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.

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.

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.

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.

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.