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Title of article
Reimagining school safety in the wake of more tragedy
Winter 2020
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CSBA Logo
Title of article
Reimagining school safety in the wake of more tragedy
Winter 2020
California Schools Logo
Volume 79, Number 2
Winter 2020
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
The back of a police officer drawn with chalk

Reimagining school safety in the wake of more tragedy

by Alisha Kirby

Little girl looking sad

Schools take on convergence of anxieties in uncertain times

by Andrew Cummins

A mask on top of a backpack

LEAs share innovations, challenges and successes

by Kimberly Sellery

departments
CEO’s note
by Vernon M. Billy
5
Legal insights
by Elaine Yama-Garcia
7
BoardWise
by Teri Vigil and Dave Haubert
9
CSBA at issue
By Christina Hecht
13
From the field
By Peter Livingston and Tom Courtney
17
Member profile
Interview with Laurie Fong
19
A conversation with…
Suzanne Kitchens, CSBA President-elect
53
Bill Vernon headshot
CEO’s note
by Vernon M. Billy
This was their finest hour
S

tudents of history are familiar with Winston Churchill’s “Finest Hour” speech. Churchill had just assumed the role of prime minister at a time of great peril for the United Kingdom. The Nazis had completed their invasion of France — and much of Europe — in stunning fashion and were now turning their attention to Britain. With spirits low and war imminent, Churchill addressed the House of Commons in June of 1940.

In an attempt to boost the morale of Parliament and the nation, Churchill reflected on the difficult victory achieved by Allied forces in World War I. “During that war we repeatedly asked ourselves the question, ‘How are we going to win?’ and no one was able ever to answer it with much precision, until at the end, quite suddenly, quite unexpectedly, our terrible foe collapsed before us.”

In conclusion, Churchill implored his nation to meet the great challenge before saying, “Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves, that if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, ‘This was their finest hour.’”

CSBA 2020 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
Paige Stauss
Region 4, Roseville Joint Union HSD
Alisa MacAvoy
Region 5, Redwood City ESD
Darrel Woo
Region 6, Sacramento City USD
Yolanda Peña Mendrek
Region 7, Liberty Union HSD
Matthew Balzarini
Region 8, Lammersville Joint USD
Tami Gunther
Region 9, Atascadero USD
Susan Markarian
Region 10, Pacific Union ESD
Jackie Moran
Region 11, Ventura ESD
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
Donald E. LaPlante
Region 24, Downey USD
Bettye Lusk
Director-at-Large African American,
Monterey Peninsula USD
Crystal Martinez-Alire
Director-at-Large American Indian,
Elk Grove USD
Gino Kwok
Director-at-Large Asian/Pacific Islander,
Hacienda La Puente USD
Bruce Dennis
Director-at-Large County, Riverside COE
Joaquín Rivera
Director-at-Large Hispanic, Alameda COE
Janet Wohlgemuth
CCBE President, Monterey 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
Paige Stauss
Region 4, Roseville Joint Union HSD
Alisa MacAvoy
Region 5, Redwood City ESD
Darrel Woo
Region 6, Sacramento City USD
Yolanda Peña Mendrek
Region 7, Liberty Union HSD
Matthew Balzarini
Region 8, Lammersville Joint USD
Tami Gunther
Region 9, Atascadero USD
Susan Markarian
Region 10, Pacific Union ESD
Jackie Moran
Region 11, Ventura ESD
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
Donald E. LaPlante
Region 24, Downey USD
Bettye Lusk
Director-at-Large African American,
Monterey Peninsula USD
Crystal Martinez-Alire
Director-at-Large American Indian,
Elk Grove USD
Gino Kwok
Director-at-Large Asian/Pacific Islander,
Hacienda La Puente USD
Bruce Dennis
Director-at-Large County, Riverside COE
Joaquín Rivera
Director-at-Large Hispanic, Alameda COE
Janet Wohlgemuth
CCBE President, Monterey COE
Elaine Yama-Garcia headshot

legal insights

by Elaine Yama-Garcia

LEAs need relief from special education lawsuits

W

hat does the future hold for students with disabilities and the local educational agencies that are unable to provide each and every student with special education and related services pursuant to their individualized educational program during an unprecedented crisis?

There are currently conflicting federal and state mandates regarding the matter — federal law mandates a free and appropriate education (FAPE) and the state has mandated the majority of schools remain closed due to the pandemic. So, schools are left in a conundrum of how to provide FAPE with campuses closed, limited resources, limited methodologies, limited technology, limited funding or even because of absolute impossibility in some cases. What’s left? Well, it appears it’s a lawsuit by parents, with no immediate assistance from the Legislature or courts.

California Schools logo

Chief Information Officer
Troy Flint, tflint@csba.org

Managing Editor
Kimberly Sellery, ksellery@csba.org

Marketing Director
Serina Pruitt, spruitt@csba.org

Staff Writers
Andrew Cummins, acummins@csba.org
Alisha Kirby, akirby@csba.org

Graphic Design Manager
Kerry Macklin, kmacklin@csba.org

Senior Graphic Designer
Mauricio Miranda, mmiranda@csba.org

Circulation and Advertising
csba@csba.org

CSBA OFFICERS

President
Xilonin Cruz-Gonzalez, Azusa USD

President-elect
Suzanne Kitchens, Pleasant Valley SD

Vice President
Dr. Susan Heredia, Natomas USD

Immediate Past President
Dr. Emma Turner, La Mesa-Spring Valley SD

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
Teri Vigil headshot
Dave Haubert headshot
BoardWise
by Teri Vigil and Dave Haubert
Teri Vigil headshot
Dave Haubert headshot
BoardWise
by Teri Vigil and Dave Haubert

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. This year, in addition to our column regulars, Deb Dudley; Steve Ladd, Ed.D; Arati Nagaraj; Luan Burman Rivera; Teri Vigil and Sepideh Yeoh, we are welcoming new consultants to the column. This issue introduces Dave Haubert, the former president and member of the Dublin Unified School District Board of Trustees for 10 years, and is also the city’s mayor. He currently serves as a faculty member for the CSBA Masters in Governance program. In addition, he provides training to new and experienced board members across the state through CSBA’s Orientation for New Board Members and Board Presidents Workshops.

The necessity and benefits of community engagement

Dear Boardwise,

How might we, as trustees, build community engagement to best serve the needs of our students?

Teri: Recently, I had the pleasure of facilitating a CSBA professional learning network. We engaged districts from across the state that were demographically diverse with small, medium and large student populations in rural and urban areas. We spent a good percentage of our time discussing best practices in community and parent engagement.

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
Not your everyday career tech program
The next generation of firefighters and first responders are already getting rigorous, hands-on training in Santa Clara County
Of all the career technical education programs in the country, few are likely as unique or intensive as the Metropolitan Education District’s Silicon Valley Career Technical Education Fire Science/First Responder program in Santa Clara County.

Students who complete the approximately 540-hour program leave with experience working directly with firefighting professionals, and dealing with biological and chemical hazards, safety issues, the science behind fire behavior, wildland firefighting, resource management, urban planning and firefighting, the use of fire safety equipment and numerous other industry standards.

Christina Hecht Headshot
csba at issue
By Christina Hecht
Supporting school meals during COVID-19 and beyond
After uncertainty created by a U.S. Department of Agriculture announcement that school meal waivers put in place during the initial pandemic response in the spring would be extended only through Dec. 31, 2020, an agreement on a continuing resolution to extend government funding through Dec. 11 included authorization for the USDA to extend the school meal program waivers that have ensured millions of children remain fed during school closures caused by the pandemic. On Oct. 9, the USDA extended waivers that allow Summer Food Service Program and Summer Seamless Option meals to be served in all areas and at no cost to students; permit meals to be served outside of the typically required group settings and meal times; waive meal pattern requirements, as necessary; and allow parents and guardians to pick up meals for their children.
Teacher and Student in the classroom wearing masks
from the field
By Peter Livingston and Tom Courtney
Pandemic slows but can’t stop Lucerne Valley USD
Lucerne Valley Elementary was one of the first public schools in the state to open for in-class instruction
T

he Lucerne Valley Unified School District was on a roll. Our students were thriving with new programs such as AVID, Cadet Corps and career tech at the Lucerne Valley Middle/High School; a new STEM Lab, Next Gen Math and Lexia Reading programs at the elementary school; district enrollment numbers had increased by 23 percent in just a few years; and test scores were rising.

Then, in March, the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and our schools — along with most others in California — were suddenly closed for in-school learning.

Although initially we were disappointed — devastated, actually — our district leadership team headed by Superintendent Peter Livingston, Assistant Superintendent Nate Lambdin and School Board President Tom Courtney got to work. We quickly realized we had to accept a new reality and find innovative ways to keep our students learning, and somehow, we had to get them back to where they truly thrive as learners — the classroom.

Member Profile Laurie Fong

What inspired you to become a school board member? What was your path to get here?
“On purpose.” That is my theme. It means being deliberate about what I believe to be correct action for the good of all and what I can contribute. This is why I first chose to be a teacher. It thrilled me to be the facilitator of learning for adolescents. How could I create the richest environment for their discovery and agency? Then, I chose to enter administration and became a high school principal, also on purpose, to better create a larger and stronger environment for powerful teaching and learning. Now, as a school trustee, it is about creating policies for an equitable and robust environment for ALL to learn and thrive: this includes adults, students and families, and our community.

What is one major concern you hope to alleviate as a board member?
I am grounded in teaching and learning and school systems from my years as a teacher and principal. I see the institutional practices that have become barriers to student engagement and learning. This is the work now: transform archaic systems that serve only a fraction of the student population, that we now see as antithetical to equity. As a current coach of new administrators, I only wish I knew then what I know now! Board work is policy work; policy work determines administrative direction and this creates the teaching and learning environment.

List three books that have left a lasting impression on you.
I consult this at least monthly: The Governance Core by Davis Campbell and Michael Fullan. It helps me keep my eye on the ball as a board member. Then, as we imagine learning, I share this book with everyone I can: What School Could Be, by Ted Dintersmith. Finally, Ishmael, by Daniel Quinn. I return to this periodically to check my perspective. It is transformational.

Santa Rosa City Schools experienced massive fires in 2018. What advice do you have for board members to be better prepared for such an emergency?
We are fortunate to have a strong superintendent who used her broad and deep skills to navigate our response to the fires, and our continuing not-normal times. Overall, the same bedrock habits serve: honesty, transparency, clear and frequent communication, and excellence in all working systems. These traits serve positive working relationships with our unions, effective communication with our families and strong community partnerships. Our board supports and directs all of this and we are of one message. Coherence is vital and we are driven by our mission, vision and strategic priorities — we call it our MVP.

What effect can school board members have on their communities?
As a lifelong educator, it is my privilege and responsibility to call us in (not out) to recognize how our precious public schools must serve all of our students. This, of course, is the equity lens, and it requires that we dig and dive deeply into the systems that comprise school: Who goes to which schools? Who takes which courses? How do we assess? Grade? Assign homework? Treat kids? Place students? Use time in the day and in the year? Which schools have bigger budgets and why? Who has a voice? Who do we listen to the most?

As we surface these questions, we provide a strong learning environment for our stakeholders to assess their schools in meaningful ways, and be partners in transformative change, including grassroots political action. Recent events have provided the moral imperative to pivot: strong governance teams can and must lead our communities. On purpose. Together.

Would you like to participate in an upcoming Member Profile? Contact us at editor@csba.org.
Member Profile Laurie Fong
Member Profile Laurie Fong

What inspired you to become a school board member? What was your path to get here?
“On purpose.” That is my theme. It means being deliberate about what I believe to be correct action for the good of all and what I can contribute. This is why I first chose to be a teacher. It thrilled me to be the facilitator of learning for adolescents. How could I create the richest environment for their discovery and agency? Then, I chose to enter administration and became a high school principal, also on purpose, to better create a larger and stronger environment for powerful teaching and learning. Now, as a school trustee, it is about creating policies for an equitable and robust environment for ALL to learn and thrive: this includes adults, students and families, and our community.

What is one major concern you hope to alleviate as a board member?
I am grounded in teaching and learning and school systems from my years as a teacher and principal. I see the institutional practices that have become barriers to student engagement and learning. This is the work now: transform archaic systems that serve only a fraction of the student population, that we now see as antithetical to equity. As a current coach of new administrators, I only wish I knew then what I know now! Board work is policy work; policy work determines administrative direction and this creates the teaching and learning environment.

List three books that have left a lasting impression on you.
I consult this at least monthly: The Governance Core by Davis Campbell and Michael Fullan. It helps me keep my eye on the ball as a board member. Then, as we imagine learning, I share this book with everyone I can: What School Could Be, by Ted Dintersmith. Finally, Ishmael, by Daniel Quinn. I return to this periodically to check my perspective. It is transformational.

Santa Rosa City Schools experienced massive fires in 2018. What advice do you have for board members to be better prepared for such an emergency?
We are fortunate to have a strong superintendent who used her broad and deep skills to navigate our response to the fires, and our continuing not-normal times. Overall, the same bedrock habits serve: honesty, transparency, clear and frequent communication, and excellence in all working systems. These traits serve positive working relationships with our unions, effective communication with our families and strong community partnerships. Our board supports and directs all of this and we are of one message. Coherence is vital and we are driven by our mission, vision and strategic priorities — we call it our MVP.

What effect can school board members have on their communities?
As a lifelong educator, it is my privilege and responsibility to call us in (not out) to recognize how our precious public schools must serve all of our students. This, of course, is the equity lens, and it requires that we dig and dive deeply into the systems that comprise school: Who goes to which schools? Who takes which courses? How do we assess? Grade? Assign homework? Treat kids? Place students? Use time in the day and in the year? Which schools have bigger budgets and why? Who has a voice? Who do we listen to the most?

As we surface these questions, we provide a strong learning environment for our stakeholders to assess their schools in meaningful ways, and be partners in transformative change, including grassroots political action. Recent events have provided the moral imperative to pivot: strong governance teams can and must lead our communities. On purpose. Together.

Would you like to participate in an upcoming Member Profile? Contact us at editor@csba.org.
Illustration
Title of article
Reimagining school safety in the wake of more tragedy
A September 2014 headline from the Los Angeles Times read: “LA schools police will return grenade launchers but keep rifles.”

For many, reading that headline was likely the moment they learned that the 405-officer Los Angeles School Police Department had 61 M16 assault rifles, three grenade launchers and a mine-resistant vehicle — all of which it had received from the Pentagon via its 1033 program, which permits the distribution of excess U.S. Department of Defense supplies and equipment to state, county and local law enforcement agencies.

By Alisha Kirby
Illustration
Title of article
Reimagining school safety in the wake of more tragedy
A September 2014 headline from the Los Angeles Times read: “LA schools police will return grenade launchers but keep rifles.”

For many, reading that headline was likely the moment they learned that the 405-officer Los Angeles School Police Department had 61 M16 assault rifles, three grenade launchers and a mine-resistant vehicle — all of which it had received from the Pentagon via its 1033 program, which permits the distribution of excess U.S. Department of Defense supplies and equipment to state, county and local law enforcement agencies.

By Alisha Kirby
F

amilies of Los Angeles Unified School District students and advocacy groups began to question why the district had military-grade weapons in the first place, and how they intended to use them. Within a few months of community outcry, department officials announced they had also returned the 14-ton mine resistant vehicle.

When it comes to the contentious issue of policing in schools, the spectrum of opinion is wide, but the desire is the same. Everyone wants to keep children safe but disagreements arise on how best to accomplish the goal. Some point to deadly school shootings and argue that such devastating events can be avoided by outfitting campuses with metal detectors and police. Others note that school shootings are still relatively rare, and having police at school creates a breeding ground for the daily criminalization of students, particularly children with disabilities and those of color.

young girl with list of important school dates behind her
The Mental Health Reckoning of 2020 typography
Schools take on convergence of anxieties in uncertain times typography
By Andrew Cummins
At the end of June, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention surveyed roughly 10,000 Americans about their mental health, finding symptoms of anxiety and depression were up sharply between March and June compared to the prior year. Despite all of the pressures facing adults, children seemed to be the hardest hit. In a national survey later in the summer, more than three in four school social workers reported that a majority of students at their schools needed serious mental health supports in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, school closures, economic hardship and a convergence of other factors.
Pink Open Quotation
Trauma has an impact on the brain’s ability to learn new material and retain it, so mental health support is not an extra. It’s a foundational element that helps ensure students learn and thrive.”
Mary Briggs, CSBA’s Director of Research and Education Policy Development.
hat was before a COVID-19 resurgence and future uncertainty saw many local educational agencies’ plans for a hybrid schedule approach — offering at least partial in-person instruction, relationships and a familiar setting for student support services — derailed. Many schools’ reliance solely on distance learning for additional weeks, if not months, to come has elevated mental health to a level of concern on par with that of learning loss and academics. The stakes are incredibly high, experts say.

“Learning is still happening. Our teachers and our educators are working tremendously hard to make learning happen,” said San Mateo County Office of Education board President Hector Camacho Jr. “But we are concerned about the long-term consequences of this community trauma that’s being experienced in these individual traumas.”

A
School
Year
Like
No
Other
LEAs share innovations, challenges and successes
By Kimberly Sellery
As California schools slowly begin to test the waters for reopening, the majority of the state’s students were still in distance learning mode in early October. While advocates at the state, local and national levels have been sounding the alarm over the digital divide since at least — and, in most cases, well before — March, when California schools were shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, lawmakers at the state and federal levels have done nothing meaningful to bridge the divide. Meanwhile, local educational agencies are working in real time to address the needs of every student — including those that need extra support, such as English learners and students with individualized education programs — whether instruction is through distance learning or in the classroom.
yellow backpack with a mask and school supplies inside
A School Year Like No Other
LEAs share innovations, challenges and successes
By Kimberly Sellery
As California schools slowly begin to test the waters for reopening, the majority of the state’s students were still in distance learning mode in early October. While advocates at the state, local and national levels have been sounding the alarm over the digital divide since at least — and, in most cases, well before — March, when California schools were shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, lawmakers at the state and federal levels have done nothing meaningful to bridge the divide. Meanwhile, local educational agencies are working in real time to address the needs of every student — including those that need extra support, such as English learners and students with individualized education programs — whether instruction is through distance learning or in the classroom.
LEAs

jumped into action with surveys to families asking about their technology needs when schools suddenly closed. The subsequent run on, and supply issues with, devices and hotspots are a testament to both the need and response from the state’s districts. Districts that had already implemented technology initiatives fared best, with a student/teacher population that was already outfitted with devices and familiar with learning online.

“LEAs large and small have shown fierce determination and incredible innovation in preparing for and beginning this school year,” said CSBA CEO & Executive Director Vernon M. Billy. “Whether schools are operating in distance learning or beginning to reopen for in-person instruction, we have seen thoughtful plans regarding not only academic, social-emotional and mental health supports at a time when the need is great, but also plans to give extra support to our most vulnerable students.”

Thank you

to the 2020–21 CSBA Business Partners and Business Affiliates.

Business Partners

U.S. Bank Global Corporate Trust Services

Dale Scott & Company

Orrick, Herrington, & Sutcliffe

Piper Jaffray & Co.

PARS

3E Company

Barber & Barber Assoc., Inc

School Business Services of California, Inc.

Demsey Filliger & Assoc.

Myers Stevens & Toohey (MST)

School Innovations & Acheivement (SI&A)

Total School Solutions

McPherson & Jacobson LLC

Associate Level

Adams Silva & McNally LLP

Aeries Software

Alliance Building Solutions

Alliance of Schools for Cooperative Insurance Programs

ATI Architects and Engineers

AVID

A-Z Bus Sales, Inc.

Balfour Beatty

Ball Frost Group

Best Best Krieger, LLP

Caldwell Flores Winters, Inc

Key Analytics, a division of California Financial Services

California School Employee Association

California Schools VEBA

NECA-IBEW

Orbach Huff Suarez & Henderson, LLP

Prker & Covert

PreFast Buildings

Probolsky Research

Ruhnau Clarke Architects

Sandy Pringle and Associates

Schools Excess Liability Fund

SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union

Self-Insured Schools of California-SISC

Silver Creek Industries, Inc.

Sodexo School Services

Sports for Learning

Staples Techology Solutions

Stradling, Yocca, Carlson & Rauth

Did your legislator
Stand Up
for local governance?
by Teresa Machado
In a typical two-year legislative session, more bills are passed in the second year than in the first. When the first year of the 2019–20 session saw a record-setting 1,341 bills sent to Gov. Gavin Newsom for his consideration, it seemed likely that 2020 would bring an even bigger avalanche of legislation. Instead, facing a shortened session marked by intermittent closures of the state Capitol, legislators greatly reduced the number of bills to focus on California’s most pressing needs during the COVID-19 crisis. Ultimately, just 513 bills found their way to the Governor’s desk for consideration.

Each year, CSBA presents an analysis of how your senators and assemblymembers voted on key legislation that will impact public schools. In an average year, each legislator’s record is scored on more than 50 bills. But the reduced scope of the 2020 session presented a dilemma that may sound familiar to educators who found themselves grading in a “new normal” this past spring. With just 11 key pieces of legislation to evaluate, could a scorecard give an accurate picture of legislators’ voting records?

Did your legislator
Stand Up
for local governance?
by Teresa Machado
In a typical two-year legislative session, more bills are passed in the second year than in the first. When the first year of the 2019–20 session saw a record-setting 1,341 bills sent to Gov. Gavin Newsom for his consideration, it seemed likely that 2020 would bring an even bigger avalanche of legislation. Instead, facing a shortened session marked by intermittent closures of the state Capitol, legislators greatly reduced the number of bills to focus on California’s most pressing needs during the COVID-19 crisis. Ultimately, just 513 bills found their way to the Governor’s desk for consideration.

Each year, CSBA presents an analysis of how your senators and assemblymembers voted on key legislation that will impact public schools. In an average year, each legislator’s record is scored on more than 50 bills. But the reduced scope of the 2020 session presented a dilemma that may sound familiar to educators who found themselves grading in a “new normal” this past spring. With just 11 key pieces of legislation to evaluate, could a scorecard give an accurate picture of legislators’ voting records?

Did your legislator
Stand Up
for local governance?
by Teresa Machado
In a typical two-year legislative session, more bills are passed in the second year than in the first. When the first year of the 2019–20 session saw a record-setting 1,341 bills sent to Gov. Gavin Newsom for his consideration, it seemed likely that 2020 would bring an even bigger avalanche of legislation. Instead, facing a shortened session marked by intermittent closures of the state Capitol, legislators greatly reduced the number of bills to focus on California’s most pressing needs during the COVID-19 crisis. Ultimately, just 513 bills found their way to the Governor’s desk for consideration.

Each year, CSBA presents an analysis of how your senators and assemblymembers voted on key legislation that will impact public schools. In an average year, each legislator’s record is scored on more than 50 bills. But the reduced scope of the 2020 session presented a dilemma that may sound familiar to educators who found themselves grading in a “new normal” this past spring. With just 11 key pieces of legislation to evaluate, could a scorecard give an accurate picture of legislators’ voting records?

With this challenge in mind, it’s time now for CSBA’s annual look at how your legislators voted.
How we scored your legislators:
CSBA scored each legislator’s favorable vote percentage on a total of 11 bills. Each of these bills are measures that CSBA co-sponsored, actively supported or actively opposed in 2020 and that received a full floor vote in both the Senate and the Assembly.
a conversation with…
Suzanne Kitchens, CSBA President-elect
Suzanne Kitchens is a trustee of the Pleasant Valley School District in Ventura County. Now in her 20th year as a school board member, Kitchens has been an active member of CSBA, serving as President-elect, member of the Delegate Assembly, and as a member of the Nominating, Legislative, Annual Conference, Board Development, Bylaws, Compensation Review and Education Legal Alliance committees. Kitchens, who is a tax accountant by trade, has also chaired CSBA’s Finance and Audit Committees and graduated from the association’s Masters in Governance program.
Suzanne Kitchens headshot
Can you tell us a little about your background, including your own K-12 education and professional experience?
I went to school at a public school in Los Angeles. I graduated public high school and went on to get a post-graduate public university education in Southern California. I have an MBA in management. I worked for a famous aerospace company here in Southern California as a financial analyst.
Statement of ownership, management and circulation
(Required by 39 U.S.C. 3685)
Title of publication
California Schools
Date of filing
9/28/2020
Frequency of issue
Quarterly
Number of issues published annually
4
Annual subscription price
$2 (member) $20 (nonmember)
Location of known office of publication
3251 Beacon Boulevard
West Sacramento, CA 95691
Location of the headquarters or general business offices of the publishers
3251 Beacon Boulevard
West Sacramento, CA 95691
Name and complete address of Editor in Chief
Troy Flint
3251 Beacon Boulevard
West Sacramento, CA 95691
Owner/Publisher
California School Boards Association
3251 Beacon Boulevard
West Sacramento, CA 95691
Known bondholders, mortgagees or other security holders owning or holding one percent or more of total amount of bonds, mortgagees or other securities
None
For completion of nonprofit organization authorized to mail at special rates
Has not changed during preceding 12 months
Extent and nature of circulation
Average no. copies each issue during preceding 12 months
no. copies of single issue published nearest to filing date
Extent and nature of circulation

a. Total no. copies (net press run)

Average no. copies each issue during preceding 12 months

11,200

Actual no. copies of single issue published nearest to filing date

11,200

b. Paid and/or requested circulation
Paid and/or requested circulation

Paid/requested outside-county mail subscriptions stated on Form 3541

Average no. copies each issue during preceding 12 months

10,494

Actual no. copies of single issue published nearest to filing date

10,401

Paid and/or requested circulation

Paid in-county subscriptions stated on Form 3541

Average no. copies each issue during preceding 12 months

38

Actual no. copies of single issue published nearest to filing date

38

Paid and/or requested circulation

Sales through dealers and carriers, street vendors, counter sales, and other non-USPS paid distribution

Average no. copies each issue during preceding 12 months

0

Actual no. copies of single issue published nearest to filing date

0

Paid and/or requested circulation

Other classes mailed through the USPS

Average no. copies each issue during preceding 12 months

0

Actual no. copies of single issue published nearest to filing date

0

Paid and/or requested circulation

c. Total paid and/or requested circulation

Average no. copies each issue during preceding 12 months

10,533

Actual no. copies of single issue published nearest to filing date

10,439

d. Free distribution by mail, carrier, or other means, samples, complimentary and other free copies
Free distribution by mail, carrier, or other means, samples, complimentary and other free copies

Outside-county as stated on Form 3541

Average no. copies each issue during preceding 12 months

0

Actual no. copies of single issue published nearest to filing date

0

Free distribution by mail, carrier, or other means, samples, complimentary and other free copies

In-county as stated on Form 3541

Average no. copies each issue during preceding 12 months

0

Actual no. copies of single issue published nearest to filing date

0

Free distribution by mail, carrier, or other means, samples, complimentary and other free copies

Other Classes Mailed through the USPS

Average no. copies each issue during preceding 12 months

0

Actual no. copies of single issue published nearest to filing date

0

Free distribution by mail, carrier, or other means, samples, complimentary and other free copies

Free distribution outside the mail

Average no. copies each issue during preceding 12 months

100

Actual no. copies of single issue published nearest to filing date

100

Free distribution by mail, carrier, or other means, samples, complimentary and other free copies

e. Total free distribution

Average no. copies each issue during preceding 12 months

100

Actual no. copies of single issue published nearest to filing date

100

Free distribution by mail, carrier, or other means, samples, complimentary and other free copies

f. Total distribution

Average no. copies each issue during preceding 12 months

10,633

Actual no. copies of single issue published nearest to filing date

10,539

Free distribution by mail, carrier, or other means, samples, complimentary and other free copies

g. Copies not distributed

Average no. copies each issue during preceding 12 months

567

Actual no. copies of single issue published nearest to filing date

661

Free distribution by mail, carrier, or other means, samples, complimentary and other free copies

TOTAL

Average no. copies each issue during preceding 12 months

11,200

Actual no. copies of single issue published nearest to filing date

11,200

Free distribution by mail, carrier, or other means, samples, complimentary and other free copies

Percent paid and/or requested circulation

Average no. copies each issue during preceding 12 months

100%

Actual no. copies of single issue published nearest to filing date

100%

I certify that the statements made by me above are correct and complete:
Kimberly Sellery, Managing Editor

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