On Jan. 28, 2026, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) announced its finding that the California Department of Education (CDE) is “in continued violation of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) — a federal law granting parents the right to access their child’s education records — for policies that pressure school officials to conceal information about students’ ‘gender identity.’”
Author: Kimberly Sellery
Commission on Teacher Credentialing examines teacher vacancies and misassignments
The Dec. 11-12 meeting of the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing focused on how to address persistent certificated teacher misassignments, a lengthy discussion on how and when to use substitutes to uphold instructional continuity, and advanced amendments to the Child Development Permit. Annual reports on […]
California’s extreme school segregation contributes to opportunity and achievement gaps
A September report from the University of California, Los Angeles’ Civil Rights Project, Extreme Segregation and Policy Inaction in California Schools, found that the state’s school remain deeply segregated by race and class, contributing to educational inequities. The report begins by explaining its methodology is […]
Students at Ukiah High help to revive dormant Native language
Four seniors in the Ukiah Unified School District completed four years of study in Northern Pomo Language and Culture, marking a major milestone for Indigenous language revitalization and for public education. Two of the seniors were awarded the State Seal of Biliteracy at graduation — […]
High-quality online instructional materials initiative is gaining traction, helping teachers
In 2021, the passage of Assembly Bill 167 launched the High-Quality Online Instructional Materials (HQOIM) initiative with the aim of expanding equitable access to standards-aligned instructional resources, reducing costs and supporting instructional continuity across California. The Legislature directed the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence (CCEE), […]
School board listening tour reveals trends in board service
Across the country, about 13,500 school districts are governed by roughly 83,000 school board members. In 2024 and 2025, Ballotpedia conducted a virtual school board listening tour, interviewing 100 board members to develop a deeper understanding of how school trustees across the U.S. view their […]
Commission on Teacher Credentialing addresses subject matter requirements and updating exams
The Oct. 23-24 meeting of the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) approved work plans to move forward for clarifying options for candidates to meet the subject matter requirements for teaching credentials, updating commission-approved exams and restructuring the Administrative Services Credential Program. Commissioners also received […]
Recent challenges to building a diverse educator workforce
A recent report by the UCLA Center for the Transformation of Schools examines the federal role in supporting a diverse educator workforce and the importance of federal programs that have been canceled or are under threat from the Trump administration. In Protecting Pathways to the […]
CSBA expands education workforce housing training pathway with bootcamp
As housing costs continue to outpace educator salaries across the state, more local educational agencies have been looking at education workforce housing (EWH) as a strategy for retaining and recruiting staff. To meet growing interest in this solution, CSBA has invested in an EWH team […]
Statewide collaborative joins together to improve California’s teacher workforce
A new WestEd report, Strengthening California’s Teacher Workforce: Toward a Statewide Strategic Framework, outlines the work of California’s State Educator Workforce Collaborative in working toward a strategic framework to guide the state’s approach to teacher workforce planning and action. The collaborative brings together state agencies […]











