On Friday, Sept. 4, the California Department of Public Health unveiled updated guidance on providing in-person instruction to small groups of students. The release, which came on the eve of Labor Day weekend, modified guidance introduced on Aug. 25. Among other, more modest changes, the […]
Commentary: Taco Bell is not the solution for student broadband access
By CSBA CEO & Executive Director Vernon M. Billy In a time of ecological, political and social crises, it isn’t easy to command attention. Yet, occasionally, a simple image can cut through the noise. Last week, a photo of two children outside a Taco Bell […]
Factors beyond student ability and hard work likely to impact grades
When it became apparent that the 2019–20 academic year would come to a close with nearly every student in the state participating in distance learning, districts were forced to scramble to come up with fair grading policies that took into account all of the ways […]
COVID-19 has chilling effect on vaccination rates for other diseases
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, vaccination dose orders declined from mid-March, the beginning of the emergency declaration due to the COVID-19 pandemic, to mid-April by 2.5 million compared to previous years. In a report issued May 18, the agency wrote, “The […]
U.S. Department of Homeland Security memo limits DACA program again after Supreme Court decision
On June 18, 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court held in a 5-4 decision in University of California v. U.S. Department of Homeland Security that the Trump administration may not immediately proceed with its plan to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. The […]
USDA announces extension of summer meal program waivers, ensuring free meals for kids through Dec. 31, 2020
In a win for local educational agencies and students throughout California, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced Aug. 31 that the U.S. Department of Agriculture will extend several flexibilities that allow summer meal program operators to continue serving free meals to all children through […]
New tools available to center equity for English learners in Learning Continuity and Attendance Plan
A new collaboration to support the needs of English learners in California by Californians Together, Sobrato Early Language Academy and Loyola Marymount University’s Center for Equity for English Learners is teaming up with county offices of education to aid in the implementation of the English Learner Roadmap […]
How focusing on mental health can benefit student learning
As district leaders weigh the complex pathways to operating schools in 2020–21 — including distance learning, in-person and/or hybrid models — they need to consider the mental health needs of students and how they can be addressed to enable successful learning. The past six months […]
New sex education standards provide educators support on more well-rounded conversations with students on sensitive topics
The National Sex Education Standards were recently updated to include advancements in research regarding sexual orientation, gender identity and the long-term consequences of stigma and discrimination — all topics that experts say are essential to keeping young people safe when covered effectively. The standards were […]
California should prepare to address long-term impacts of COVID-19 on kids’ mental health, experts say
Communities and families have been hit hard by the pandemic, and are likely facing increased stress due to the changes, fear and uncertainty caused by illness, isolation, impending homelessness, job and healthcare loss, California Surgeon General Dr. Nadine Burke-Harris said during an Aug. 20 webinar […]