Up and down California, local educational agency boards are working tirelessly to make sure students can safely return to campus as quickly as possible in areas that are still in distance learning, and have everything they need to be academically, social-emotionally and physically supported — […]
Author: Alisha Kirby
Influx of state money will help, but not drive, school reopenings
There is no question that Assembly Bill 86, also known as the school reopening bill, will be helpful for districts striving to reopen campuses safely, but there are many misconceptions surrounding the bill and school reopening in general. For instance, it’s the external health factors […]
School boards in action: District wellness centers continue playing an important role
Up and down California, local educational agency boards are working tirelessly to make sure students can safely return to campus as quickly as possible in areas that are still in distance learning, and have everything they need to be academically, social-emotionally and physically supported — […]
Assessments should be next in line for a long-needed overhaul
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced school districts and policymakers to innovate at warp speed when it comes to the use of technology and personalized learning in education, community outreach, development of wraparound services and more. That same flexibility and openness to change should be applied […]
New brief finds trends in education funding shifts due to COVID-19
2020 was in many ways a year like no other for K-12 education — except perhaps when it came to policymakers continued grappling with questions pertaining to the amount of funding allocated to schools, as well as whether the money was dispersed equitably and adequately. […]
School boards in action: Districts ramp up testing, contact tracing and vaccination efforts
Up and down California, local educational agency boards are working tirelessly to make sure students can safely return to campus as quickly as possible in areas that are still in distance learning, and have everything they need to be academically, social-emotionally and physically supported — […]
Facilities planning during a pandemic means more cooks in the kitchen, experts say
At no time before have the more mundane, day-to-day aspects of school facilities been discussed with such contention, panelists said during a Feb. 10 webinar hosted by the California Association of School Business Officials. “Facilities and our operations have never been in the limelight like […]
SB 86 attempts to address school reopening challenges
Hoping to expedite the widespread return of in-person instruction, California legislators introduced Senate Bill 86 on Feb. 18, 2021. The $6.5 billion proposal, titled the “Safe and Open Schools Act,” is designed to get large numbers of students back in the classroom this spring. The […]
State digital divide taskforce discusses legislation to expand broadband connectivity
The first 2021 meeting of California’s Closing the Digital Divide Task Force on Feb. 2 provided viewers a more in-depth look at some the initial proposals put forth by lawmakers to boost broadband access to students and communities. “For us, this is one of the […]
New brief finds learning loss more acute among specific student subgroups
A Jan. 25 brief from Policy Analysis for California Education finds that there has been significant learning loss in both English language arts and mathematics, with students in earlier grades most affected. Additionally, low-income students and English learners are among those falling further behind. As […]










