The California Department of Education recently released guidelines to support local educational agencies grappling with an uptick in student misbehavior that emphasize counseling over suspension and other punitive discipline. After more than a year of social isolation and trauma, teachers, education officials and student advocates […]
Author: Alisha Kirby
Reports highlight concerns with increased monitoring of student activity online
The Center for Democracy & Technology released a pair of reports on Sept. 21 detailing the concerning use of online monitoring software that can track student activity on devices like laptops or tablets, during a time when remote learning was the only educational option available […]
Celebrating student culture year-round
National Hispanic Heritage Month can be a time for local educational agencies to dedicate time and effort specifically to engaging with Latinx families, but it can also be a launching off point to establish a culturally affirming school culture year-round. Californians Together Executive Director Martha […]
Bullying prevention starts with relationships
October’s National Bullying Prevention Month is an opportunity to educate and raise awareness of bullying. Between the lack of face-to-face socialization children have had with peers over the last year and a half, and the trauma experienced by many as a result of the pandemic, […]
Gov. Newsom announces statewide school vaccine mandate for in-person learning
Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Oct.1 that students ages 16–18 learning in person are now required to get vaccinated against COVID-19. The Governor, utilizing the emergency regulation process provided the administration in the 2015 school vaccination bill, Senate Bill 277 (Pan, D-Sacramento), noted that as vaccines […]
Answers provided to tough questions surrounding student off-campus speech case
The Supreme Court’s June ruling in Mahanoy Area School District v. B.L. has sowed uncertainty among local educational agencies across the country grappling with how to best handle student behavior off-campus. A Sept. 30 webinar hosted by the National School Boards Association and the National […]
CDE releases first set of growth model data
The California Department of Education on Sept. 22 released the initial set of historical student growth data on student achievement for English language arts and math on its Growth Model webpage. The new model aggregates and reports data by local educational agency and student group, […]
CDE prepares stakeholders for long-awaited growth model release
The California Department of Education on Sept. 22 will release the initial set of historical student growth data on student achievement for English language arts and math on its Growth Model webpage, officials announced in a Sept. 13 webinar. The “residual gain” model calculates differences […]
Engaging students starts with embracing families
National Hispanic Heritage Month presents an opportunity for local educational agencies to evaluate how they engage Hispanic and Latino families and, as a result, boost student achievement. “In our schools, we must celebrate that families, too, have the power to spread the joy of learning. […]
State Board Report: SBE tackles complex issues as COVID complications linger
In a lot of ways, California is on the right track when it comes to navigating the pandemic, State Board of Education President Linda Darling-Hammond said during the board’s Sept. 9 meeting, which covered changes to the state Local Control and Accountability Plan template, adoption […]