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.

The June 17 webinar focused on advocacy and community engagement and featured Annette Lewis, Contra Costa COE board member and CSBA Region 14 Director; Ramon Flores, Ventura COE board member and CSBA Director-at-Large, County; CSBA Chief of Governmental Relations Patrick O’Donnell and CSBA Legislative Director Chris Reefe.

“It’s my strong belief that advocacy is key to the success of California school boards,” O’Donnell said. “If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu.”

“We continue to advocate for our board members, especially our county board members and the unique roles that they all play, and the unique role county offices play,” Reefe said. “The amount of time and effort it takes to ensure that legislators and legislative staff understand the roles and responsibilities of county offices … is a critical component of our advocacy and why your voice is critical to that effort building those relationships.”

O’Donnell emphasized that county board members should use their elected capacity to build relationships with their own elected representatives, both state and federal. “It’s ’educate and advocate,’” he said. “It’s ’educate’ as to your role and your expertise, then advocate for policies that will help you be successful in your mission.”

Ongoing education for legislators is important as turnover can have outsized affects during certain periods. “In just the last two election cycles, we’ve seen about 70 percent of the Legislature turn over,” explained Reefe. “From that perspective, it is a constant effort to be able to educate assemblymembers and senators about the important roles that public education plays in society … the important roles that school district and county board members play and how they work.”

Lewis emphasized the trustee’s role as a student advocate. “We’re more than just a person representing a county office, we’re representing the needs of students throughout,” she said. “We have to make sure that we are always looking out for what is best for our students, and yet being held by the constraints of the laws and codes that affect us.”

O’Donnell reviewed the recent interagency agreements enacted by the U.S. Department of Education, including the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act shifting to the Department of Health and Human Services, and the potential elimination of programs intended to support immigrant and migrant students.

“It’s very important that county board members engage at the federal level to protect these programs. One of the opportunities to do this ever year is our Coast2Coast [Federal Advocacy] Trip,” O’Donnell said.

For those who cannot make the trip, and for the rest of the year, “call your local congressional office.” He recommends calling the representative’s office and asking to speak to the staff member that handles education and introduce yourself as a resource for them as they deal with education issues in Congress.

Flores agreed. “I think part of the thing that is sometimes lost on us as county board members is the amount of influence we can exert,” he said.

Flores said that networking is key to knowing representatives, and it is important to build those connections as soon as possible. He noted how he first met Senate President pro Tempore Monique Limón when she was a board member in Santa Barbara, and kept that connection through her rise in the Senate.

Lewis helped to describe the importance of “representative advocacy,” which ensures community voices, especially those least heard, are reflected in governance decisions. “When we hear from these people who are often concerned about something going on in the local schools, it’s our place to help guide them to become an advocate for their students. And that is one of the things I have been doing for these years is letting them know here is what you as a parent or caregiver can be doing,” she said. “But then I take that information and I share the concerns that they have with the appropriate individuals. So we have to work to provide the parents that voice — either through us or giving them a chance to make their voice heard.”

Flores makes sure he is a resource for his districts, inviting district representatives to a tour of county-run schools so they are aware of what options are available for their at-promise students.

“A cliché that I have come across is, ’If you’ve seen one county office, you’ve seen one county office.’ With 58 up and down the state, we’re all so different with what we offer in terms of programs and services,” he said. “Be aware of your county office’s skill sets and that way you can be that knowledge broker that we were elected to be.”