California School Boards Association

10/30/2026

On Oct. 27, trustees representing John Swett Unified School District, Mt. Diablo Unified School District, Berkeley Unified School District, San Ramon Valley Unified School District, West Contra Costa Schools, Albany Unified School District and the Contra Costa County Office of Education met with Assemblymember Buffy Wicks to discuss issues including technology in schools, student well-being, protecting Prop 98 and more. Wicks was also honored with a Special Recognition Award from CSBA for her leadership on education workforce housing via Assembly Bill 1021, which was signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Oct. 10.

10/29/2026

Registration is now open for the sixth annual Coast2Coast Federal Advocacy Trip, happening April 5-7 in Washington, D.C.! This invaluable event provides California education leaders the opportunity to bring their stories and experiences directly to the offices of their congressional representatives to ensure they and their staff understand the urgent needs of the state’s nearly 6 million preK-12 students back home.

The event, hosted by CSBA and the Association of California School Administrators, empowers California education leaders to advance key issues including federal education appropriations and restructuring; student privacy, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence; and the need for full funding under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to improve outcomes for all students.

Over the first two days, participants will attend sessions on federal education policy, network with prominent D.C. figures and engage in briefings with decision-makers and influencers directly. The event culminates in face-to-face meetings with California’s federal representatives. By sharing local educational agency data and experiences, education leaders can influence policies that make a lasting impact. Learn more and register at https://ow.ly/I8jM51026Z1!

10/28/2026

On Oct. 15, the California Department of Education released updates for the California School Dashboard and the results of the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) together for the first time. The Dashboard and CAASPP results paint a picture similar to the past several years: incremental progress and vast disparities between student groups. Read CSBA’s full analysis of the results: https://ow.ly/lG6V5101KbR

Much like the scores themselves, state leaders' reactions to the progress echoed those of prior years. Gov. Gavin Newsom painted a rosy view of these results in his statement, linking them to many of his flagship programs by saying, “This just in, test scores are up across the board in California for the third straight year.”

In a statement, CSBA CEO & Executive Director Vernon M. Billy shared how governance alignment and reciprocal accountability is needed to truly move the needle on student achievement. “With a new governor on the horizon, California has an extraordinary opportunity to replace fragmented initiatives with a unified strategy built around student achievement, operational effectiveness and reciprocal accountability,” Billy said. “We cannot be satisfied with simply launching more programs or celebrating marginal gains. We must embrace reciprocal accountability and continue to push for better results from the entire education system, including the state government itself.”

On Oct. 15, the California Department of Education released updates for the California School Dashboard and the results of the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP). The Dashboard and CAASPP results paint a picture similar to the past several years: incremental progress....

10/27/2026

CSBA President Dr. Debra Schade has seen firsthand the innovative secondary school redesign practices taking place at Cajon Valley Union School District and San Diego County Office of Education. Now, for the first time, attendees of the 2026 Annual Education Conference and Trade Show, happening Dec. 3-5, can take part in site visits at one of these two locations on Dec. 2! Learn more and add a pre-conference site visit to your AEC registration at https://ow.ly/mOM85101nBW.

10/26/2026

A recent research paper by the National Demographics Corporation, a CSBA Business Affiliate, outlines strategies for closing schools in response to factors like declining enrollment, underused facilities, staffing challenges, aging campuses and tight budgets. Learn about the 11 best practices on the CSBA blog:

A recent research paper outlines best practices for closing schools in response to factors like declining enrollment, underused facilities, staffing challenges, aging campuses and tight budgets.

10/24/2026

On Oct. 19, CSBA President Dr. Debra Schade joined a diner and panel hosted by the Orange County School Boards Association and ACSA Region 17. The event included leaders from community college districts, the University of California system and K-12 who discussed emerging technologies, future-ready skills, career pathways and cross-sector partnerships that can better prepare students for the evolving demands of higher education and the workforce.

10/22/2026

The October newsletter includes a breakdown of the final wave of education bills signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom — including four CSBA-sponsored bills that, together, will give local educational agencies additional tools, flexibility and state-level support they need to serve students effectively while eliminating unnecessary administrative obstacles.

This issue also spotlights new research on youth experiencing homelessness and recaps the most recent State Board of Education and California Commission on Teacher Credentialing meetings, a recent court ruling in the ongoing battle over the rights of transgender students in schools and a CSBA webinar on the role of superintendent-principals. Find these articles and more:

In this issue: CSBA files lawsuit challenging state’s withholding of $3.9B in Prop 98 school funding, CSBA’s Safe Schools Toolkit is an important resource for governance teams, Supporting student mental health through policy, and much more!

10/21/2026

This week, CSBA President Dr. Debra Schade visited Napa Valley Unified School District and spoke with local leaders and students about literacy and dual language pathways, nutrition and student wellness and programs providing future-ready skills and career technical education. Another terrific tour!

10/20/2026

On Oct. 14, CSBA honored Assemblymember Esmeralda Soria (D-Fresno) with the Special Recognition Award for her efforts with AB 1111. The bill, which represents a CSBA priority, sought to provide more flexibility to those local educational agencies that are already struggling with a forthcoming requirement to transition to zero-emission school buses — a significant challenge for districts across the state.

CSBA thanks Soria for her and her staff’s pioneering work on the issue!

10/19/2026

CSBA President Dr. Debra Schade took a tour of the 200-student Warner Unified School District Unified School District on Oct. 13 to learn more about how the small, rural district provides students opportunities to thrive through its various arts, agriculture and career technical education programming and boosts engagement with the help of its tribal and county partnerships despite the infrastructural challenges it faces in terms of transportation, the ability to provide safe drinking water and more.

“Warner Unified may be small in enrollment, but its commitment to students and the strength of its community are substantial,” Schade said while reflecting on the visit. “The visit reinforced the importance of recognizing the unique needs of rural districts and ensuring that every student, regardless of background or ZIP code, has access to meaningful educational opportunities and a promising future.”