Winter 2023
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Winter 2023
CSBA Quarterly logo
Winter 2023
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California Schools Logo
Volume 81, Number 2
Winter 2023

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
digital ink illustrations of a rice dish and an avocado half against a green background

Innovative farms, from-scratch cooking and local produce shine in districts ensuring all students can access healthy, delicious food

by Alisha Kirby

a monochromatic blue graphic figure of a child pointing up

Dual enrollment as a lever for equity

by Kimberly Sellery

a minimal vector sketch of a classroom against a dark blue background

Finding funding and addressing ever-evolving needs

by Heather Kemp

departments
CEO’s note
by Vernon M. Billy
5
Legal insights
by Kristin Lindgren
7
BoardWise
by Sepideh Yeoh, Monika Moulin and Rosemary Kamei
9
CSBA at issue
by Will McCoy
13
From the field
by Lorrie Owens
17
Member profile
Interview with Joanna Paun
19
A conversation with…
CSBA President Susan Markarian
49
A headshot photograph of Vernon M. Billy smiling
CEO’s note

by Vernon M. Billy

There is no time like the present for California students
T

he ancient philosopher Theophrastus was a pupil of Aristotle’s and succeeded his mentor as leader of the Lyceum, the academy Aristotle founded in Athens. In addition to his work as a philosopher, Theophrastus was also a botanist, a biologist and a physicist. Theophrastus made the most of the time available to him and is famous for stating, “Time is the most valuable thing a man can spend.”

Hourglass on a paved, street road in daytime.

I agree wholeheartedly with this assessment. So, as educators, we must consider not only how we are spending our own time, but how that impacts the beneficiaries of our professional endeavors, California students.

Where do the children of this state spend most of their time, and the overwhelming share of their waking hours? In school. The average American spends 13 years in school, or about 16 percent of their lifespan. That’s a substantial amount of time and it’s far too valuable to spend ineffectively. So, as the stewards of public schools, how are we making the most of it? What long-term trends can we identify to improve our practice, and will we take the time to implement new solutions in a way that makes sense for our local circumstances? No one knows the local community better than those who work, live and go to school there every day — so no one has more responsibility for continuous improvement that makes a tangible difference for our students.

CSBA 2023 board of directors

Frank Magarino
Region 1, Del Norte County USD
Sherry Crawford
Region 2, Siskiyou COE
David Gracia
Region 3, Napa Valley USD
Renee Nash
Region 4, Eureka Union SD
Alisa MacAvoy
Region 5, Redwood City ESD
Jackie Wong
Region 6, Washington USD
James Aguilar
Region 7, San Leandro USD

Christopher “Kit” Oase
Region 8, Ripon USD
Roger Snyder
Region 9, Scotts Valley 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
Bruce Dennis
Region 18, Riverside COE
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
Jan Baird
Region 24, South Whittier ESD

Chris Clark
Director-at-Large African American,
Folsom-Cordova USD
Christina Cameron-Otero
Director-at-Large American Indian,
Needles USD
Sylvia Leong
Director-at-Large Asian/Pacific Islander,
Cupertino Union SD
Michael Teasdale
Director-at-Large County, Riverside COE
Joaquín Rivera
Director-at-Large Hispanic, Alameda COE
Gina Cuclis
CCBE President, Sonoma 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
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
A portrait headshot photograph of Kristin Lindgren smiling

legal insights

by Kristin Lindgren

Board members’ use of social media scrutinized

Court holds that blocking members of the public violates First Amendment
I

n Garnier v. O’Connor-Ratcliff, a case of first impression, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals held in July 2022 that two members of the Poway Unified School District Board of Education had violated the First Amendment rights of two members of the public when they blocked them from their official Facebook and Twitter accounts. (The trustees have requested that the United States Supreme Court grant an appeal to them on this case.)

These free speech and social media issues are slowly making their way through the courts, and in many ways, Facebook, Twitter and other social media is still the “Wild West” of the legal world. Board members should take notice of this case because it is the precedent that future courts in California will rely on, and it provides some guideposts for board members who use social media to inform and engage their constituents.

California Schools logo

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

President
Susan Markarian, Pacific Union ESD

President-elect
Albert Gonzalez, Santa Clara USD

Vice President
Dr. Bettye Lusk, Monterey Peninsula USD

Immediate Past President
Dr. Susan Heredia, Natomas 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
Headshot of Sepideh Yeoh
Monika Moulin Headshot
A portrait headshot photograph of Rosemary Kamei smiling
BoardWise
BY SEPIDEH YEOH, MONIKA MOULIN AND ROSEMARY KAMEI

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.

Supporting a disengaged board member
Dear Boardwise: What are some best practices to support fellow board member who is disengaged from the work of the board?

Sepideh: “Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.” – Aristotle

Connecting on a personal level is key in strengthening engagement at the board level. You may be asking how to connect on a personal level while being mindful of the Brown Act? The solution is simple, do not discuss district/board business. The main goal of connecting on a personal level is to get to know your colleagues. However, before you can connect with your fellow trustees (and as the quote by Aristotle reminds us), you need to get to know yourself on a deeper level and identify the following:

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
Ruben S. Ayala High School CTE Engineering Academy Pathway
S

ince 2015, Ayala CTE Engineering Academy, part of the Chino Valley Unified School District and Baldy View Regional Occupational Program, has grown from one class with 35 students to a four-year Project Lead the Way Engineering Pathway with approximately 190 students per year and 30 career technical education completers each year.

The Golden Bell-winning, project-based STEM [science, technology, engineering and math] program has increased female participation in the engineering pathway by 50 percent. Since 2018, 89 percent of all eligible students have received college credit. In the fall of 2022, 96 percent of the program’s seniors will be attending college, with the remainder entering trade schools.

“I feel our engineering and architecture pathway as structured provides students several years to create an essential roadmap toward a field of interest,” said Michael S. Collins, Baldy View ROP and Ayala High School engineering and design instructor. “We often discuss how there is no one size fits all — it is about giving them options.”

headshot of Will McCoy
csba at issue
by Will Mccoy
Key questions when expanding school behavioral and mental health services
A

s a superintendent, it was my responsibility to maximize services to all students, but my resources (people, systems and budget) did not always align with identified needs. It is a recurring challenge: how do we expand our capabilities in a way that strengthens our student programs in both the short and long term?

This was, and is, especially true when considering student behavioral and mental health. To guide our thinking, I would ask four questions of my leadership team. These questions are especially pertinent now as districts have an unprecedented opportunity to enhance these programs through the Elementary and Secondary Schools Emergency Relief (ESSER) funding and the $4.5 billion in funding available through Gov. Gavin Newsom’s “Master Plan for Student Mental Health” initiative.

The following are questions that leaders should be asking to help build effective behavioral and mental programs for their students.

A portrait headshot photograph of Lorrie Owens smiling

from the field

by Lorrie Owens

Five tips to protect your LEA’s data

C

ybersecurity is one of those topics that falls into the same category as writing a will or going to the dentist — you know it is something that must be addressed, but you’d rather deal with it later. That is the approach many K-12 entities have taken towards cybersecurity preparedness.

A digital illustrative representation of numerous secured key locks signifying cybersecurity

And, for many years, it worked. The financial industry, healthcare and even higher education have been hammered by cybersecurity bad actors for years. But now their attention has turned to K-12, and for good reason.

First, as student data moved from cumulative folders to the digital space, cybercriminals realized the treasure trove of information we have in our systems. Student records are easily sold on the dark web to people who steal identities for a living. With all the information available on students from our systems, all it takes is the changing of one digit in the student’s year of birth, and you now have an identity that can be compromised for years without anyone knowing. The Social Security numbers of minors cannot be monitored for credit purposes, not even by their parents. Thus, the first time a student may realize his or her identity has been stolen may occur only when he or she applies for a job, a student bank account or completes a FAFSA [Free Application for Federal Student Aid]. A student’s information may have been compromised for up to 10 years by that point.

"Member Profile Joanna Paun board president, Petaluma City Schools"
CSBA Golden Gavel Awards logo
What is at the forefront of your decisions as a board?
Equity is what drives all of our decisions. Student outcomes should not be predicted by their race, socioeconomic status, zip code, etc. And anything that we as trustees can do to identify and address these systemic issues is well worth the effort. Our students deserve us to keep equity at the forefront of our decisions.

What is an accomplishment you’re most proud of in your time on the board?
A few I’m proud of are adding three student board members, expanding access to menstrual products before it was required by the state and increasing communication with the community. We hold “office hours” at all school campuses once a semester. We have had teachers, parents, grandparents and students come and talk with us. We also produced an equity study in the 2021–22 school year to identify equity gaps and we are currently using the data to address and start to close the opportunity gap.

Why is it important to include student voice and what have you learned from your student board members?
It’s critical to have student voices since each item we vote on affects them. Some things we may not have known about include [challenges related to] changes to our bell schedule, the hybrid schedule coming back from COVID, [and] how important mental health ties into gun safety and overall school safety.

What inspired you to become a school board member, and what motivates you to keep going?
What inspired me was what I heard from so many in our town — that they felt like there was a lack of communication and representation on the school board. I wanted to be an advocate for students and families whose voices were not being heard. Our town is roughly 25 percent people of color and 1 percent Black; the makeup of the board was not reflective of the community and our district. When I was elected in 2018, I became the first Black elected official in Petaluma! Students are what motivate me. Going into classrooms, attending student events, visiting campuses and seeing and interacting with students.

How does your experience in college counseling influence your view on governance?
I view school counseling as advocacy. School counselors should be advocating for students and helping them have equitable access to school services. Some examples: class placement, enrolling in higher-level classes (AP and honors), racial and social justice, helping them express what’s important to them either in a 1:1 session, to a peer, a teacher, etc. I see being a trustee as not just advocating for a set group of students who may be on my caseload, but for all students in the Petaluma City Schools District.

Would you like to participate in an upcoming Member Profile? Contact us at editor@csba.org.
"Member Profile Joanna Paun board president, Petaluma City Schools"
Joanna Paun
What is at the forefront of your decisions as a board?
Equity is what drives all of our decisions. Student outcomes should not be predicted by their race, socioeconomic status, zip code, etc. And anything that we as trustees can do to identify and address these systemic issues is well worth the effort. Our students deserve us to keep equity at the forefront of our decisions.

What is an accomplishment you’re most proud of in your time on the board?
A few I’m proud of are adding three student board members, expanding access to menstrual products before it was required by the state and increasing communication with the community. We hold “office hours” at all school campuses once a semester. We have had teachers, parents, grandparents and students come and talk with us. We also produced an equity study in the 2021–22 school year to identify equity gaps and we are currently using the data to address and start to close the opportunity gap.

Why is it important to include student voice and what have you learned from your student board members?
It’s critical to have student voices since each item we vote on affects them. Some things we may not have known about include [challenges related to] changes to our bell schedule, the hybrid schedule coming back from COVID, [and] how important mental health ties into gun safety and overall school safety.

What inspired you to become a school board member, and what motivates you to keep going?
What inspired me was what I heard from so many in our town — that they felt like there was a lack of communication and representation on the school board. I wanted to be an advocate for students and families whose voices were not being heard. Our town is roughly 25 percent people of color and 1 percent Black; the makeup of the board was not reflective of the community and our district. When I was elected in 2018, I became the first Black elected official in Petaluma! Students are what motivate me. Going into classrooms, attending student events, visiting campuses and seeing and interacting with students.

How does your experience in college counseling influence your view on governance?
I view school counseling as advocacy. School counselors should be advocating for students and helping them have equitable access to school services. Some examples: class placement, enrolling in higher-level classes (AP and honors), racial and social justice, helping them express what’s important to them either in a 1:1 session, to a peer, a teacher, etc. I see being a trustee as not just advocating for a set group of students who may be on my caseload, but for all students in the Petaluma City Schools District.

Would you like to participate in an upcoming Member Profile? Contact us at editor@csba.org.
Creating Universal School Meals typography

By Alisha Kirby

Innovative farms, from-scratch cooking and local produce shine in districts ensuring all students can access healthy, delicious food

The clatter of plastic trays.
The grumbling of hungry bellies.
A palpable excitement not for the beige, barely edible items about to be consumed, but for the promise of recess. Lunch time in public schools, once more of a chore than a respite, is being transformed in California through shifts in policy, increased funding and innovation in local districts, where leaders are getting creative with menus and much more.

Progress has largely been driven by the pandemic, which spotlighted both the growing severity of childhood food insecurity and the role school meal programs play as part of the solution. Data released in September 2022 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service showed food insecurity rates among children across race and ethnicity dropped between 2020 and 2021 when universal school meals were implemented nationwide.

digital illustration of a clipart human following an arrow, with a large gap to overcome to keep going

Closing the college-going gap

Dual enrollment as a lever for equity
By Kimberly Sellery
Dual enrollment provides opportunities for high school students to enroll in college courses. It is linked to higher rates of high school completion, college readiness, attendance and academic achievement, according to research. Studies have also found connections between dual enrollment and higher levels of college enrollment and completion.

Dual enrollment opportunities range from students who take college courses independently, also called concurrent enrollment, to early college high schools to formal agreements between colleges and school districts enabled by laws adopted in the last 10 years.

Online Learning Can Help with Teacher Shortages

BY: DR. LOUIS ALGAZE, PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF FLEXPOINT EDUCATION CLOUD AND FLORIDA VIRTUAL SCHOOL
O

ne educational challenge that has been weighing heavily on administrators around the nation is teacher shortages and staff retention overall.

One educational challenge that has been weighing heavily on administrators around the nation is teacher shortages and staff retention overall. According to a poll from the National Education Association earlier this year, more than half of teachers say they’re thinking about quitting. And although other reports have noted that the turnover rate has not changed dramatically in these past two years, a story in the Wall Street Journal points to 300,000 public school teachers and staff leaving the field. The reasons? Staff shortages that result in additional workload for those who decide to stay, political debates, and safety.

It’s difficult to read news from around the nation and know that education leaders, teachers, students, and families are struggling. Which is why I want to help provide a solution — so that every student’s needs are met, teachers feel supported and appreciated, and we can retain the incredible instructional talent that is out there. My solution? Online learning.

Fighting for facilities
Finding funding and addressing ever-evolving needs
By Heather Kemp
K-12 facilities play an undeniably important but often overlooked role in society.
The COVID-19 pandemic is a prime example of how public school campuses are centers of not only learning, but also of community, which are sorely missed by more than just students and staff when they’re closed.

After school and on weekends, Oxnard Union High School District in Southern California’s Ventura County, like many local educational agencies, has traditionally lent its facilities for use by area youth and adult sports teams as well as for community meetings or service events.

“[The pandemic] brought more of a focus and reminded us how vital our facilities are to our communities, families and students,” said school Oxnard Union HSD Board Vice President Elizabeth Botello. “When we were closed for COVID, we still kept getting calls weekly about wanting our facilities to open to support the community.”

a conversation with…

Susan Markarian

Headshot of Susan Markarian
CSBA President Susan Markarian has been a trustee in the Pacific Union Elementary School District since 1985. Markarian’s nearly four decades of board experience include deep engagement with local organizations as well as on a statewide level with CSBA. She has been a director of the Fresno County School Trustees Association since 1989, spent 12 years as a CSBA Delegate and for the past 18 years has been a CSBA Regional Director representing Fresno, Kings, Mariposa and Madera counties. Markarian has served as CSBA’s Governmental Relations chair, chair of its Annual Education Conference and sat on its Small Schools Advisory Council, and Finance and Board Development committees. Markarian has also been a member of CSBA’s English Language Learner Task Force, and the Policy Platform, Nominating, Reform and Restructuring, and Budget committees.
a conversation with…
Susan Markarian
CSBA President Susan Markarian has been a trustee in the Pacific Union Elementary School District since 1985. Markarian’s nearly four decades of board experience include deep engagement with local organizations as well as on a statewide level with CSBA. She has been a director of the Fresno County School Trustees Association since 1989, spent 12 years as a CSBA Delegate and for the past 18 years has been a CSBA Regional Director representing Fresno, Kings, Mariposa and Madera counties. Markarian has served as CSBA’s Governmental Relations chair, chair of its Annual Education Conference and sat on its Small Schools Advisory Council, and Finance and Board Development committees. Markarian has also been a member of CSBA’s English Language Learner Task Force, and the Policy Platform, Nominating, Reform and Restructuring, and Budget committees.
Headshot of Susan Markarian
Can you tell us a little about your background, including your own K-12 education and professional experience?
I still live in the same rural farming community that I grew up in, five miles away from where I lived as a child. My father was a mechanic, my mother taught kindergarten for 40 years in the same elementary school I attended. I spent a lot of time in her classroom helping, worked on projects at home for her kindergarten kids and determined very early on I did not want to be a teacher. It was a stressful job that took tons of patience that as a young child I didn’t think I would have.
a woman in casual business attire stands with her arms folded, a shadow behind her flexes its biceps

Did your legislator

stand up for typography

local governance?

by teresa machado

After two years of limitations on the number of bills considered, the Legislature came roaring back in early 2022 with a mountain of legislative and budget proposals that had been set aside during the early days of the pandemic. Between the Senate and the Assembly, this legislative year saw more than 2,300 new bills proposed and over 1,400 measures sent to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk for approval.

Of course, only a fraction of these bills will affect education — and with that in mind, it’s time now for CSBA’s annual look at how your senators and assemblymembers voted on key legislation impacting public schools.

How we scored your legislators

To evaluate each legislator’s vote records, CSBA scored their favorable vote percentage on a total of 25 bills. Each of these bills are measures that CSBA sponsored, actively supported or actively opposed in 2022.

THANK YOU

to the 2022–23 CSBA Business Partners and Business Affiliates.
CSBA Business Partner Logo

Barber & Barber Associates, Inc.

CA School Management Group

Crisp Imaging

CSBA Legal Services

Dale Scott & Company

DCG Strategies

Demsey, Filliger & Assoc.

LexisNexis

Life Wings

McPherson & Jacobson LLC

Myers Stevens & Toohey (MST)

Nicole Anderson and Associates Consultants, LLC

Orrick, Herrington, & Sutcliffe LLP

PARS

Piper Sandler

R-Zero

Redistricting Partners

School Business Services of California, Inc.

The Maclean Group

THLight Global

Total School Solutions

U.S. Bank Global Corporate Trust Services

Congratulations

to CSBA’s Masters in Governance® Class of 2022!

More than 2,000 board members and superintendents have participated in CSBA’s highly acclaimed Masters in Governance® program.

CSBA’s Masters in Governance (MIG)® program equips board members and superintendents with the knowledge and skills to build and support and effective governance structure.

The following graduates have successfully completed the 2022 virtual MIG program, gaining essential knowledge for being in effective governance team member.

Adelanto ESD
Stephanie Webster

Antioch USD
Antonio Hernandez

Azusa USD
Yolanda Rodriguez-Pena

Banning USD
Laura Troutman

Bellflower USD
Bonnie Carter
Mayra Garza
Renita Armstrong
Tracy McSparren

Brea Olinda USD
Brinda Leon
Deana Miller
Paul Ruiz

Castro Valley USD
Dolly Adams

Chawanakee USD
Elisabeth Parish
Marcy Guthrie

Chula Vista USD
Leslie Bunker

Cloverdale USD
Ashley Lopus White
Gabriela Mendoza-Torres
Jacque Garrison

Covina-Valley USD
Elizabeth Eminhizer

Cucamonga SD
Joyce Kozyra

Cutler-Orosi Joint USD
Margie Salazar

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Thanks for reading our Winter 2023 issue!