Schools play key role in supporting homeless students — if they can identify them

School districts are key to supporting homeless students and helping them overcome the challenges they face, however, this population is typically undercounted due to difficulties related to identification, according to the report Supporting students experiencing homelessness: District approaches to supports and funding, released by the […]

School Boards in Action: Monterey Peninsula USD’s emergency short-term housing program with Motel 6

November is National Homeless Youth Awareness Month, but Monterey Peninsula Unified School District has been hard at work all year to support some of its most vulnerable students through a program that is the first of its kind in California, according to the district. Families […]

Schools play an important role in prevention and awareness of the fentanyl crisis

Headlines involving young people overdosing on opioids, sometimes while on school campuses, have become all too frequent. On Nov. 15, the California Department of Education hosted a webinar with guidance for schools regarding the opioid crisis. An example shared by CDE’s Deputy Superintendent of Operations […]

Resources for COVID relief fund spending and beyond

CSBA is following up on its recently released COVID relief funding reports, Beyond the spreadsheets: Insights from California education leaders on utilizing COVID-19 relief funding and Unprecedented times, unprecedented responses: An analysis of federal COVID-19 relief fund spending in California public schools, with resources that […]

Using ARP funds, other grants to support a diverse teacher workforce

Research has shown that having a racially and culturally diverse workforce of teachers benefits all students, especially students of color. Still, teacher demographics rarely mirror the students they serve. “While the majority of students in P-12 public schools are children of color, only 20 percent […]

New law supports development of educational materials about local tribes

Assemblymember James Ramos’ (D-Highland) California Indian Education Act, Assembly Bill 1703, was signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sept. 23. The new law encourages local educational agencies to create California Indian Education task forces that include representatives of area Native American tribes and educators to […]

School Boards in Action: 5 Questions with Jacqueline A. Gaebe, Visalia USD

Jacqueline A. Gaebe, board member, Visalia Unified School District What does your district have planned for the 2022–23 school year to foster learning recovery and educational advancements? One of the key strategies Visalia Unified is utilizing to foster learning recovery is in the area of […]

CSBA talks emergency preparedness, cybersecurity with Cal OES officials

CSBA discussed school safety protocols and resources with California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) officials during the Oct. 24 webinar, “Saved by the Bell: Emergency response in California public schools.” While no one wants to think about worst case scenarios, planning for potential […]

Out-of-school suspension trends and disparities explored in new report

Removing students from the classroom through exclusionary discipline practices like suspensions and expulsions has been proven to negatively impact academic achievement and disproportionately effect specific groups including students of color, low-income children, LGBTQ youth, males and students with disabilities. Following decades where a zero-tolerance approach […]