Panelists will include CalMatters columnist Dan Walters, Politico California education reporter Mackenzie Mays and Capitol Advisors Group President Kevin Gordon.
“This group of deeply experienced and highly respected panelists will offer invaluable insights and leave board members with a greater understanding of education’s interplay with politics as they close out their conference experience,” Billy said.
Attendees of the Third General Session will get a sneak peek at big issues ranging from Full and Fair FundingSM to student achievement to what voters can expect on the ballot in 2020. The panel also comes on the heels of a legislative session in which Gov. Gavin Newsom signed 870 new Senate and Assembly bills. 
The panelists are all deeply connected to California politics and public education:
- An authority on Capitol happenings who has written more than 9,000 columns on California and its politics, CalMatter’s Walters has been a journalist for nearly 60 years, spending all but a few of those years working for California newspapers.
- Politico’s Mays was recently honored with the National Press Club’s Press Freedom Award in Washington, D.C. She is well-versed in California education policy, having started at the Fresno Bee as the education reporter, where she covered Fresno Unified, the state’s fourth-largest school district.
- Rounding out the panel is Capitol Advisors Group’s Gordon, who is widely viewed as a top education advocate in California. Prior to his current role, Gordon was the longtime executive director of the California Association of School Business Officials and previously served as CSBA’s chief lobbyist and assistant executive director.
will discuss state and federal education issues that impact California’s 6.2 million public school students
Director, CSBA
Journalist, CalMatters
Reporter, Politico
