Category Archives: Education and Training

Education and Training

California aims to be a language leader in the classroom

6 Jun
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 Spanish, Vietnamese, Filipino, Korean, Armenian, Mandarin and are just some of the languages taught in California schools. A new initiative announced last week by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson, Global California 2030, aims to expand the teaching and learning of world languages and the number of students proficient in more than one language over the next 12 years — thus creating a more globally prepared workforce. According to the California Department of Education, more than 40 percent of...

In the news: May 18-24

25 May
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      Push underway to increase California school funding by billions -John Fensterwald, EdSource Legislators and education advocates who support Brown’s funding formula are ready to set the next target: an aspirational goal of committing more than $35 billion in new K-12 dollars to the funding formula — enough to raise California’s current per-student spending of $11,149 by about $6,500. That would potentially place California among the top 10 states in the nation. Betsy DeVos: Schools can choose to...

Member Profile: Gary Miller

17 Apr
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Gary-Miller
Each issue of California Schools Magazine features a short interview with a CSBA member. Below is an unabridged transcript of the Member Profile featured in the Spring 2018 issue — an interview with Gary Miller, school board member for the Roseville City School District. How long have you been a school board member? For almost 30 years, I have served on local school boards. I served on the Robla Elementary School School District Board in North Sacramento for 19 years beginning in 1987. When...

School board members flock to Sacramento for Legislative Action Day

14 Mar
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Sen. Steve Glazer with Region 7 members
On March 13, 2018, CSBA members from across the state attended CSBA’s annual Legislative Action Day to meet with lawmakers and advocate for public schools. More than 200 school board members held 103 meetings with Senators and Assemblymembers in the Capitol to push for the Full and Fair Funding of California’s public schools, discuss the pension crisis, talk about school facilities funding and inform their legislators about CSBA’s sponsored bills. The day also included legislative briefings from CSBA’s governmental relations...

Promote student civic participation during High School Voter Education Week

20 Sep
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i voted sticker
The Annenberg Public Policy Center’s annual Constitution Day civics survey, conducted last month, resulted in some surprising numbers. While only 26 percent of respondents could name all three branches of government, 33 percent couldn’t name any at all. According to reporting from The74, nationwide only 17 states include civics in accountability frameworks. California, too, has a sizeable problem when it comes to voter registration and political engagement. Young adults have the lowest voter registration and participation rates of any age...

Teacher shortage continues, experienced teachers in demand

23 Aug
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math teacher
A new report from the Learning Policy Institute cites that about 90 percent of teacher vacancies are due to teachers leaving the profession, and posits that a national teacher shortage could be alleviated by improving retention. Further, by retaining experienced teachers, school districts could also boost student learning and reduce costs. There is a critical need for teachers in California. A 2016 survey from CSBA and LPI found that the state’s teacher shortage had reached alarming levels, with 75 percent...

Tackling concussions: Resources available to help protect student athletes

2 Aug
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As interscholastic sports season kicks off, school boards and districts are encouraged to keep in mind head safety for student athletes. California fields the second highest number of high school athletes  —  roughly 800,000  — among U.S. states. (Texas is first.) These student athletes are also especially vulnerable to head trauma as their brains are still developing. Concussions from knocking heads, tackling, being hit by a ball or an elbow, or other blows can occur in two different ways. A...

New research report shines light on school crime and safety

24 May
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school safety
All California students have a right to feel welcomed and be free from emotional and physical harm at their public schools. School safety is one of the most important elements to consider in order to ensure that an environment is conducive to learning. According to Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2016, a newly released research report from the National Center for Education Statistics and the Justice Department’s Bureau of Justice Statistics, the last 20 years have seen a decline...

DeVos has turned attention to public education —  it’s up to school board members to keep it there

23 May
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by Vernon Billy Earlier this year, the confirmation hearings of Betsy DeVos as U.S. Secretary of Education was covered more exhaustively than any other education secretary in recent memory The curiosity surrounding the new education secretary demonstrated the deep interest and concern that Americans have about the policies and issues that can shape our education system. The American public recognizes the need to protect public schools and defend every American student’s fundamental right to a free, high-quality public education. Here...

Resources for Understanding the Experiences of Asian American and Pacific Islander Students

17 May
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It does not take much detective work to run into the stereotype that Asian American students are high-achieving. For instance, popular national television shows often reinforce the link between Asian American identity and technically adroit academic excellence: the Indian American engineer, the Korean American doctor or the Chinese American student who belongs to his middle school’s A.V. club. Despite its prevalence in American culture, this “model minority” stereotype does not ring true for all students who identify as Asian American,...