By CSBA President Dr. Susan Heredia The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed many hidden or underreported truths about American society. One of the most significant revelations is the extent to which schools are not just institutions of learning, but also hubs of community in neighborhoods across […]
Category: Coronavirus
The pandemic’s full impact on students with disabilities remains a mystery
The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted education for all students, but those with disabilities have been disproportionately impacted according to new research from the Center on Reinventing Public Education. The findings come from a three-part series of reports from the center that also explore the pandemic’s effects […]
CSBA webinar covers ways to keep students safe on campus amid pandemic
CSBA recently hosted a webinar focused on keeping students safe as they return to campuses using layered mitigation methods like regular testing for COVID-19 and effective air filtration. The Aug. 19 event featured presenters from CSBA partner Maclean Health as well as AMI Expeditionary Healthcare, […]
Linda Darling-Hammond gives insight, advice for fall reopening
Education leaders should spend the first few weeks of the fall semester encouraging attachments in their respective communities, according to California State Board of Education President Linda Darling-Hammond. During an Aug. 10 conversation with Public Policy Institute of California President Mark Baldassare on the start […]
Federal government supporting youth vaccination efforts
As K-12 campuses across the nation begin to welcome students back, some for the first time since the onset of the pandemic, the Biden administration on Aug. 5 announced four new efforts it is taking to vaccinate more eligible young people and keep school communities […]
Gov. Newsom announces vaccination and testing mandate for TK-12 schools
On Wednesday, Aug. 11, California became the first state to require a COVID-19 vaccination or regular testing for school staff when Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled a new public health order during a press conference at Oakland USD’s Carl B. Munck Elementary School. The mandate requires […]
Guidance on CDPH vaccination order
As noted in CSBA’s Aug. 11 e-blast, the California Department of Public Health issued a public officer health order entitled “Vaccine Verification for Workers in Schools.” Noting that California is committed to safe, full, in-person learning for all students, the Aug. 11 order adds another […]
CDE hosts independent study webinars for LEAs
Two recent webinars hosted by the California Department of Education covered changes to independent study in adherence to Assembly Bill 130. A July 29 presentation by CDE Education Programs Consultant Elvia Gonzalez focused on requirements for the 2021–22 academic year and how new rules can […]
How to use American Rescue Plan funds to improve school ventilation
On July 23, the U.S. Department of Education released a resource guide, “Improving Ventilation in Schools, Colleges, and Universities to Prevent COVID-19.” With local educational agencies across the country preparing for a full return to in-person instruction for the 2021–22 school year, the document details […]
Keep classrooms open with free COVID testing program
The California Department of Public Health, through a partnership with Concentric by Ginkgo Bioworks, is providing a free, fully staffed COVID-19 pooled testing program to all K-12 public schools in the state. With the delta variant causing case numbers to rise, this tool to safeguard staff and students as they return to full, in-person […]










