As part of his first budget press conference on Jan. 10, Gov. Gavin Newsom good-naturedly name-dropped California school board members and CSBA, highlighting the persistent and ardent advocacy of CSBA and governing board members statewide on pensions and other fiscal concerns.

“We are adding an additional $3 billion into immediate relief to school districts to address their STRS anxiety…,” the Governor said. The Governor’s $3 billion proposal for CalSTRS contribution rates is one-time non-Proposition 98 General Fund money and would all be paid out during the 2019-20 budget year. The proposal includes a $700 million ($350 million each for 2019-20 and 2020-21) direct buy-down of employer contribution rates, reducing rates by 1 percent in each of those two budget years, and $2.3 billion committed to reduce the employer unfunded liability, with a resulting 0.5 percent projected reduction in employer contributions beginning in 2021-22.

Schools receive pension relief: CSBA spoke and the Governor listened

It’s always nice to have your hard work validated by others. It’s even nicer when the person recognizing your efforts is the Governor of California. During Gov. Gavin Newsom’s inaugural budget proposal address, he let everyone know what a strong impression CSBA made on the subject of pension relief. In the Governor’s own words: “I will never forget our school boards association meeting, where they almost, quite literally, didn’t want to talk about anything else.”

Gov. Newsom couldn’t help but shake his head and chuckle as he recalled the tenacity our members displayed. Evidently, the message was received because the Governor’s budget proposal includes what he described as $3 billion of “immediate relief to school districts to address their STRS anxiety.”

It is essential for governing board members to be familiar with information about the March 15 notice, its implementation process and the strict legal requirements attached to the process.

The March 15 notice is a formal, written announcement from a school district to administrators, certificated employees and others — required by Education Code section 44949 — informing them that they may be released, demoted or reassigned for the following school year beginning July 1. Before March 15, the district board must adopt a resolution stating that services are to be reduced and/or discontinued and that it is necessary to reduce the staff, specifying the extent of the reduction. The resolution must also direct the superintendent to notify affected employees.

State Board adopts new requirements for districts in LCAP process

Interim changes are coming to the Local Control Accountability Plan template, but a much larger revision is likely still a few years out.

As part of that process, the State Board of Education approved a new LCAP section at its January meeting. The revision is designed to comply with the federal Every Student Succeeds Act’s rules for improving low-performing schools. Districts with schools targeted for assistance through the California School Dashboard must now verify that each school includes a description of how it identifies, examines and addresses weaknesses and needs in order to improve student outcomes. District officials will maintain local control and accountability by working with the school site council to develop the plan for student achievement. The change takes effect for the 2019-20 school year.

CSBA Institute for New and First-Term Board Members helps answer ‘what’s next?’

From the Redwood Coast to the Coachella Valley, about 80 newly elected district and county board members gathered Jan. 3–4 in Sacramento to focus on “what’s next.” With their campaigns finished and a largely procedural first board meeting under their belts, attendees learned about effective governance, finance, human resources and student learning at CSBA’s popular Institute for New and First-term Board Members.

Governance Consultant and former school board member Luan Burman Rivera started the program by outlining the key concepts of effective boards and teamwork. She stressed that new members need to check their individual campaign promises at the door and focus on the successes of the governance team.

Comprehensive school safety plans:
Content, collaboration and compliance

Schools are the second-most common location for active shooting incidents, according to the State Auditor’s 2017 report School Violence Prevention. Far more likely threats to student safety include bullying, harassment, child abuse and natural disasters. One of the most important ways schools can protect students and staff from harm is to ensure a positive school climate that will not only reduce the likelihood of violent crime on campus, but also improve student outcomes and well-being.

With these issues in mind, the California Department of Education requires each school to develop and annually review a comprehensive school safety plan. Board members play a critical role in this process and are encouraged to review CSBA sample board policy and administrative regulation BP/AR 0450 – Comprehensive Safety Plan, which contains a complete list of plan components.

There’s a lot of expertise in the iTV Cable 16 studio at the San Diego County Office of Education, and the team is sharing that knowledge with students in the new iTV Learning Lab.

About 200 students participated in the lab in the fall, which offers them an authentic industry experience using the equipment, techniques and storytelling skills they need to work in the entertainment industry.

“This was one of my best and favorite experiences of the four years I’ve been in high school,” said Alena Martinez, a senior at San Marcos High School who participated last month. “I thought it was going to be more of a watch-and-learn thing, but it was a lot of hands-on learning, which I thought was really fun and cool to experience.”

The inaugural Education Summit of Neighborhood Councils in Los Angeles kicked off in Los Angeles in October. CSBA Director Kelly Gonez (Region 21) and her team spearheaded the event, working with the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment.

The Education Summit aimed to direct more resources to local schools in members’ neighborhood council districts. Each of the 98 Neighborhood Councils represent approximately 20,000 constituents, has a budget of $42,000 and about 20 locally elected members. There is a staff of roughly 20 people supporting their efforts.