California’s trailblazing History-Social Science Framework earns national award

For its groundbreaking efforts to provide all students with an engaging and relevant education, California’s instructional guide for history and social science standards recently won the American Historical Association’s Beveridge Family Teaching Prize for distinguished K-12 history teaching. The History-Social Science Framework for California Public […]

Instructional Quality Commission approves LGBT-Inclusive Textbooks

At its Sept. 28 meeting, the Instructional Quality Commission (IQC), an advisory body to the State Board of Education that makes recommendations about curriculum and instruction, approved 10 of 12 K-8 social studies textbook series containing material about the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual and […]

A Conversation with CSBA President Chris Ungar on the Charter School Task Force

By Gayle Romasanta Staff writer for CSBA Why did you think it was important to create the Charter Schools Task Force? Chris Ungar: Several years ago the CSBA Delegate Assembly Region 1 Director Bob Berkowitz and had a conversation about charter schools. He owned radio […]

A Good Day for Civics Education

For keen observers of education policy and political junkies, last week’s State Board of Education Meeting was everything we hoped for. While there were only about half the number of speakers signed up to testify as there were for last January’s dynamic meeting, board members, superintendents, community advocates, parents, and busses full of students all came together in Sacramento to have their say on the Local Control Funding Formula.

Students display their power—and prowess—at the State Board’s November meeting

Several dozen students traveled to Sacramento with the California Association of Student Councils (CASC) to spend a few days researching and debating education policy and eventually designing policy recommendations to be presented to the SBE. Not only did the presenters have an impressive grasp of the latest academic research, they skillfully spun the research into actionable proposals that could work in the real world.

LCFF input sessions wrap up in Sacramento and Bakersfield

A final two days of sessions to gather input about implementation of the Local Control Funding Formula drew capacity crowds Aug. 12-13. The sessions were facilitated by WestEd on behalf of the State Board of Education and California Department of Education. They provided local governing board members and other education advocates an opportunity to weigh in as the State Board and CDE develop regulations, templates and guidance for local educational agencies to implement LCFF.