Fall 2022
CSBA research reveals how LEAs are using COVID relief funds
by Heather Kemp
A historical look at Kennedy v. Bremerton School District
by Maryela Martinez and Dana Scott
Suburban districts provide a snapshot of statewide struggles and tailored solutions
by Alisha Kirby
by Vernon M. Billy
by Keith Bray
by Luan Rivera, Monika Moulin and Chuck Weis
by Dennis Meyers
by Patricia Lane
Interview with Patrice Stanzione
Daisy Gonzales
by Vernon M. Billy
lbert Einstein, a man whose name is synonymous with genius, believed that “intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death.” Renowned self-help author Brian Tracy said “continuous learning is the minimum requirement for success in any field.” What both men, the scientist and the writer, recognized is that excellence is never static. Inertia is the enemy of innovation and to master a craft, one must keep searching for knowledge.
Reversing the damage caused by the pandemic is not the work of a year or two, it will be a generational effort requiring an unprecedented allocation of resources and a historic level of collaboration across all sectors of society. If we treat this work with the urgency it deserves, we can turn this period into a transformative moment and develop a school system that works for all students. This can’t happen, however, without introspection and a willingness to challenge ourselves. We must leave our comfort zone and seek out new information and different approaches that are suited for this unique time.
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
James Aguilar
Region 7, San Leandro HSD
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
Susan Henry
Region 15, Huntington Beach Union HSD
Karen Gray
Region 16, Silver Valley USD
Region 17, Solano Beach SD
Wendy Jonathan
Region 18, Desert Sands USD
Devon Conley
Region 20, Mountain View Whisman SD
Tanya Ortiz Franklin
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
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
Michael Teasdale
Director-at-Large County, Riverside COE
Joaquín Rivera
Director-at-Large Hispanic, Alameda COE
Joe Ross
CCBE President, San Mateo COE
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
James Aguilar
Region 7, San Leandro 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
Susan Henry
Region 15, Huntington Beach Union HSD
Karen Gray
Region 16, Silver Valley USD
Debra Schade
Region 17, Solano Beach SD
Wendy Jonathan
Region 18, Desert Sands USD
Vacant
Region 20
Tanya Ortiz Franklin
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
Michael Teasdale
Director-at-Large County, Riverside COE
Joaquín Rivera
Director-at-Large Hispanic, Alameda COE
Joe Ross
CCBE President, San Mateo COE
legal insights
Stepping by things decided
merica’s federal judiciary is presided over by the nine justices of the Supreme Court. Since 1935, the Court has been located across from the U.S. Capitol and its west steps lead to an entrance that faces the historic Capitol dome. It’s unfortunate that these majestic rows of marble steps, in reaction to recent decisions by the Roberts Court, have been fenced off for security reasons.
Chief Information Officer
Troy Flint, tflint@csba.org
Editorial Director
Kimberly Sellery, ksellery@csba.org
Marketing Director
Andy Rolleri, arolleri@csba.org
Staff Writers
Heather Kemp, hkemp@csba.org
Alisha Kirby, akirby@csba.org
Director of Graphic Design and Branding
Kerry Macklin, kmacklin@csba.org
Senior Graphic Designer
Amanda Moen, amoen@csba.org
Circulation and Advertising
csba@csba.org
CSBA OFFICERS
Dr. Susan Heredia, Natomas USD
President-elect
Susan Markarian, Pacific Union ESD
Vice President
Albert Gonzalez, Santa Clara USD
Immediate Past President
Xilonin Cruz-Gonzalez, Azusa USD
CEO & Executive Director
Vernon M. Billy
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.
by Luan Rivera, Monika Moulin and Chuck Weis
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.
Dear Boardwise: How can boards leverage the annual organizational meeting to further the goals of the local educational agency?
Luan: December is always a busy time of year for everyone. This is certainly true for everyone involved in school districts and county offices of education, including board members. One important event that happens every year is the board’s organizational meeting. This event is more impactful during election years.
class act Best practices in action
Best practices in action
Best practices in action
Nordhoff High School Dance
arely does one consider dance as an option when thinking of career technical education pathways, yet at Ojai Unified School District’s Nordhoff High School, students who graduate from the Golden Bell Award-winning Nordhoff Dance program leave equipped with a strong work ethic, creativity, critical thinking, collaboration and communication skills.
“There are plenty of students who may not go into a career in the arts despite studying within the Arts, Media and Entertainment industry sector. However, students who study the arts within the scope of a CTE program will be the kind of humans, ideally, that people want to hire,” said Kim Hoj, the school’s dance and choreography teacher.
Surveys of alumni show that while many pursue creative paths such as concert or commercial dance, choreography, becoming K-12 or studio dance teachers, acting or directing, others have gone on to work as educators, school counselors, physical therapists, personal trainers and more.
his year’s state budget was a historic moment in many ways. For CSBA, the reversal of 40 years of disinvestment in California’s home-to-school transportation program represents one of the sweetest victories in recent memory.
Many said it couldn’t be done, but alongside our partners at the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA), CSBA’s fierce advocacy — which included many local meetings with legislators initiated by our own members — delivered a budget that will provide millions more California students the chance to ride a bus to school. Here’s how it happened.
lack educator trends reveal there is a need for an increase in Black teachers. Black male teachers in Kern County account for 1.7 percent of the teaching population (as of 2020). The overall percentage of Black educators in Kern County is 5.6 percent.
The Black Educator Teacher Residency Program, also known as BETR, was established in 2021. The intent of the program is to populate the California landscape with more educators of color. Since Black educators comprise such a small percentage of the teaching population, BETR strives to provide more Black educators to be positive role models for all students. The National Center for Education Statistics states that when students have teachers whose race reflects the students they serve, student achievement, attitude and motivation are positively impacted.
I was initially appointed for 15 months back in 2014–15. As an elected official, I’ve served since 2018. My inspiration comes from wanting to better the lives of our community, starting with the children. Education truly improves lives.
Who was one adult you looked up to as a child and why?
My mother, as she was unselfishly devoted to service and giving back to the community. She modeled everything that we all could be to help make this a better place.
Who inspires you as an adult?
My prior teachers, the memories of my parents and each and every one of my students. Seeing the potential in my students leads me to do as much as I can to see that they reach that potential. The possible positive impact on them inspires me!
How does growing up in the district and being a current teacher [in Hacienda La Puente USD] affect how you approach governance?
It’s everything. As a 67-year resident, I understand the needs of my fellow residents. As a teacher, I understand the demands of education and how it can positively impact my community. I believe in my little corner of the world.
The Princess Bride by William Goldman. While the book includes romance, comedy, tragedy, adventure, pirates and the like, its theme is that life is not fair. It’s a hard lesson. As an eternal optimist, I must remember this.
How is morale in your district among staff and students and what is the board doing to improve or maintain it?
The morale has been a challenge historically. The movement towards a positive morale won’t come in an instant, as it is developed over years and years. I do believe that we, under new leadership, are on the right track now.
I was initially appointed for 15 months back in 2014–15. As an elected official, I’ve served since 2018. My inspiration comes from wanting to better the lives of our community, starting with the children. Education truly improves lives.
Who was one adult you looked up to as a child and why?
My mother, as she was unselfishly devoted to service and giving back to the community. She modeled everything that we all could be to help make this a better place.
Who inspires you as an adult?
My prior teachers, the memories of my parents and each and every one of my students. Seeing the potential in my students leads me to do as much as I can to see that they reach that potential. The possible positive impact on them inspires me!
How does growing up in the district and being a current teacher [in Hacienda La Puente USD] affect how you approach governance?
It’s everything. As a 67-year resident, I understand the needs of my fellow residents. As a teacher, I understand the demands of education and how it can positively impact my community. I believe in my little corner of the world.
The Princess Bride by William Goldman. While the book includes romance, comedy, tragedy, adventure, pirates and the like, its theme is that life is not fair. It’s a hard lesson. As an eternal optimist, I must remember this.
How is morale in your district among staff and students and what is the board doing to improve or maintain it?
The morale has been a challenge historically. The movement towards a positive morale won’t come in an instant, as it is developed over years and years. I do believe that we, under new leadership, are on the right track now.
lush with one-time funds, local educational agencies have been tasked with charting a path to best use the billions of dollars in COVID relief funds they’ve received before each round of money sunsets.
So far, California school districts are indicating that they’re on track with spending, even with persisting challenges such as staffing shortages and burnout, supply chain issues, concerns about funding programs with one-time funds and navigating reporting requirements.
An added layer of pressure in the unprecedented situation is scrutiny from local and national media and members of the public looking to examine where every cent is going and publicize expenses perceived as unfit. While accountability is crucial and welcome, the notion that LEAs are holding onto every penny like Scrooge McDuck isn’t.
To offer a well-rounded view of relief spending that can be used as a resource by all interested parties (no central database currently exists), CSBA CEO and Executive Director Vernon M. Billy identified the need to conduct research on the topic to provide districts with information early on.
Advertorial
In an effort to prepare, districts have successfully begun prefunding their Other Post-Employment Benefits (“OPEB” or retiree health benefits) and/or their pension costs through an irrevocable trust. These trusts allow a district to set aside funds for these critical obligations while potentially providing relief to the General Fund during difficult times.
ongress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”
The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent opinion in Kennedy v. Bremerton School District (142 S. Ct. 2407 (2022)) has catapulted both clauses into the national spotlight. In its highly fact-driven decision, the Court determined that a high school football coach, Joseph Kennedy, was protected by the Free Exercise Clause when he knelt at midfield after games to offer prayer of thanks. As a result, school board members and administrators are grappling with how this pivotal decision applies to their schools and what prayer activities are akin to the type of prayer the Court found did not violate the Establishment Clause in Kennedy. To understand the impact of this case and where it may lead, a review of the Court’s treatment of school prayer through the years is crucial.
2021 report from the University of California, Davis’ California Education Lab found that suburban schools have been undergoing significant shifts in demographics in recent years. But while suburbia is more diverse than ever before, no two suburban districts are exactly alike.
Among the nearly 300 suburban local educational agencies included in the report, the percent of Latino students ranges from less than 1 percent to 99 percent of any given district’s student body. The proportion of students who are English learners varies from less than 1 percent to 62 percent, and students who are eligible for free and reduced-price meals range from 1 percent to 95 percent.
Suburban districts also vary drastically in size. Ventura Unified School District has about 15,000 students compared to Elk Grove USD’s approximately 63,000, while Auburn Union School District’s enrollment is just over 1,500 students.
What these three districts do have in common is relatively rare: all three LEAs hover around the percentage threshold of unduplicated students that makes or breaks their ability to collect concentration grant funding under California’s Local Control Funding Formula to support high-need students.
During my time as deputy chancellor, students across all groups and regions of California have seen improved outcomes. The number of students earning a college credential increased by 27 percent and the number of students earning transfer preparation associate degrees more than doubled. I am excited to continue our work to develop clear pathways for students, increase certificate and degree attainment, continue to improve transfer rates and, most importantly for our state’s economy, remain laser focused on closing equity gaps. To succeed, we will continue to put students first. This means that at the core of our design and decision-making are our students.