California Senate hearing discusses youth mental health as students return to schools

In an Aug. 18 informational hearing, the Senate Education Committee heard from state and local education leaders and advocates about the importance of centering mental wellness and social-emotional learning as students return to the classroom for the 2021–22 school year and a need to connect […]

Gov. Newsom announces vaccination and testing mandate for TK-12 schools

On Wednesday, Aug. 11, California became the first state to require a COVID-19 vaccination or regular testing for school staff when Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled a new public health order during a press conference at Oakland USD’s Carl B. Munck Elementary School. The mandate requires […]

Commission on State Mandates finalizes decision completing CSBA’s legal challenge to protect school funding and autonomy

The Commission on State Mandates adopted its Decision and Parameters and Guidelines Amendment regarding Graduation Requirements on July 23, 2021, partially approving the Department of Finance’s request to use existing funding as offsetting revenue to pay for state mandates on local educational agencies. The commission’s […]

American Association of Pediatrics recommends universal masking in schools

Much like school-related guidance released in recent weeks from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the California Department of Public Health, updated guidance from the American Association of Pediatrics focuses on returning all students to in-person instruction safely in the 2021–22 school year. […]

Schools play an important role in immunization awareness

As students around the country begin to return to in-person instruction during National Immunization Awareness Month, the Biden Administration kicked off new efforts to encourage COVID-19 vaccinations among youth ages 12 and older — one of the surest mitigation strategies to battle the virus and […]

Orange County Board of Education forum denounces critical race theory, discusses ethnic studies

The Orange County Board of Education on July 27 hosted a forum exploring critical race theory, ethnic studies and concerns from the community about the topics. The forum featured five panelists who generally spoke against implementing specific ethnic studies courses in schools and denounced critical […]