CSBA welcomes CTA to the fight to protect Proposition 98; CSBA set to file separate litigation against state for withholding $3.9B from public schools

“We’re pleased that CTA has joined the legal fight against the state’s continual efforts to subvert Proposition 98, which was established by California voters to guarantee at least a minimum level of funding for public education and insulate our schools from wild swings in revenue that destabilize budgets and the student experience,” said CSBA CEO & Executive Director Vernon M. Billy. “Prop 98 is not a credit card to be charged at the state’s convenience, which is why CSBA will complement its existing litigation against the state for Prop 98 violations in the 2024–25 and 2025–26 budgets with a new lawsuit challenging the withholding of $3.9 billion in funds from the 2026–27 budget that should have been disbursed to school districts and county offices of education.”  

Hispanic Heritage Month spotlight: Palomazo Academy

When students at Santa Ana High School said in 2019 that they wanted the opportunity to connect to their culture through music, leaders at HALOS — a district-funded afterschool program — got to work buying instruments popular in Latin regional music including guitars, accordions and more. Now, the Palomazo Academy, which HALOS hosts every Tuesday and Thursday, provides access to instruments and peer instruction at no cost to students. And, perhaps more importantly, it offers students a safe space to create, build confidence and connect to their roots, according to HALOS Site Supervisor Ruby Echeverria.

New brief details the current landscape of public education in California

The Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) released its latest snapshot of the state of California’s TK-12 education system in August. The brief examines current enrollment trends, student achievement, funding and other factors in an effort to help guide local and state policymakers in better supporting and educating California’s youth.

How LEAs can start to address dyscalculia

Similar to how dyslexia can make reading, writing or spelling difficult for individuals, dyscalculia causes challenges with understanding numbers and learning math concepts. The Center for Reinventing Public Education’s August brief “The Missing Piece in Math Reform: Identifying and Supporting Students with Dyscalculia” explains the learning disability, why it’s often overlooked by schools and considerations regarding identification, intervention and policy for local educational agencies, states and stakeholders.

State Board of Education takes deep dive into LCAP and assessment use

The State Board of Education’s (SBE) Sept. 9 meeting included thorough discussion on proposed changes to the state’s Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) template — including ways to make the document more useful to schools and communities rather than an exercise in compliance — as well as potential use of 11th grade Smarter Balanced results in higher education admissions and more.

Common Sense Media announces new AI curriculum and survey findings underscoring the need

On Aug. 18, Common Sense Media released results from a survey of more than 1,000 U.S. teens detailing their use of artificial intelligence (AI) as well as the lack of available resources to support lessons on AI literacy. Simultaneously, the nonprofit organization released a new Digital Literacy & Well-Being Curriculum for grades 9-12 that it says pairs AI literacy with the critical-thinking, creativity and connection skills students need to navigate the technology.

Report looks at districts’ implementation of LGBTQ+ inclusive programs and policies

With roughly half a million LGBTQ+ students served by the state’s public schools, the Equality California Institute’s 2026 Safe & Supportive Schools Report Card offers a glimpse at school climate, policy, curriculum adoption and other measures as well as recommendations for improving conditions for this population.

How Centralia ESD turned around its chronic absenteeism rates

Attendance rates plummeted among Centralia Elementary School District children during the COVID-19 pandemic just as they had in local educational agencies throughout the country. Prior to the pandemic, the district boasted just a 5 percent chronic absenteeism rate, which spiked to 22 percent. Preliminary data from the last school year shows the district’s chronic absenteeism rate is down to 8 percent, with every school site reporting declines.