Fall 2021
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Fall 2021
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Navigating the Great Return
Fall 2021
California Schools Logo
Volume 80, Number 1
Fall 2021
The California School Boards Association is the essential voice for public education. We inspire our members to be knowledgeable leaders, extraordinary governance practitioners and ardent advocates for all students.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
features
Navigating the great return featured image

A more traditional, but still uncertain, back-to-school experience expected for fall

by Heather Kemp

Bringing justice home featured image

As state-run juvenile justice centers close, county offices are ready to support students with compassion and community resources

by Alisha Kirby

departments
CEO’s note
by Vernon M. Billy
5
Legal insights
by Mike Ambrose
7
BoardWise
by Sepideh Yeoh, Teri Vigil and Liz Dorn Parker
9
CSBA at issue
by Rebecca Starkins
13
From the field
by Dr. Darshana Patel and Dr. Marian Kim Phelps
17
Member profile
Interview with Adam Escoto
19
A conversation with…
Cindy Marten, U.S. Deputy Education Secretary
45
Bill Vernon headshot
CEO’s note
by Vernon M. Billy
Legal Services provides members with affordable, complementary legal services
T

he path of public education in the United States has been shaped, in part, by landmark legal cases such as Brown v. Board of Education, Lemon v. Kurtzman and Plyler v. Doe. Closer to home, Mendez v. Westminster and Serrano v. Priest have made an enduring impact on California’s school system. So, while litigation is never the first option for the change our schools desire, it is a powerful last resort.

For three decades, CSBA’s Education Legal Alliance has been the leader in supporting districts and county offices of education on important statewide legal issues. The ELA is a consortium of school districts, county offices of education and regional occupational programs that have united to pursue and defend public education interests before state and federal courts, state agencies and the Legislature. The ELA has repeatedly demonstrated the important role that legal advocacy plays in strengthening schools and supporting improved student outcomes by taking on precedent-setting cases that impact, among other things, student learning, governing board authority and the financial management of schools statewide.

The ELA’s success has prompted many CSBA members to ask for assistance on more routine, yet vitally important matters that impact governance, student achievement, the conditions of children and district finances.

CSBA 2021 board of directors
Frank Magarino
Region 1, Del Norte County USD
Sherry Crawford
Region 2, Siskiyou COE
A.C. “Tony” Ubalde, Jr.
Region 3, Vallejo City USD
Renee Nash
Region 4, Eureka Union SD
Alisa MacAvoy
Region 5, Redwood City ESD
Darrel Woo
Region 6, Sacramento City USD
Yolanda Peña Mendrek
Region 7, Liberty Union HSD
Stephen J. Schluer
Region 8, Manteca USD
Tami Gunther
Region 9, Atascadero USD
Kathy Spate
Region 10, Caruthers USD
Sabrena Rodriguez
Region 11, Ventura USD
William Farris
Region 12, Sierra Sands USD
Meg Cutuli
Region 15, Los Alamitos USD
Karen Gray
Region 16, Silver Valley USD
Debra Schade
Region 17, Solano Beach SD
Wendy Jonathan
Region 18, Desert Sands USD
Albert Gonzalez
Region 20, Santa Clara USD
Scott Schmerelson
Region 21, Los Angeles USD
Nancy Smith
Region 22, Palmdale SD
Helen Hall
Region 23, Walnut Valley USD
Leighton Anderson
Region 24, Whittier Union HSD
Bettye Lusk
Director-at-Large African American,
Monterey Peninsula USD
Crystal Martinez-Alire
Director-at-Large American Indian,
Elk Grove USD
Amy Koo
Director-at-Large Asian/Pacific Islander,
Belmont-Redwood Shores SD
Bruce Dennis
Director-at-Large County, Riverside COE
Joaquín Rivera
Director-at-Large Hispanic, Alameda COE
Rick Shea
CCBE President, San Diego COE
Frank Magarino
Region 1, Del Norte County USD
Sherry Crawford
Region 2, Siskiyou COE
A.C. “Tony” Ubalde, Jr.
Region 3, Vallejo City USD
Renee Nash
Region 4, Eureka Union SD
Alisa MacAvoy
Region 5, Redwood City ESD
Darrel Woo
Region 6, Sacramento City USD
Yolanda Peña Mendrek
Region 7, Liberty Union HSD
Stephen J. Schluer
Region 8, Manteca USD
Tami Gunther
Region 9, Atascadero USD
Kathy Spate
Region 10, Caruthers USD
Sabrena Rodriguez
Region 11, Ventura USD
William Farris
Region 12, Sierra Sands USD
Meg Cutuli
Region 15, Los Alamitos USD
Karen Gray
Region 16, Silver Valley USD
Debra Schade
Region 17, Solana Beach SD
Wendy Jonathan
Region 18, Desert Sands USD
Albert Gonzalez
Region 20, Santa Clara USD
Scott Schmerelson
Region 21, Los Angeles USD
Nancy Smith
Region 22, Palmdale SD
Helen Hall
Region 23, Walnut Valley USD
Leighton Anderson
Region 24, Whittier Union HSD
Bettye Lusk
Director-at-Large African American,
Monterey Peninsula USD
Crystal Martinez-Alire
Director-at-Large American Indian,
Elk Grove USD
Amy Koo
Director-at-Large Asian/Pacific Islander,
Belmont-Redwood Shores SD
Bruce Dennis
Director-at-Large County, Riverside COE
Joaquín Rivera
Director-at-Large Hispanic, Alameda COE
Rick Shea
CCBE President, San Diego COE
Mike Ambrose Headshot

legal insights

by Mike Ambrose

U.S. Supreme Court affirms school violated student’s First Amendment rights

This decision still allows schools to regulate off-campus speech under certain circumstances

O

n June 23, 2021, in Mahanoy Area School District v. B. L., the United States Supreme Court issued a highly anticipated opinion addressing a public school’s ability to regulate off-campus student speech.

In an 8-1 decision, the Court held that while public schools may regulate off-campus student speech under certain circumstances, the school in this case violated student B. L.’s First Amendment rights when it sus­pended her from the junior varsity cheerleading squad for her profanity-laced off-campus Snapchat post. In reaching its decision, the Court declined to set a broad rule stating exactly what counts as “off-campus” speech and whether or how ordinary First Amendment standards must give way off campus to a school’s special need to prevent substantial disruption of learning-re­lated activities.
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Chief Information Officer
Troy Flint, tflint@csba.org

Managing Editor
Kimberly Sellery, ksellery@csba.org

Marketing Director
Andy Rolleri, arolleri@csba.org

Staff Writers
Heather Kemp, hkemp@csba.org
Alisha Kirby, akirby@csba.org

Graphic Design Manager
Kerry Macklin, kmacklin@csba.org

Senior Graphic Designer
Mauricio Miranda, mmiranda@csba.org

Marketing Specialist
Isabella Dalton, idalton@csba.org

Circulation and Advertising
csba@csba.org

CSBA OFFICERS

President
Dr. Susan Heredia, Natomas USD

President-elect
Vacant

Vice President
Susan Markarian, Pacific Union ESD

Immediate Past President
Xilonin Cruz-Gonzalez, Azusa USD

CEO & Executive Director
Vernon M. Billy

California Schools (ISSN 1081-8936) is published quarterly by the California School Boards Association, Inc., 3251 Beacon Boulevard, West Sacramento, CA 95691, (916) 371-4691. $2 of CSBA membership dues goes toward the subscription to California Schools magazine for each board member and superintendent. The subscription rate for each CSBA nonmember is $20. Periodicals postage paid at West Sacramento, CA and at additional mailing office. Postmaster: Send address changes to California Schools, 3251 Beacon Blvd., West Sacramento, CA 95691.

Articles submitted to California Schools are edited for style, content and space prior to publication. Views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent CSBA policies or positions. Articles may not be reproduced without written permission of the publisher. Endorsement by CSBA of products and services advertised in California Schools is not implied or expressed.

CSBA and NSPRA logos
Sepideh Yeoh Headshot
Teri Vigil headshot
Liz Dorn Parker Headshot
BoardWise
by Sepideh Yeoh, Teri Vigil and Liz Dorn Parker
Boardwise is a forum for board members and superintendents across the state to share questions about governance and board–superintendent relations. Send your questions to boardwise@csba.org. In addition to our column regulars, Steve Ladd, Ed.D; Luan Burman Rivera; Teri Vigil and Sepideh Yeoh, we periodically welcome new consultants to the column. This issue introduces Elizabeth “Liz” Dorn Parker, Ed.D. who served on the Orange County Board of Education from 1982–2014. During her tenure, she served as board president more than 10 times, was president of Orange County School Boards Association, president of California County Boards of Education, on CSBA’s Delegate Assembly, and on the Annual Conference Committee for CSBA. Liz currently works for Orange Coast College as the foundation’s development specialist. In addition, she also serves as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Samueli Academy Charter School, which serves grades 7–12 and offers an innovative and student-centered choice for their education that includes on-site housing for foster youth who need a stable living environment in order for them to excel academically.
What are some best practices to build an effective superintendent and board relationship?
Coworker greeting with elbow touches to avoid spreading covid by hand
Dear Boardwise,

How does professional development grow the leadership of the board?

class act Best practices in action

class act
Best practices in action
CSBA's Golden Bell Awards Winner logo
class act
Best practices in action
CSBA's Golden Bell Awards Winner logo
Farm-to-school program helps students grow life skills
From virtual cooking lessons to at-home seed kits, Oxnard Union High School District’s 2020 Golden Bell Award-winning Farm to School program adapted well to teaching during the pandemic. However, with students and staff expected to make a full return to in-person instruction come fall, everyone is ready to get their hands dirty once again.

The program planted roots at the Southern California district in 2016 after roughly a year of planning, according to Farm to School Coordinator Anna Jackson. With a large agricultural population in the area, student voices inspired the formation of the program, which prioritizes nutrition, school gardens, locally grown food and leadership.

“They basically said that they wanted this program and more fresh fruits and vegetables and school gardens, so that put the wheels in motion for us to come in and create the program,” Jackson recalled. “I’m proud of our district and how much it values student input.”

Headshot of Rebecca Starkins
csba at issue
By Rebecca Starkins
Ringing the late-start time bell
S

igned into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2019, Senate Bill 328 (Portantino, D-Pasadena) requires that, by the 2022–23 school year, districts implement bell schedules that begin no earlier than 8:30 a.m. for high schools and 8 a.m. for middle schools.

The law does provide an exemption for “rural districts” but has not yet provided a definition for the term. Also of note, schools that serve both elementary and middle school students (K-8) are also exempt from the law. This column explores how Beverly Hills High School fulfilled the requirement and thoughtfully implemented a new bell schedule based on student need and stakeholder input.

Moving to a new bell schedule is a district decision, under board direction, that is designed to put student needs first, fulfill a desire to switch to a block schedule and fulfill the mandate in Senate Bill 328. In addition, one of the culture objectives in Beverly Hill Unified School District’s strategic plan is to “implement a new bell schedule that builds in daily dedicated time to address the needs of the developing district culture” and “build in time to address ethics, empathy, and emotional health through collaboration and communication.”

Dr. Darshana Patel
Dr. Marian Kim Phelps
from the field
By Dr. Darshana Patel and Dr. Marian Kim Phelps
Dr. Darshana Patel
Dr. Marian Kim Phelps
from the field
By Dr. Darshana Patel and Dr. Marian Kim Phelps

One district’s journey toward racial equity and inclusion

The Poway Unified School District is an award-winning TK-12 school district in the northern suburbs of San Diego, serving 36,500 students in 39 schools.

Dr. Darshana Patel serves on the Poway USD Board of Education and is the current president of the San Diego County School Boards Association:

It was May 2020, the pandemic was still in its early stages here in the U.S., and we were all navigating distance learning and drive-thru celebrations. Candidly speaking, any equity and anti-bias work our district had initiated over the last couple years had taken a back seat to figuring out how to completely reinvent how we educate our students. As a board, we were meeting via Zoom, grappling with extremely difficult decisions and ever-changing public health guidance about when and how to reopen our campuses.

Member Profile: Adam Escoto Trustee, Morgan Hill USD title

How long have you been a board member and what inspired you to run?
On Jan. 23, 2019, the Morgan Hill Unified School District Board appointed me to fill the trustee-area vacancy representing District 7. Two years later I ran for the seat unopposed. My inspiration was that trustee area 7 mirrored my life experiences with its high concentration of children on free and reduced-price lunch and its large population of Latino children and families. As a former K-12 site administrator and assistant superintendent, I believed I brought a unique perspective that would complement the school district’s governance body, a perspective that has enabled me to effectively reach out to and collaborate with a broad spectrum of individuals and groups in our community.

How have your past experiences shaped the way you view California’s educational system?
As a student I used education to change my life. I am a product of the state’s foster care system. I was placed in many foster homes, too many to keep count, from the age of 10 until I aged out at 18. In the early years of foster care, I struggled in school both academically and socially. I was involved in gang activities and felt completely disengaged from the three middle schools and seven high schools that I attended.

While in high school I learned about the importance of school and community partnerships when a local nonprofit reached out to the city’s high schools recruiting Latino students for a youth leadership program. This unique partnership was the foundation for recognizing and honoring my racial and cultural identity. Then and now I believe these partnerships should be the norm in supporting students. Early in my career as a site administrator I recognized that schools partnering with community-based organizations was an effective way of engaging the whole community to strengthen student and family resiliency.

Who was one adult you looked up to growing up and why?
One day during my sophomore year of high school I was introduced to Mr. Sanchez, my new social worker. He was tall, skinny, wore glasses, a suit and tie, and was my first and only Latino social worker. For a long while, I was not very trusting nor communicative with Mr. Sanchez. With time, however, I realized that Mr. Sanchez would be the adult that I would look up to, admire and respect. He was my advocate, consultant and a broker of resources. Mr. Sanchez helped me understand and accept that not all of my “streetwise survival skills” were going to transition well in school settings and that a new set of skills were essential to my success in school and in navigating my life journey.

What is one important thing you have learned from attending CSBA’s Masters in Governance courses?
The most important thing that I have learned in MIG is the distinction between the terms and practices of “governance” and “good governance.” Governance describes a process of decision-making and the process by which decisions are implemented or not. Good governance, on the other hand, add elements of equity and social justice, stakeholder inclusion, strategic thinking, accountability and fairness. Many of these elements, I believe, are also those that support social learning and lead to resilient school communities.

Read Adam’s full interview on the CSBA blog at blog.csba.org/profile-adam-escoto
Would you like to participate in an upcoming Member Profile? Contact us at editor@csba.org.
Member Profile: Adam Escoto Trustee, Morgan Hill USD title
Adam Escoto

How long have you been a board member and what inspired you to run?
On Jan. 23, 2019, the Morgan Hill Unified School District Board appointed me to fill the trustee-area vacancy representing District 7. Two years later I ran for the seat unopposed. My inspiration was that trustee area 7 mirrored my life experiences with its high concentration of children on free and reduced-price lunch and its large population of Latino children and families. As a former K-12 site administrator and assistant superintendent, I believed I brought a unique perspective that would complement the school district’s governance body, a perspective that has enabled me to effectively reach out to and collaborate with a broad spectrum of individuals and groups in our community.

How have your past experiences shaped the way you view California’s educational system?
As a student I used education to change my life. I am a product of the state’s foster care system. I was placed in many foster homes, too many to keep count, from the age of 10 until I aged out at 18. In the early years of foster care, I struggled in school both academically and socially. I was involved in gang activities and felt completely disengaged from the three middle schools and seven high schools that I attended.

While in high school I learned about the importance of school and community partnerships when a local nonprofit reached out to the city’s high schools recruiting Latino students for a youth leadership program. This unique partnership was the foundation for recognizing and honoring my racial and cultural identity. Then and now I believe these partnerships should be the norm in supporting students. Early in my career as a site administrator I recognized that schools partnering with community-based organizations was an effective way of engaging the whole community to strengthen student and family resiliency.

Who was one adult you looked up to growing up and why?
One day during my sophomore year of high school I was introduced to Mr. Sanchez, my new social worker. He was tall, skinny, wore glasses, a suit and tie, and was my first and only Latino social worker. For a long while, I was not very trusting nor communicative with Mr. Sanchez. With time, however, I realized that Mr. Sanchez would be the adult that I would look up to, admire and respect. He was my advocate, consultant and a broker of resources. Mr. Sanchez helped me understand and accept that not all of my “streetwise survival skills” were going to transition well in school settings and that a new set of skills were essential to my success in school and in navigating my life journey.

What is one important thing you have learned from attending CSBA’s Masters in Governance courses?
The most important thing that I have learned in MIG is the distinction between the terms and practices of “governance” and “good governance.” Governance describes a process of decision-making and the process by which decisions are implemented or not. Good governance, on the other hand, add elements of equity and social justice, stakeholder inclusion, strategic thinking, accountability and fairness. Many of these elements, I believe, are also those that support social learning and lead to resilient school communities.

Read Adam’s full interview on the CSBA blog at blog.csba.org/profile-adam-escoto
Would you like to participate in an upcoming Member Profile? Contact us at editor@csba.org.
Navigating the Great Return: A more traditional, but still uncertain, back-to-school experience expected for fall
S
tudents across California were already back in classrooms by early July, catching up on credits and participating in expanded learning opportunities after more than a year of disruption.

With summer instruction well underway, local educational agencies waited to hear from state leaders about COVID-19-related safety requirements for the fall.

At the time of this writing, the California Department of Public Health was still requiring all individuals, vaccinated or not, to wear a mask while indoors at school campuses, child care facilities and other youth-centered settings per its June 15 public health order.

by Heather Kemp
clipart of students raising there hands wearing masks in a classroom
B
y Aug. 11, CDPH had issued a state public health order, “Vaccine Verification for Workers in Schools,” (https://bit.ly/3iXwCKw) requiring school workers to either provide proof of full vaccination or undergo weekly COVID-19 testing. The order was to be fully implemented by Oct. 15, 2021. The department had already made it clear that masks should continue to be worn while indoors at all K-12 campuses in addition to the implementation of other safety measures, such as testing and proper ventilation (https://bit.ly/3y2lct8).

“Masks are one of the most effective and simplest safety mitigation layers to prevent in-school transmission of COVID-19 infections and to support full time in-person instruction in K-12 schools,” the department stated.

Bringing
Justice
Home
As state-run juvenile justice centers close, county offices are ready to support students with compassion and community resources
by Alisha Kirby
Yesenia was just a child when she, her mother and her siblings illegally returned to the U.S. to reunite with her father. Shortly after, Yesenia’s father lost his job, and began abusing substances and sexually molesting her. She and her mother filed a police report in Manteca. Yesenia and her brother joined a gang when she was in middle school. That gang affiliation created tension on her campus, which was also populated by members of a rival gang. Sometime later, it became clear that Yesenia was expected to bring her younger sister into the gang as well. She refused, so she and her brother frequently moved for safety reasons, and school officials lost track of her.
Bringing Justice Home
Bringing
Justice
Home
As state-run juvenile justice centers close, county offices are ready to support students with compassion and community resources
by Alisha Kirby
Yesenia was just a child when she, her mother and her siblings illegally returned to the U.S. to reunite with her father. Shortly after, Yesenia’s father lost his job, and began abusing substances and sexually molesting her. She and her mother filed a police report in Manteca. Yesenia and her brother joined a gang when she was in middle school. That gang affiliation created tension on her campus, which was also populated by members of a rival gang. Sometime later, it became clear that Yesenia was expected to bring her younger sister into the gang as well. She refused, so she and her brother frequently moved for safety reasons, and school officials lost track of her.
Y

esenia’s story is one of many that advocates and those who work with young people point to when discussing the necessity of moving away from punitive measures for adolescent crime and toward practices and interventions that promote healing, both for young people and their communities.

“I think people still maintain very black and white notions of who’s deserving of redemption or second chances. But something that we need to be considering is that, in many cases, when did they even get their first chance?” asked Renee Menart, communications and policy analyst for the Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice. She explained that a young person dealing with a lack of basic necessities and exposure to trauma often also lack caring and supportive relationships. “When a young person does unfortunately come into contact with the justice system, [we can] give them an opportunity to connect with people in their community and to grow with some support.”

Shedding the legacy of segregation in our schools - article title
By Kimberly Sellery
In 1965, 5-year-old Ida Green participated in an integration effort in the Sausalito-Marin City School District stemming from a California Department of Education finding that the district’s schools were segregated.

Today, Green is board president of the Sausalito-Marin City School District, which is once again under desegregation orders, this time from former California Attorney General Xavier Becerra in an August 2019 ruling.

Shedding the legacy of segregation in our schools - article title
By Kimberly Sellery
In 1965, 5-year-old Ida Green participated in an integration effort in the Sausalito-Marin City School District stemming from a California Department of Education finding that the district’s schools were segregated.

Today, Green is board president of the Sausalito-Marin City School District, which is once again under desegregation orders, this time from former California Attorney General Xavier Becerra in an August 2019 ruling.

Neighborhood and children
It

is abundantly clear we are not the only district with issues related to segregation. This desegregation order is a full circle moment for me,” Green said. “I had no control of the course of action as a child, but today I am in a unique position to lead the school community to take corrective actions and be more accountable to the greater community, especially the ones who matter most — the children.”

a conversation with…
Cindy Marten
Prior to her confirmation as U.S. Deputy Education Secretary in May, Cindy Marten served eight years as superintendent of the San Diego Unified School District, as principal for 10 years and as a classroom teacher for 17 years. The Biden administration has cited Marten’s work as principal of Central Elementary School in City Heights and San Diego USD’s above-average graduation rates and growth in reading test scores as reasons for her nomination. And Education Secretary Miguel Cardona has commended her work in San Diego during the pandemic, during which students received laptops and 20 million free meals and the district provided free school COVID-19 testing.
Cindy Marten
Just one month after her confirmation, Marten spoke to CSBA about her preparation for her new role, the difficulties of a remote transition and long- and short-term goals.
Going from a district superintendent to U.S. Deputy Education Secretary is quite the jump. How do you think your previous roles as a superintendent and a principal have prepared you for this?

I’m not a stranger to jumps. When I became superintendent in 2013, I’d been an elementary school principal, so at that time that was considered quite the jump as well. I will say that as a superintendent, you’re a manager, and when I became superintendent there were 16,000 employees in San Diego Unified — it’s really that work over the past eight years that has prepared me for the chief operating officer functionalities of the role that I’m playing now as deputy secretary at the U.S. Department of Education.

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