Linda Porras, board president, Desert Sands Unified School District in Riverside County With the school year well underway, what are some promising practices taking place in your district? The DSUSD Integrated School-Based Mental Health Wellness model prioritizes student mental health by embedding wellness practices in […]
Author: Heather Kemp
AAPI Heritage Month spotlight: Fresno Unified commits to helping preserve Hmong language, culture
Students in Fresno Unified School District’s Hmong Dual Language Immersion (DLI) program spend time each day learning in English and in Hmong. Two elementary schools currently participate, serving 338 students. “We have already prepared our pathway for expansion into middle school to welcome our Hmong […]
Lessons learned from a Los Angeles teacher residency program
Working intentionally to recruit and create pathways into teaching, encouraging strong mentors and mentor–mentee relationships, offering new teachers a community of peers, and having adequate and focused program staff capacity are some elements of a successful residency program, according to Partnership for Los Angeles Schools’ […]
Experts share safety tips for schools at CSBA webinar
CSBA’s April 18 webinar, “Safety First: Expert tips for supporting effective school safety plans and student mental health,” offered advice on comprehensive school safety plans, district-level strategies to keep students and staff safe, and the impact that threats have on mental health. School safety plans […]
LAUSD promoting equitable access to arts and cultural experiences through passport program
Offering students access to artistic venues, performances, outdoor education, museums and more, Los Angeles Unified School District officials detailed its recently launched Cultural Arts Passport during a March 3 virtual legislative briefing. While entry to places like the Getty Center are free, that doesn’t mean […]
Assessing tutoring strategies as LEAs continue learning recovery efforts
While tutoring has become a popular tool for academic recovery post-pandemic, not all tutoring programs are created equal and the strategy alone will likely not be enough to catch students up, experts said during a recent Education Week webinar, “Tutoring: What the Evidence Says About […]
Addressing disparities around unexcused absences
Data on unexcused absences can be used to craft a “more preventive, problem-solving, and equitable response to poor attendance,” according to a new Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE) report, Disparities in Unexcused Absences Across California Schools. Attending school is critical to young people’s development, […]
Some California high school seniors are benefitting from alternative math courses
Innovating High School Math Through K–12 and Higher Education Partnerships, a new report published by Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE), explores six partnerships between high school math specialists and university faculty working to increase equitable access to advanced math classes for students. Even with […]
School Boards in Action: 5 Questions with Taylor Sims, Pittsburg USD
Taylor Sims, board president, Pittsburg Unified School District in Contra Costa County With the school year well underway, what are some promising practices taking place in your district? This school year we have re-established a committee that is committed to the recruitment and retention of a […]
California high schoolers talk school culture
Four high school students, members of the California Center for School Climate’s (CCSC) Youth Advisory Team, shared their experiences being a young person today, impacts of the pandemic on their academic and social lives, advice for educators and more during a recent webinar, “Youth Perspectives: […]









