Raging wildfires, smoky skies the latest obstacles for schools in 2020

The barrage of deadly wildfires burning up and down the state of California — and corresponding surreal skies and extremely unhealthy air — have destroyed schools and communities; displaced students, staff and their families; and interrupted long-planned-for returns to in-person instruction in many areas, a […]

State Board: Leaders address immensely challenging times; criteria approved for Seal of Civic Engagement

State education leaders opened Thursday, Sept. 10’s State Board of Education meeting by pledging their support for K–12 schools and communities across the state and recognizing the heroic work of local educational agencies in a monumentally challenging school year. While the scramble continues to close […]

New report finds COVID-19 learning loss will be drastic, and students will need significant support

With local educational agencies beginning to reopen campuses or get into the swing of virtual learning, significant resources will be needed to help students overcome a summer slide made worse by the “COVID slide,” according to a new study. The report released Aug. 25 by […]

CDE webinar offers insights into new guidance, fields key COVID questions

A Sept. 9 California Department of Education webinar drawing 1,300 attendees provided local educational agencies with clarity on updated guidance for in-person, small group instruction, as well as a deeper dive into the Blueprint for a Safer Economy and its impacts on K–12 schools. Officials […]

Legislative leaders shirked their responsibility in shielding schools from COVID-19 liability

The 2019–20 legislative session ended without Assembly Bill 1384 (O’Donnell, D–Long Beach) being considered by the State Senate. AB 1384 was not defeated by a vote of the State Senate, but by the decision of the chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee to not schedule […]

Appellate Court rules Santa Monica’s at-large election method did not violate the CVRA

On July 9, 2020, a California Court of Appeal ruled that the City of Santa Monica’s use of an at-large election method did not violate the California Voting Rights Act in Pico Neighborhood Association v. City of Santa Monica. This is the first time a […]

State releases updated guidance on in-person, small group instruction

On Friday, Sept. 4, the California Department of  Public Health unveiled updated guidance on providing in-person instruction to small groups of students. The release, which came on the eve of Labor Day weekend, modified guidance introduced on Aug. 25. Among other, more modest changes, the […]