Teacher shortages are making it increasingly difficult for schools to address the academic needs of students, which have only become deeper as educators work to help children overcome preexisting gaps that were exacerbated by extended pandemic-driven campus closures. Recognizing how widespread the issue is, the […]
Author: Alisha Kirby
Rural schools are banding together to tackle chronic absenteeism
Attendance is critical to student success, yet it can be difficult for individual schools to ensure children are in their seats, needs met and ready to learn on a daily basis, especially in highly rural areas — which is why several districts in Shasta County, […]
State Board Report: Community schools grants approved
The California State Board of Education convened May 18 for its first in-person session in two years to discuss items on community schools grant allocations, physical education flexibilities and more. Gov. Gavin Newsom included in the May Budget Revision an additional $1.5 billion in one-time […]
CSBA supports efforts to give rural and frontier schools a bigger voice
Former school board member turned Assemblymember Megan Dahle (R-Bieber) is using her past experience as a trustee of Big Valley Joint Unified School District, a small school district in Lassen County, to author key bills aiming to address the specific needs of rural and frontier […]
Brain scans show impacts of childhood poverty
Children living in states with stronger social safety nets protecting youth from the impacts of poverty have fewer mental health and behavioral problems and, according to recent research from Harvard University’s psychology department, larger brains. An examination of brain images from 11,000 children in 17 […]
Surveys show families largely support school boards and several key priorities
Several new and recent polls conducted by Lake Research Partners (LRP), the Public Policy Institute of California and other research groups found that voters nationwide believe that their local school board does the best job addressing issues in public education, and would like to see […]
The growing importance of teacher induction
Teacher burnout, turnover and retention have been at the forefront of the minds of local educational agency leaders for years, but now with increased urgency as the pandemic continues to push many educators to the brink. The six-district Walnut Valley Consortium — comprising Rowland Unified […]
Supporting mental health in the AAPI community requires additional steps
May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and provides an extra opportunity to focus on the unique needs of AAPI students. Tackling stigma and the model minority myth is the first step to addressing the mental health needs of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) […]
Districts makes strides in bettering student outcomes through continuous improvement
Two California school districts in the process of shifting district structures, policies and culture are beginning to see a measurable effect on student outcomes, according to a recent report from the Policy Analysis for California Education. Led by California Education Partners (referred to in the […]
Identification of homeless youth is vital as housing instability increases
About 2,600 students experienced housing instability in San Mateo County — one of the wealthiest counties in California — between 2016 and 2019. As rates of homelessness increase as a result of the pandemic, local educational agencies must improve identification efforts to ensure students receive […]










