At Monday’s kickoff to the 2019-20 legislative session, both the Senate and Assembly held their respective organizational sessions to seat newly-elected members. Eight seats in the Assembly change hands for 2019-20, as do nine seats in the Senate. On Monday, the desk was also opened […]
Category: Effective Governance
Effective Governance
Time for the State to Step Up on Facilities Funding
-By Mike Walsh When we talk about Full and Fair Funding for California’s public schools, we often look at the big picture — per-pupil funding levels. That’s natural, since California ranks just 41st nationally in the funding it provides the state’s public school students. This […]
November 6, 2018, Election Summary and Recap
Governor Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom was proclaimed California’s Governor-elect shortly after the 8 p.m. poll closures Tuesday night, with Newsom’s lead continuing to widen throughout the evening; the current semi-official results show Newsom as having claimed 59.4 percent of the vote as of this writing. […]
E-cigarette use on the rise in school settings
On the heels of news that 2 million middle and high school students nationwide used e-cigarettes in 2017, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently announced a crackdown on the sale and marketing of the devices to kids. Public health officials say e-cigarette use among […]
Voter awareness comes to high schools ahead of fall elections
To encourage civic participation and increase awareness of voter eligibility, the last two weeks of September are designated High School Voter Education Weeks in California. Required under California Education Code, the campaign stresses voter education and civic participation on campus as part of a long-term […]
ESSA approved ending months of negotiations with SBE
The State Board of Education unanimously approved final changes to Every Student Succeeds Act plan at its mid-July meeting. On July 12, the U.S. Department of Education approved California’s plan ending a monthslong process of negotiations with the U.S. DOE. The State Board developed the […]
The Janus Decision and Implications for School Leaders
by CSBA staff The U.S. Supreme Court issued its highly anticipated opinion regarding Janus v AFSCME. As expected, the Court has ruled, by a 5–4 margin, that compelling nonconsenting employees to pay agency fees, also known as fair share fees, to unions is a violation […]
Reach future voters during High School Voter Education Week
As highlighted by recent student protests and walkouts, children and young adults have an interest in politics, too. Yet that interest does not always translate to votes. Young adults have the lowest voter registration and participation rates of any age group in California. Only 8.2 […]
From 6 to 600,000: CSBA salutes California trustees during School Board Recognition Month
In the spring of 1850, San Francisco’s city council established California’s first free public school. This was followed soon after by a city board of education and a city superintendent. Since that time, California school boards have served as stewards of an education system that […]
School districts audit reveals lack of “Buy American” compliance
The California State Auditor found late last month that California’s schools are failing to follow one specific federal rule — keep food local and “Buy American.” Districts participating in the National School Lunch or Breakfast Program are required to comply with all requirements of federal […]