November is National Homeless Youth Awareness Month, but Monterey Peninsula Unified School District has been hard at work all year to support some of its most vulnerable students through a program that is the first of its kind in California, according to the district. Families […]
Schools play an important role in prevention and awareness of the fentanyl crisis
Headlines involving young people overdosing on opioids, sometimes while on school campuses, have become all too frequent. On Nov. 15, the California Department of Education hosted a webinar with guidance for schools regarding the opioid crisis. An example shared by CDE’s Deputy Superintendent of Operations […]
Budget forecast projects $25 billion state deficit
The Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) released its annual fiscal outlook on Nov. 16, revealing an estimated $25 billion budget deficit in the coming year, with the impact on Proposition 98 blunted by the availability of reserve funding. Released every fall, the Fiscal Outlook gives the […]
Resources for COVID relief fund spending and beyond
CSBA is following up on its recently released COVID relief funding reports, Beyond the spreadsheets: Insights from California education leaders on utilizing COVID-19 relief funding and Unprecedented times, unprecedented responses: An analysis of federal COVID-19 relief fund spending in California public schools, with resources that […]
Using ARP funds, other grants to support a diverse teacher workforce
Research has shown that having a racially and culturally diverse workforce of teachers benefits all students, especially students of color. Still, teacher demographics rarely mirror the students they serve. “While the majority of students in P-12 public schools are children of color, only 20 percent […]
Legal: Board members now subject to “pay-to-play” campaign contribution restrictions (UPDATED)
Update: On Nov. 17, the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) discussed the application of amendments to Government Code Section 84308 more fully described in the blog below. The FPPC’s staff attorneys had proposed the commission issue an opinion advising that Government Code Section 84308, as […]
Legislative update: Early trends in election results
Just over a week has passed since the Nov. 8 general election, and while results are still trickling in, there are already some notable highlights for education. While polls closed on Nov. 8, county elections officials have 30 days from the date of the election […]
New law supports development of educational materials about local tribes
Assemblymember James Ramos’ (D-Highland) California Indian Education Act, Assembly Bill 1703, was signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sept. 23. The new law encourages local educational agencies to create California Indian Education task forces that include representatives of area Native American tribes and educators to […]
Low-income youth need expanded access to Medicaid services
The state Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) must do more to ensure children in the California Medical Assistance Program (Medi‑Cal) receive preventive health services, according to a Sept. 13 report from the California State Auditor’s office. Schools can play a significant role in accomplishing this. […]
Teacher compensation strategies subject of new series
Education Commission of the States’ Filling in the Gaps of Teacher Compensation, the final part of its teacher compensation series, examined some ways that states are trying to offset the cost of becoming an educator or advancing in the field. The series previously covered health, […]