The number of state reimbursable education mandates varies based on the number of new laws enacted that require a mandate. For simplicity, let’s say historically the number of reimbursable education mandates has hovered somewhere between 30 to 40, with the suspension of about a dozen additional K-12 mandates at times.

To be clear, this unfunded mandate problem is not limited to local educational agencies. In fact, about two decades ago, the League of California Cities and other local government organizations representing cities and counties drafted and successfully secured voter approval of Proposition 1A. This ballot initiative, among other things, attempted to limit the state’s excessive approach to imposing new mandates onto cities, counties and special districts without providing funding to implement them. The success of the initiative is debatable, but for a moment in time, their effort not only brought greater awareness to the serious impact of unfunded mandates on local governments, but it also had a chilling effect — albeit a brief one — in the halls of the state Capitol.

A reflection on a year — and a career

he start of a new year seems like a good time to look back at 2023 and take stock of the trends and education issues that defined the year and set the policy and legal stage for 2024.

Boards of education were active and engaged with their communities, exercising their statutory obligation to govern their schools and ensure every student received a free public education.

While districts and county offices of education had to contend with a long list of important issues, there were a few that made headlines or consumed the attention of the majority of districts and county offices of education. There was no shortage of so-called culture wars playing out at local board meetings. Double digit raises for school employees came to an end and searches for students missing from attendance rolls were ongoing. Teachers sought affordable housing and districts and county offices of education sought after teachers and bus drivers to fill their local needs. What could be read by students and what could be taught by teachers became even more of an issue in California and across the nation. And at governing board meetings, discord between boards and members of the public and among board members themselves rose to concerning levels.

Student tutors see super results

What started as a classroom program to help high school students catch up to grade level in math has multiplied into a districtwide system where students are paid to tutor their peers in a variety of subject areas.

Glendale Unified School District’s Golden Bell Award-winning Super Tutor program was created by Stepan Mekhitarian, the district’s director of Innovation, Instruction, Assessment and Accountability, when he worked as a teacher. Mekhitarian offered additional academic support to students during periods like office hours, but with large groups seeking help, he decided to recruit peer tutors who had content mastery and provide them training on how to deliver effective instruction.

Mekhitarian eventually took on his current role at the district and began working to expand the program beginning with a small number of high schools in 2019.

he Research on Lowering Violence in Schools and Communities (ReSOLV) study has released results from its nine-year investigation of the associations between school safety and student outcomes with community and school-based risk and protective factors.

1. Help schools understand how risk and need factors in the community influence student engagement and outcomes in school, while helping community leaders understand how violence prevention efforts in the community may benefit educational outcomes for youth, which in turn can prevent future violence.
2. Provide insights on building the readiness for individuals, organizations and the broader community to work together to address violence and safety issues using inclusive, equitable and comprehensive strategies that are rooted in evidence of effectiveness.

Researchers hypothesized that schools operate within a broader ecological framework and that risk factors in the community can negatively affect student and school outcomes if schools are not actively working to recognize and mitigate these influences.

alifornia has invested in an unprecedented expansion of expanded learning programs (after-school and summer), recognizing the academic, enrichment and social benefits these programs can play in students’ lives. Through the Expanded Learning Opportunities Program (ELO-P), California invests $4 billion annually in after-school and summer programs, with the goal of universal access for elementary school students by 2025.

Not only have we seen the toll that the pandemic has taken on teen learning loss, attendance and mental health, but adolescent brains are developing more significantly than at any time since early childhood. It is also a time when teens are growing intellectually, socially and emotionally. Adolescents need supports and opportunities not just in the traditional school day, but also out of school, including the mentoring relationships, college and career exposure, leadership development and skill building that school- and community-based expanded learning programs provide.

n the ever-evolving landscape of education, a notable transition toward differentiated learning is reshaping educators’ approaches to teaching. Acknowledging the individuality of each student—spanning diverse learning styles, interests, and abilities— educators are embracing inventive approaches to provide a tailored and engaging classroom experience.