An East Bay school district’s efforts to improve attendance and academic outcomes for one of its most vulnerable student groups — foster youth — was discussed during the recent California Department of Education webinar, “Reducing Chronic Absenteeism for Foster Youth: MTSS Case Study.” As local […]
Category: Conditions of Children
Conditions of Children
Schools can be affirming, safe places for LGBTQ youth amid book ban disputes
Public, sometimes vitriolic, debate surrounding student access to books that positively portray lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer/questioning (LGBTQ) characters can have negative impacts on children’s mental health and well-being, even if they don’t attend schools in districts where these conversations are taking place. “Even […]
Students are struggling with burnout, stress, anger and depression, parent survey finds
A recent survey of 2,000 parents of school-aged children revealed significant concerns around their child’s mental health and desired supports. Seventy percent of respondents felt their child is experiencing more burnout than they are and six in 10 parents have noticed their child coming home […]
Extreme weather events’ impact on students with disabilities
The National Council on Disability on May 4 released the report, The Impacts of Extreme Weather Events on People with Disabilities, which includes an overview of past emergencies and recommendations to support mitigation efforts aimed at lessening the effects of catastrophic natural disasters on the more […]
California leads the way in electric school buses
More California schools are switching to electric-powered school buses than any other state, according to a new report from CALSTART, a nonprofit consortium that advocates for efficient and clean high-tech transportation. A combination of federal, state and local funding opportunities has led to a significant […]
Governor, AG and SPI weigh in on book bans with a joint letter
On June 1, 2023, Gov. Gavin Newsom, Attorney General Rob Bonta and Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond sent a joint letter to California superintendents and school principals under the heading, “Educational Rights and Requests to Remove Instructional Materials Statewide.” The joint letter advised county and […]
New report recommends state and federal spending changes to better support homeless youth
Identifying and supporting homeless youth can be as difficult as it is crucial to ensuring equitable outcomes among some of a local educational agency’s most vulnerable students. Approximately 1.3 million students in the United States were identified as experiencing some form of homelessness in 2019–20 […]
U.S. surgeon general issues advisory on social media and youth mental health
By Bode Oyowele On May 23, 2023, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy released a new advisory on the impact of social media use on youth mental health. “The most common question parents ask me is, ‘is social media safe for my kids?’ The answer […]
‘Attendance Playbook’ seeks to reduce chronic absenteeism
Strategies to curb absenteeism ranging from offering positive greetings at classroom doors and having on-campus laundry facilities to implementing early warning systems and addressing housing insecurity are explored in the report Attendance Playbook: Smart Solutions for Reducing Student Absenteeism Post-Pandemic, published by FutureEd and Attendance […]
California officials announce free trauma-informed training for educators
The Office of the California Surgeon General will release in late June a free, two-hour online professional learning module designed to help early care and education personnel respond to trauma and stress in children. The goal is to provide greater awareness of the impacts of […]











