State of the State addresses show common education priorities

Analysis conducted by the Education Commission of the States (ECS) and the National Governors Association of 42 State of the State addresses found six common trends in state education-related proposals regarding career technical education (CTE), funding, mental health, early education and more. Workforce development and […]

CSBA submits response to Governor’s proposed budget, Prop 98 concerns

Over the past five months, the financial challenges facing the state have become clearer. In December 2023, the  non-partisan Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) announced that the state budget was facing a deficit of $68 billion. However, in January, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a revised budget […]

Report highlighted renewed fervor among state policymakers in supporting CTE

Advance CTE and the Association for Career and Technical Education released their 11th annual review of CTE and career readiness policies from across the country in February, finding that in 2023, 47 states enacted 115 policies, marking the second-highest number of states taking action to […]

CSBA seeks fixes to address persistent problems encountered by local charter school authorizers

By CSBA Legislative Advocate Carlos Machado Recent developments at the state and local levels have highlighted a few troubling deficiencies in current law related to the charter school authorization process. These issues exacerbate the difficulties that both school districts and county boards of education experience […]

Lawmakers increasingly target cybersecurity threats in schools, report shows

The Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) unveiled its 2023 report on K-12 cybersecurity policy developments on Jan. 18, detailing the boom in state and federal education cybersecurity bills and laws that emerged last year. The comprehensive resource highlights notable policy ideas and trends, and offers […]

Legislative Analyst’s Office responds to Governor’s January Budget Proposal

Jan. 17: Legislative Analyst’s Office responds to Governor’s January Budget Proposal In December 2023, the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) released its 2024–25 Fiscal Outlook, projecting the state’s budget deficit over the three-year fiscal period of 2022–23, 2023–24 and 2024–25 at $68 billion with a […]

Drafting a governance handbook and self-evaluation: Steps for LEAs

The four steps that Lake Tahoe Unified School District has utilized to create a governance handbook were covered during the session “Governance Handbook and Board Self-Evaluation” at CSBA’s 2023 Annual Education Conference and Trade Show in December. The majority of local educational agency boards have […]

California’s nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office releases sobering 2024–25 budget projection

By Chris Reefe, CSBA Legislative Director On Dec. 7, the state’s nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) issued its long-awaited Fiscal Outlook for the 2024–25 fiscal year. The report offered a revised — and extremely sobering — projection of the state budget and significantly more detail […]

CDE launches paid internships initiative for youth, plans to improve student performance

An initiative to offer paid internships to California teens and young adults in an attempt to prepare the next generation for the workforce and curb a spike in crime was announced by the California Department of Education on Oct. 10. Days later on Oct. 16, […]