On July 10, as part of the state budget, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 181 (Alvarez/Patel), which implements his state education governance reform proposal. Announced as part of the January Budget Proposal, the Governor originally sought to shift the day-to-day management of the California Department of Education (CDE) from the state superintendent of public instruction (SSPI) to a newly created and gubernatorially appointed education commissioner. Also included were proposals to make the SSPI a voting member of both the State Board of Education (SBE) and the California Community Colleges Board of Governors.

For over 40 years, U.S. law has dictated that undocumented children are entitled to a free public education under the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Since the landmark ruling by the Supreme Court that created this legal principle, Plyler v. Doe, there have been numerous attempts at the state and federal levels to circumvent it to deny education to undocumented children.

As the daughter of a military family, I became accustomed to new beginnings. Every few years meant another move, another first day at another school, another classroom where everyone else seemed to know one another. I remember wondering where to sit, hoping someone would say hello, and quietly wondering what this new school would hold for me.

In July, Gov. Gavin Newsom held a press conference to celebrate signing into law Assembly Bill 181, which will establish far greater control over public education for the governors who succeed him.

Moving school oversight under a new education commissioner role appointed by the governor is a crucial first step in repairing California’s fragmented system of education governance at the state level. Newsom deserves praise for identifying the problem of disjointed governance, but effective governance reform cannot stop at reassigning authority.

The countdown to the 2026 CSBA Annual Education Conference and Trade Show (AEC) happening Dec. 3-5 in San Diego is on! AEC is one of the biggest education conferences in the state and brings together board members, superintendents, school business officials and support staff to learn and network. Attendees will leave AEC with practical ideas and strategies to better support board governance and student outcomes.

June 17 marked the conclusion of the five-webinar series that brought the CSBA County Board Governance Handbook to life, offering county board members practical tools and real-world strategies to bridge policy and practice.

The series explored how to use the governance handbook as a training tool that leads to greater collaboration and an increased focus on what it takes to be an excellent board; what current county trustees find most meaningful and practical in the handbook; how several county superintendents see the handbook supporting stronger governance teams and clarifying shared governance; and understanding the link between budgets, oversight and their role in financial accountability.

At the end of June, the Supreme Court of the United States (the Court) issued decisions in West Virginia v. B.P.J. and Little, Governor of Idaho v. Hecox. Both cases involved transgender students who challenged state laws that limited their ability to play on female sports teams. The Court upheld both the West Virginia and Idaho laws, affirming the ability of states to limit access to female sports teams based on biological sex.

Communicating legally required notifications to families, staff and the community is an important aspect of school board governance. Independent of the legal requirement to do so, it also conveys valuable information and builds trust. A failure to communicate these notices at the right time and in the right manner can interfere with family, staff and the community having critical information related to student learning, academic achievement and well-being. Additionally, the lack of communication can undermine the trust that is critical to building a strong community for students.

In April, the Santa Clara County Office of Education announced three new tools, supports and grants to help local districts with some of the most challenging, cumbersome and time-consuming tasks and duties on their to-do lists.

One of the tools will help districts in the county catch California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System (CALPADS) issues early; another improves student support and intervention tracking; and the final initiative expands a local scholarship program to address the teacher shortage.

The California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) met June 26 and approved recommended staff actions related to teacher misassignment monitoring sanctions — a new intervention system of school-level teacher misassignment identification, support and improvement to increase placements of fully credentialed teachers in their relevant credential areas — despite objections from CSBA and other organizations during public comment.

National Immunization Awareness Month occurs each August, as families and school communities are busy gearing up for a new academic year and settling into the routines that will set them up for success.

This preparation period offers the perfect opportunity for schools, as well as parents and guardians, to review student vaccination records, particularly at “check point” grades. California law requires all children enrolled in schools, both public and private, to have certain doctor-recommended immunizations, or receive them when they enroll.

Following months of discussion, stakeholder meetings and study sessions, the California State Board of Education (SBE) adopted new performance criteria for determining differentiated assistance (DA) eligibility during its July 8 meeting.

The changes will allow the state to more effectively identify and prioritize local educational agencies with the greatest demonstrated need while improving coherence, reducing year-to-year instability in eligibility and ensuring support is better aligned with the time needed to actually make meaningful, sustained improvement, according to SBE President Linda Darling-Hammond.