSBA webinar highlights the good, bad and ugly in collective bargaining

There are many new board members in the state who have never been through the process of negotiating labor contracts during tough economic times. Yet, even for seasoned trustees, new challenges related to the state’s massive budget deficit, declining enrollment and the end of one-time […]

Addressing the needs of teacher education deserts to attract and retain educators

Drawing on findings from its newly released report, California’s Teacher Education Deserts: An Overlooked & Growing Equity Challenge, the UCLA Center for the Transformation of Schools held a webinar on April 23 to discuss the obstacles that some regions face in attracting and retaining highly qualified educators. As staffing shortages continue to impact local educational agencies across the U.S., teacher education deserts, defined as a county that does not have a preparation program within 60 miles of its county office of education, are most common in California’s rural border counties (those that border other states and/or Mexico).

Experts tout prevention as a crucial part of bolstering school safety efforts

The first of a four-part webinar series on preventing and addressing gun violence in schools hosted by the National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments (NCSSLE) on April 10 explored how schools can build foundations and utilize systems to promote school safety and prevent or […]

Coachella Valley districts partner with local newspaper to amplify student voices

A unique initiative is taking place in the Coachella Valley, bringing a fresh stream of student ideas to the arid desert climate. A partnership between three local districts — Coachella Valley Unified School District, Desert Sands USD and Palm Springs USD — and the Desert […]