No matter how divisive or frustrating politics can be, I try to demonstrate generosity of spirit, especially where my fellow district and county board of education members are concerned. We ran for this office because we believe in the power of education and value children as the most important resource for our local communities and for society at large. We simply can’t afford to be defeatist when our responsibility is so large.

That view was reinforced by more than 300 of my peers who traveled to Washington, D.C. last month to participate in the fourth annual CSBA-ACSA Coast2Coast Federal Advocacy Trip. It was a remarkable undertaking that built the capacity of attendees and highlighted the potential of education leaders to serve as an effective force for change. While in the nation’s capital, we heard from some of our state’s federal representatives like Rep. Kevin Kiley, Rep. Ted Lieu and Sen. Adam Schiff. We also absorbed a wealth of information from education policy analysts and political experts, in addition to honing our advocacy skills under the tutelage of CSBA and ACSA lobbyists.

Presented with a wide range of education research, legislative analysis, key issue briefings, advocacy training, political insight and an overview of constitutional law relevant for school governance teams, we were well prepared to meet with members of Congress and their staff. The sessions provided the information, data and techniques Coast2Coast attendees need to efficiently and effectively make the case for California schools in an assertive, nonpartisan fashion. As a group, we focused our efforts on core issues with resonance for the CSBA membership, including:

Federal mandates deserve federal funding, and special education is the biggest of them all. When the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was passed, the federal government pledged to pay for 40 percent of state and local expenses for special education. Today, the federal government pays for just 8 percent of California’s costs, which hurts not only students with disabilities, but all students, as the federal funding shortfall means fewer resources remain for all students. We asked Congress to begin increasing funding to reach the 40 percent promise it made upon introduction of IDEA.

We stressed that Congress needs to keep Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) funding at current levels to provide targeted resources to high-need students, maintain current eligibility thresholds and reimbursement rates for school meal programs, and apply regional indexing within the Child Nutrition Act to account for states like California with higher costs of living.

Instructional quality has a significant impact on student achievement, but difficulty in recruiting, training and retaining teachers is diminishing both the size and quality of the teaching pool. We urged the federal government to maintain federal ESSA Title II funding and federal grant programs that assist local educational agencies in establishing and expanding teacher mentoring and training programs.

Declining resources are also an issue for rural schools, so we asked our representatives to support HR 1383 and S 356 and reauthorize the Secure Rural Schools (SRS) Act through Fiscal Year 2029. SRS is a financial lifeline for many LEAs in areas where federal land ownership prevents tax collection that would otherwise be used to pay for critical services like public schools and local transportation.

For rural, urban and suburban schools alike, greater federal funding is needed to expand access to connectivity, particularly in areas with substandard infrastructure. Your colleagues emphasized thar school cybersecurity must be prioritized and the federal E-Rate Program expanded to ensure all students have the connectivity required for a well-rounded education and to prepare for a career in the modern economy.

In a state with the size and scope of California, our student needs are varied and great. Yet, there is plenty of common ground to unite school districts and county offices of education and we pressed for federal engagement on those topics. Coast2Coast offered a big, ambitious agenda and our members were more than up to the task. It was inspiring to see the nation’s largest association of school board members and its largest association of school superintendents and administrators join forces to make our presence known in nation’s capital.

There is strength in numbers and that’s what we brought to our representatives. We let them know they may work in D.C., but their allegiance lies with us back home in California. You can’t forget where you came from or who you work for and we made sure — politely of course — that our elected officials kept California students front of mind. They deserve the best this country can offer!