While learning loss has been at the forefront of concerns about the impacts of school closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the shuttering of schools across the country poses additional risks for children who may experience abuse and neglect in their households. The economic crisis […]
Education leaders and researchers alike have identified troubling projected outcomes from the COVID-19 pandemic and widespread school closures: the large number of children who may “fall through the cracks” without their usual support systems and those students whose educational deficits may grow. Schools, however, can […]
Lesbian, gay and bisexual youths in California experience negative behaviors and consequences at about twice the rate of their straight peers, according to a new Kidsdata issue brief. Those behaviors and outcomes for LGB youths include higher alcohol and drug use, more common feelings of […]
Active shooter incidents and other school emergencies require teachers, administrators and staff to become first responders in the blink of eye. A new, free virtual training program from the Department of Homeland Security allows personnel to create and practice response plans for such an incident. […]
Districts and schools across California looking for help with drinking water projects are encouraged to apply for funding through the State Water Resources Control Board. The agency has a program that provides $9.5 million in grants to increase access to safe drinking water by replacing […]
On Monday, June 11, 2018, Gov. Jerry Brown officially declared the month of June as LGBT Pride Month in California, a month already recognized across the country as a time to honor the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. Set in June to commemorate the […]
Lunch will now be free for students in the Palm Springs Unified School District who used to receive a reduced lunch price of 40 cents per meal, the Board of Education recently decided. This will positively impact the achievement of some low-income students whose families still cannot afford the reduced meal prices. Research has shown that children learn better when they are properly nourished. The change is set to go into effect at the start of the 2014-15 school year and will cost the district about $14,000 monthly, which will be paid by the district’s nutrition fund, separate from general fund dollars.
Regular check-ups, dental care, eyeglasses, and other needed preventive care make a difference in how well children learn. Kids who are insured miss fewer school days and are better able to concentrate in class.
The Local Control Funding Formula affirms the state’s commitment to provide additional resources to students with greater challenges, foster youth among them. Because students in the child welfare system often move from home to home and school to school, they frequently lose academic credits that can put them at risk of not graduating on time.
As August is World Breastfeeding Month, this is a good time to review district policies and practices to ensure compliance with legal requirements that employees be provided with reasonable break time and an appropriate location to express milk for their infant children. CSBA’s sample board policy BP 4033 – Lactation Accommodation reflects these federal and state requirements and prohibits discrimination, harassment and retaliation against any employee who chooses to exercise her rights under these laws.
