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 […]

Profile in persistence: CSBA claims a golden victory for home-to-school transportation

By CSBA President Dr. Susan Heredia In politics and in life, it’s especially gratifying when you achieve an ambitious goal, overcoming challenges and skepticism along the way. That was the path CSBA took en route to key victories for public schools during this year’s budget […]

Where might teacher housing work? Activating public school owned land in California for education workforce housing

By Sydney Maves While California’s deepening housing crisis continues to affect residents across the state, an overlooked sector of California’s workforce — teachers and other employees working in the public school system — are struggling to find affordable housing in the communities where they work […]

Struggling to live in the communities they serve: How housing affordability impacts school employees in California

By Shazia Manji The combination of stagnant incomes and California’s continually rising housing costs weighs heavily on public school employees across the state. Numerous recent headlines (see Mercury News, San Francisco Chronicle, and NPR, among others) highlight stories of teachers who are struggling to afford […]

CSBA President’s Message: Eyes on the prize: Keeping students first in a time of turmoil

By CSBA President Dr. Susan Heredia Back-to-school season is always a major undertaking, but this year’s version is especially momentous. For the first time in 18 months, every California school district is open for full-time, in-person instruction. While that’s cause for relief in many respects, […]

School Boards in Action: LEAs need support for contact tracing and testing to keep kids in school

By Ty Alper I am president of the Berkeley Unified School District school board — a California district that is doing everything it can to keep students in school, even as positive cases increase. It’s possible and we are doing it. But it requires one […]