The 2024 legislative session is in full swing as policy committees in both the Senate and the Assembly work their way through the thousands of new bills introduced since January.
Among the measures under consideration is a package of CSBA-sponsored legislation that together will reduce administrative workloads associated with the substantial number of reports required of local educational agencies, ensure that the state provides much-needed support to small school districts in the acquisition of state bond funds, and help improve and clarify the school district and county office of education charter authorizing processes.
Governance



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Troy Flint | tflint@csba.org
Editorial Director:
Kimberly Sellery | ksellery@csba.org
Staff Writers and Contributors:
Alisha Kirby | akirby@csba.org
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Bode Owoyele | bowoyele@csba.org
Dustin Bindreiff | dbindreiff@csba.org
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Director of Graphic Design & Branding:
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Senior Graphic Designer:
Amanda Moen | amoen@csba.org
Albert Gonzalez | Santa Clara USD
President-elect:
Bettye Lusk | Monterey Peninsula USD
Vice President:
Debra Schade | Solana Beach SD
Immediate Past President:
Susan Markarian | Pacific Union ESD
CEO & Executive Director:
Vernon M. Billy
News and feature items submitted for publication are edited for style and space as necessary.

President’s Message: Albert Gonzalez
Protecting Proposition 98
“The Wire,” one of the most critically acclaimed television series of all time, depicts the uneasy intersection of government, law and street life in modern America. Fans of the program will remember one of its recurring themes, a lesson that applies far beyond the gritty streets of Baltimore where the show takes place. One of the show’s central messages was that, no matter his walk of life, “a man got to have a code.” This is true of all men, women and organizations that hope to conduct them themselves with purpose and integrity, and it certainly applies to CSBA.
At CSBA, our code is that we fight to the last inch to protect Proposition 98 and to preserve local control because these principles are essential to strengthen public schools and secure the conditions needed to provide every student with a high-quality education. Unfortunately, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s 2024–25 May Revise contains an existential threat to Prop 98 that demands strong action to uphold our code and protect education funding.
With both declining state revenue and enrollment, LEAs are facing a tough financial forecast

To help address this looming storm, CSBA’s Research and Education Policy Development department created a budget template, “The Forecast is for Storms – Considerations for LEA budgeting in an uncertain fiscal climate,” to help governance teams communicate these intricate factors to their communities. These dynamics include ever-increasing state budget deficit projections, the end of federal pandemic relief aid and persistent declining statewide enrollment. Governance teams can build a shared understanding of the district’s fiscal landscape by being open and transparent with communities on the complexity of the situation.
General session speakers included White House Domestic Policy Advisor Neera Tanden and U.S. Deputy Education Secretary and former San Diego Unified School District Superintendent Cindy Marten on federal education policy updates from the Biden Administration; U.S. Department of Agriculture Acting Under Secretary Kumar Chandran on school meals; Education Week Assistant Editor Alyson Klein on artificial intelligence (AI) in education; Lake Research Partners Founder Celinda Lake; and K12Counsel, LLC Founder Francisco M. Negron Jr. The sessions provided governing board members with an opportunity to engage directly with key federal policymakers and experts, highlighting issues specific to California public schools.
Attracting and retaining skilled teachers: A strategic approach for school boards

Board support is a key component in creating a nurturing environment for teachers, according to James Sargent, former superintendent at Caruthers Unified School District and Yosemite USD and current administrator at Madera County Superintendent of Schools. Acknowledging the emotional challenges inherent in teaching, Sargent underscores the role of board members in empowering administrators to cultivate a sense of safety and empowerment among staff. Moreover, he stresses the importance of board conduct, as conflicts at the governance level can reverberate throughout the school community.
“There are so many things that go into good leadership, like being collaborative, having courage, being able to try new things and not have a fear of failure, and trying to problem solve and think critically,” Leong said, noting that this issue of developing a generation of leaders isn’t unique to the AAPI community. “Any minority group or any historically oppressed group is going to want to develop those leadership skills because there’s been a lack of leadership models in the public square, and when you don’t have those kinds of leaders to look up to, then it’s hard to imagine it for yourself as a young person.”

The two cases were decided at the appellate level based on different reasonings. In Lindke, the Supreme Court spelled out a new approach, distinct from the Ninth and Sixth Circuits’ approaches, and held that a public official’s action would constitute state action only if the public official possesses actual authority related to the action and if, when taking the action, the public official purports to possess the authority. This was a significant victory for public officials because it creates a higher bar for members of the public to allege a violation of the First Amendment by such officials when regulating comments on their private social media pages.

One of the most enjoyable rewards of being a board member is the opportunity to recognize the great work students do. Highlighting the journey of a newcomer student to academic excellence, the engagement of a student in a civic project that improves access for students with disabilities, or the efforts of a student to learn another culture and language are worthy of recognition. Highlighting student successes can serve as important drivers in encouraging more students to engage in public service. Additionally, appreciating and embracing accomplishments encourages students to strive for success, provides students with greater confidence and opens doors for additional opportunities. Supporting and rewarding the positive contributions and achievements of students is a critical component of effective school climates.
Teacher-related reports
A teacher supply report is required by California Education Code to be presented to the commission each April detailing the number of teachers who received credentials, certificates, permits and waivers to teach and serve in the state’s local educational agencies as well as information on current teacher candidates. The following are key findings from Teacher Supply in California, 2022–23: A Report to the Legislature:

A nationally representative group of 3,905 adults responded to the survey and about 50 percent said they reside in the same household as a K-12 student. Among all respondents, 40 percent said they were Democrat/Democrat-leaning, 34 percent were Republican/Republican-leaning and 27 percent were independent or belong to another party.

AEC 2024 will take place in Anaheim from Dec. 5-7, providing student board members with a unique opportunity for collaboration with esteemed organizations like Disney, enriching the offerings and experiences for participating students.

At the state level, 2022–23 data showed 24.3 percent of students chronically absent, an improvement from 30 percent in 2021–22, but still an alarming figure that needs to be reduced. Local educational agencies around the state are implementing attendance campaigns and supports to address the problem and bring students back to school. In Stanislaus County, the county office of education spearheaded a messaging campaign that is improving attendance throughout its 25 school districts.
