That was the powerful message from Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra to school board members and superintendents that traveled from his home state to participate in the 2023 CSBA-Association of California School Administrators (ACSA) Coast2Coast Federal Advocacy Trip.

Becerra was quick to add that the dictionary definition of ganas as “desire” or “the strongest will” doesn’t quite capture the intensity of the word or the passion that school trustees bring to the job. He urged education leaders to maintain that undefinable spirit and to remain steadfast in their work for public schools.

“Continue to be the state of innovation. California is ganas. We do things bigger and better — and eventually everyone follows. They don’t like to admit it, but they follow.”

Becerra pledged that HHS will make a special effort to helps schools because “there’s no way we can continue to turn a blind eye to the fact kids are hurting, not just physically but mentally.”

That is the type of commitment Coast2Coast attendees envisioned when they set out on the trip to meet with their federal representatives, ask questions of cabinet secretaries, review analyses from some of the nation’s top political experts, listen to top education journalists and members of the White House press corps and engage in dialogue with peers from across California.

While in Washington, D.C., CSBA and ACSA members received briefings on key advocacy topics, including special education funding, nutritional service programs, broadband access, cybersecurity, educator shortages, the Secure Rural Schools program and staff benefits. They were also treated to a guided tour of D.C. landmarks and a special reception in the Capitol dining room that featured visits from Democratic and Republican members of California’s congressional delegation, including former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.

“I’ve served on school boards for nearly four decades and the job has grown more complicated year after year,” said CSBA President Susan Markarian. “That’s one reason why CSBA and ACSA provide this opportunity to share both our district’s hardships and successes with our federal representatives — to ensure our federal advocacy efforts are aligned with local needs and that our work blossoms into the change we need for our schools and students. In addition to shining a light on the pressing educational issues in California, spending time building comradery and getting to know other school board members also strengthens our association.”

Another member of California’s delegation, Rocklin’s Kevin Kiley, struck a chord with the crowd as he demonstrated the mastery of public schools one would expect from a congressmen assigned to the Committee on Education & the Workforce. Noting that it can be difficult to reach agreements across the political aisle, Kiley stressed that opportunities for bipartisan legislation exist for those who are willing to work toward compromise.

“We found common ground on the issue of career technical education. That’s an area where there continues to be momentum,” Kiley said. “This is a great area where leaders at the school board level can focus on working with other elements of education systems — community colleges, CSU, UC and the business community — to identify workforce needs. It’s a win-win to prioritize career education, and there’s a role for the federal government as well.”

Kiley identified six priorities for his efforts on the committee — the achievement gap, teacher recruitment and retention, career and technical education, mental health, special education and local control — areas that largely align with CSBA’s policy focus.

Many of Rep. Kiley’s themes were echoed by Coast2Coast speakers such as James Lane, acting assistant secretary at the U.S. Department of Education; Cindy Long, USDA Food and Nutrition Service administrator at the U.S. Department of Agriculture; Politico’s White House correspondent Sam Stein; Education Week’s Stephen Sawchuk and Evie Blad; American Enterprise Institute Fellow Michael Brickman; Lakeisha Steele from the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning; Chesapeake Beach Consulting President Robert Carpenter; and Celinda Lake, president of Lake Research.

Carpenter and Lake are two of Washington’s top political analysts, regaled the audience with a list of insights from a special poll commissioned by CSBA and ACSA examining public attitudes on education, the economy, school trustees and school staff, elected officials and voters’ key political issues.

Lake and Carpenter presented poll results that asked likely California voters to rate the education-related topics of greatest concern. Topping the list were topics related to student safety including gun and physical violence, hiring quality teachers and support staff, curbing bullying and cyberbullying, teaching real-world job skills, hiring quality mental health counselors and making access to mental health supports accessible, compensating teachers at a higher level and ensuring parent involvement in their child’s education.

The prevailing sentiment among Coast2Coast attendees was captured by Natomas USD board member Ericka Harden. “I’ve learned so much in a short amount of time. I’m very thankful to ACSA and CSBA for this opportunity,” she said. “My biggest takeaway from this event is to keep fighting the fight and to see a whole team come together and understand that anything is possible when you have the right people in the room. I’m leaving with so much new information from this event. I’m so overjoyed and overwhelmed and cannot wait to bring it back to my district and share with my fellow trustees.”