Former California superintendents discuss attracting and retaining LEA leaders

An EdSource roundtable conversation on Jan. 30, “Superintendents are quitting: What can be done to keep them?,” featured four former California superintendents discussing the challenges of the job and how best to support and retain these key district and county leaders. Among the top recommendations […]

CSBA releases budget template to help governance teams communicate school finances

By Jeremy Anderson California’s local educational agencies face an uncertain and complex financial landscape as they plan their 2024–25 budgets. Significant state, federal and local budgetary factors are converging at the same time to potentially cause major budgetary problems for many LEAs. To help address […]

Return on Investment: Making the financial case for educational technology

By CSBA Business Affiliate PowerSchool In today’s rapidly changing K-12 landscape, careful decisions about technology investments are increasingly important. While the primary goals of school districts and county offices of education will always be student growth and well-being, these outcomes are seeded by responsible spending. […]

New instructional materials resources are available to aid trustees  

Instructional materials are central to students’ educational success, and local governing boards play a critical role in ensuring the smooth adoption of materials the reflect the diversity in their communities.  A new CSBA brief, “Instructional Materials Adoptions: State and Local Governing Board Processes, Roles, and […]

CDE covers the basics of Prop 28 as funding begins to reach schools

Ahead of Arts Education Month in March, the California Department of Education hosted a webinar on how local educational agencies can put Proposition 28 funds into practice. Referred to as the Arts and Music in Schools (AMS) Funding Guarantee and Accountability Act, the legislation was […]

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 […]

SDCOE’s suicide intervention toolkit helps schools support students and get them back on track

The San Diego County Office of Education’s Golden Bell Award-winning Policy to Practice: Suicide Intervention Toolkit provides local schools with protocols to support students experiencing suicidal ideation, and since its launch in 2019, has likely saved many lives. San Diego COE’s 16 school districts, 11 […]

California’s First Partner encourages LEAs to apply for Farm to School grant funds

California’s First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom wrote the following letter to local educational agency leaders to inform them of opportunities available through the California Farm to School Incubator Grant Program:   Dear California Superintendent and School Administrators, As a mom of four young kids and […]

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 […]