New study finds Obama-era school meal policy contributes to decline in obesity rates for children in poverty

A new study examining the effect of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act on children found that, since the policy was enacted in the 2012–13 school year, obesity rates for children in poverty decreased by 47 percent. While the study in Health Affairs, “Impact Of The […]

Preparing teachers for the Next Generation Science Standards

Elementary school teachers from the Elk Grove Unified School District, in partnership with the Sacramento Area Science Project, gathered last summer for four days of intensive and interactive professional development around the California Next Generation Science Standards. The participants, joined on different days by administrators […]

CSBA webinar explores how districts can best deal with state budget deferrals

CSBA’s July 17 webinar, “Making sense of the budget: What do deferrals mean for school finance?” examined the 2020–21 state budget’s dependence on deferrals and its effect on how local educational agencies will finance expenditures for this year and beyond. Dennis Meyers, CSBA Assistant Executive […]

CSBA legal webinar explains latest on distance learning, layoffs, liability

The familiar back-to-school process for the new school year looks much different as governing boards across the state are wading through reopening plans in the face of new legal requirements and amid evolving guidance. To aid board members and local educational agencies, CSBA is holding […]

State introduces school reopening regulations, requires masks for students in grades 3-12

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday, July 17, unveiled new guidelines mandating that all California schools in counties on the state’s COVID-19 monitoring list begin the school year solely with distance learning and must meet strict criteria in order to open campuses. As of today, 32 […]

Surge in COVID-19 cases causes superintendents to rethink reopening plans

Just when it looked like a hybrid learning model would best position their districts to strike a balance between educational needs and safety, several Inland Empire superintendents say a continued surge in COVID-19 cases in their communities has them leaning back toward a full distance […]

A conversation with: Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, California Surgeon General

Prior to being named California’s first surgeon general in 2019, Dr. Nadine Burke Harris worked as a pediatrician in the Bayview-Hunters Point neighborhood of San Francisco. There, she founded and became CEO of a clinic focused on addressing the community’s health disparities. Much of her […]

State Board meeting focuses on tools to help LEAs plan for uncertain school year

With great uncertainty still clouding the 2020–21 school year, the State Board of Education focused much of its attention at its July 8–9 virtual meeting on the tools available to local educational agencies to prepare for the in-flux return of students and staff to the […]

More than half of California school districts report lead in drinking water

More than 2,100 drinking fountains tested positive for lead at 1,300 California schools over the past three years, according to new analysis by the CALPIRG Education Fund, with the health problem encompassing more than half (53 percent) of the state’s school districts. The independent group […]