A regular annual update to the State Board of Education at its March 11–12 meeting about the California School Dashboard raised serious questions and concerns from board members about several proposals. While only an information item, the board informed California Department of Education staff that […]
For more than 30 years, March has been officially designated by the National Association for Music Education for the observance of Music in Our Schools Month, a time of year to raise awareness of music education and the value it adds to student learning. A […]
Each day, the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has a greater impact on our lives. Epidemiologists have indicated that the outbreak is accelerating and will likely be with us for some time. As stewards of a community’s most valuable resource — its children — school trustees have […]
The March 3 primary election results have thus far delivered disappointing results as California districts work to provide students with healthy, safe and modern schools and classrooms. The campaign for Proposition 13 — the largest school facilities bond measure in state history at $15 billion […]
Closing persistent opportunity gaps requires a commitment to educational equity. In summer 2018, CSBA launched an Equity Network with a grant from the Stuart Foundation, providing extensive support and professional development to board members across California on concepts related to educational equity. Topics addressed included […]
The California State Lottery owes public schools $36 million dollars, according to a recent state audit. In 1984, the state lottery was created by the Lottery Act, which was approved by voters to supplement funding for public education in California through the sale of lottery […]
As the keeper of student records, districts often receive requests from former students and parents/guardians for transcripts, diplomas and other past student records. A new law, Assembly Bill 711 (Chiu, D-San Francisco), aims to help former students and parents request changes to these records, including […]
Alternative schools typically have lower graduation rates than traditional campuses, are often expensive and challenging to operate, and rank lower on accountability measures than more conventional schools. However, researchers find that shifts in district and county office of education practices and policies can contribute to […]
Demographic projections from the California Department of Finance show the state’s K-12 school districts entering a long period of declining enrollment and predict a decrease of almost 7 percent in the next decade (compared to a 1.5-percent decrease over the past decade). Furthermore, this decline […]
Current U.S. immigration enforcement policies have thrust many students “into the center of an excruciatingly difficult situation” and severely impacted schools’ efforts to offer an equitable education to all students, according to a new brief from Harvard University’s Immigration Initiative. “Under Siege: The Disturbing Impact […]
