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CSBA’s #SOSforStudentAchievement legislative package sailed through the Senate Education Committee on June 24, bringing California one step closer to finally addressing one of the education system’s most pressing problems — the lack of alignment and coherence between the many state agencies that oversee public education at the state level. The bill package is designed to transform the state’s system of education governance by focusing more squarely on supporting local educational agencies in closing achievement gaps, creating a more coherent and aligned state system, and using data-based outcomes to guide budget and policy decisions. Learn more about the legislation at csba.org/studentachieve…. Thank you to LEA leaders including CSBA President and Solana Beach SD Board Vice President Dr. Debra Schade, CSBA Region 6 Director and El Dorado Union HSD trustee Jessicca Rodgers, Winters Joint USD Superintendent Rody Boonchouy, @WUSDK12 Superintendent Cheryl Hildreth and Santa Clara County Board of Education Vice President Jessica Speiser who were present to testify on behalf of the bills!

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Reclassification of students designated as English learners is a critical process governed by state policies that mandate using multiple criteria to ensure fairness and accuracy. However, while these policies aim to create equitable pathways for reclassification, discrepancies in local implementation can present barriers for students, according to a recent report by @edpolicyinca. Learn more: blog.csba.org/reclassifying-…

“We need to change how we're operating in California so that all of our students can learn … at grade level or higher and have the same opportunities when they graduate high school — no matter where they come from, no matter what their upbringing is, no matter where they live in California,” says CSBA Region 6 Director and El Dorado Union High School District trustee Jessicca Rodgers. CSBA's #SOSforStudentAchievement campaign calls for a state-level operations and support plan to address the state accountability gap — a crucial first step in helping local educational agencies close the achievement gap. The SOS for Student Achievement legislative package delivers: 🔹Clear statewide accountability: A state operating plan with measurable goals and benchmarks 🔹Better support for districts: Shifting the state's role from compliance monitor to partner in improvement 🔹Less bureaucracy, more impact: Reductions to overlapping mandates that consume too much time from district administrators 🔹Aligned strategy and resources: Budgets, policies and priorities working toward the same goals 🔹Continuous learning and improvement: Independent evaluation and a public performance dashboard It's time to pass AB 2225, AB 2149, AB 2202 and AB 2514, which will be heard June 24 by the Senate Education Committee. CSBA members should be able to watch the committee’s livestream, but we’ll provide updates after as well! Learn more about the campaign at csba.org/studentachieve….

About half of adults think their local public schools are doing an excellent or good job in preparing students for jobs and the workforce, according to a recent survey of Californian’s views on education conducted between March 26 and April 3 by @PPICNotes. The results provide a snapshot of how voters feel about the direction public education is headed and various policies affecting local schools, as well as the challenges faced by the state’s TK-12 education system. Read more insights: blog.csba.org/ppic-survey-26/

On a warm spring day in the Central Valley, students gathered to play baseball at the ballpark. They might not have been able to sign up for the team if it weren’t for the partnership Caruthers USD established with the local league and some neighboring districts. In exchange for lower registration costs, the district of nearly 1,700 students provides landscaping services to other participating schools. In small and rural districts across the state, leaders rely on creative strategies to provide resources in areas where size or geographic isolation could otherwise limit opportunities for students. At a recent convening of CSBA’s Small School Districts Advisory Workgroup, members brainstormed approaches for building community partnerships. The group, comprising LEAs with an ADA of under 2,500 students, meets monthly to discuss timely topics. In this meeting, the group shared strategies and insights because they recognized that small and rural LEAs may find it difficult to forge these partnerships due to a lack of access to nonprofits and other agencies. Read insights: blog.csba.org/small-district…

CSBA has published a trio of new literacy-related resources and Principal Research Manager Angela Asch is here to explain what they cover and their practical uses! Access the resources now: csba.org/policybriefs

This is not a drill! The Legislature adopted the Governor’s proposal to intentionally underfund schools by $3.9 billion and approved shifting preschool programs that are not run by LEAs into Proposition 98, setting up future conflicts between those providers and LEAs over scarce Prop 98 dollars. Advocacy is still needed to oppose these actions. Learn more and send a letter to the Governor and your legislators opposing the manipulation: ow.ly/WWcQ50ZeEmY This development came on June 15, when the Assembly and Senate passed their agreed upon budget plan for 2026–27. However, it does not reflect everything that Gov. Gavin Newsom wants, setting the stage for negotiations between the Governor and the Legislature as they work toward the final budget. Some potential bright spots for education include the 4.31% COLA for LCFF (partially intended to pay for the proposed 14 weeks of paid pregnancy disability leave for school employees), an increase to Necessary Small Schools funding by 20% to reflect the cost pressures faced by very small schools (a victory for CSBA advocacy), $2.4 billion ongoing for special education funding, a $5.2 billion discretionary block grant and more.

A recent webinar hosted by @educationweek and SchoolStatus highlighted attendance strategies that helped Arvin Union School District improve its attendance with a 43% reduction in chronic absenteeism. In the 2024–25 school year, Arvin Union SD had a chronic absenteeism rate of 15% percent; in the 2025–26 year, it’s 8.5% — with one elementary school lowering their rate by 60%. “Every absence has a story. Arvin Union built a system to uncover it.” blog.csba.org/arvin-union-at…

CSBA's #SOSforStudentAchievement campaign is calling for a state-level operations and support plan rooted in support, not just compliance. AB 2225, AB 2149, AB 2202 and AB 2514 — part of the associated legislative package — will be heard June 24 by the Senate Education Committee. These bills will address the current lack of state accountability by: 🔹 Establishing a state-level operations plan with real goals 🔹 Aligning budgets and policies 🔹 Requiring independent evaluation of what's working and what isn’t 🔹 Developing a public dashboard measuring state progress “We need to look beyond just our own districts. We need to look beyond even just our own regions. Looking at a statewide plan actually enhances performance outcomes for all students, and it closes the gap for the entire state,” says Sylvia Leong, CSBA Director-at-Large, Asian/Pacific Islander and Cupertino Union School District board clerk. Learn more at csba.org/studentachieve….

Want to help promote civic engagement on your campus? 🎒 Register your school for the 2026 California Student Mock Election! 🗳️ ✍️

On June 11, the National Center for Education Statistics released the 2025 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reading and mathematics scores for the nation’s 9- and 13-year-olds. These scores come from NAEP’s Long-Term Trend (LTT) Assessment, administered every four years to a nationally representative sample of 9-, 13- and 17-year-old students across the U.S. The most recent release showed positive results for 9-year-olds, with stagnant scores in both reading and math for 13-year-olds (the assessment for 17-year-olds was not funded in 2025 by the U.S. Department of Education). Student test scores and education governance have gained nationwide attention with the release of several reports throughout the spring calling for greater alignment and coherence to support student outcomes, including test scores. These results point to the need to critically examine how the education system, particularly at the state level in a time of federal retrenchment, is currently serving students, an aim of CSBA’s #SOSforStudentAchievement campaign. Read a full recap of the LTT assessment: blog.csba.org/naep-long-term…

A new white paper from Learning.com and @WhitebdAdvisor found that at least 39 states have passed legislation restricting student cellphone use since 2023, but interviews with superintendents, state education technology directors, researchers and practitioners suggest banning or limiting the use of these devices on school grounds should be a first step. While device restrictions can reduce distractions during school hours, they don’t equip students with the skills they need to manage attention, social pressure or “algorithm-driven content” outside the classroom. Currently, while most state education leaders have adopted cellphone restrictions or are considering them, only 60% reported that their state is also supporting digital citizenship education for students. blog.csba.org/cellphone-bans…

CSBA is looking for student performers to take the stage during General Sessions on Dec. 3 and 4 at the Annual Education Conference and Trade Show in San Diego! Groups of all performance styles and traditions are encouraged to apply now through June 24. Find guidelines, the application form and other important AEC-related info: ow.ly/IqAK50ZctRi

Marking the start of two weeks of intensive negotiations, the Legislature passed a state budget June 15 with higher revenue projections than those proposed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, providing several billion dollars in additional spending for TK-12 and community colleges in 2026–27. Several other significant issues remain unresolved. Chief among them is the $3.9 billion in education funding that Newsom would withhold until revenue projections — mainly tax receipts from taxpayers’ investments in artificial intelligence stocks — come true. Education groups including CSBA are threatening to sue over the delay. Education groups including CSBA are also unhappy about another financial and structural shift suggested by the Legislature, to move all funding for the California State Preschool Program into Prop 98. The preschool program, which provides free preschool for 3- and 4-year-old children from families who make less than 80 percent of the state median income, is provided by school districts, private nonprofits and community colleges. Currently, only the funding for school district preschools (about $2 billion) is under Prop 98, while funding for nonprofit and community college preschools (about $800 million) comes from the general fund. The proposal drew ire from the school boards association, which said it would hurt funding for TK-12th graders over time. “The result would be simple and devastating: the same funding guarantee would be stretched across more students and programs, reducing per-pupil resources for school districts and county offices of education,” reads the statement from CSBA. “Early learning is essential and deserves strong, stable and dedicated funding. No one disputes that. Yet, Sacramento cannot fund one essential priority by weakening another.” #statebudget #prop98 edsource.org/2026/californi…

As we celebrate Pride Month, it's important to center how the LGBTQ+ population is feeling. According to results from an annual survey by Glisten (formerly @GLSEN), about 2/3 of LGBTQ+ students reported feeling unsafe because of their identity in the 2024–25 school year. Many LGBTQ+ youth reported that their school climate felt more hostile due to the current political landscape. “At a moment when young people’s identities are being debated and restricted, this study speaks truth to a menacing power,” wrote Glisten CEO Melanie Willingham-Jaggers. “We share this to make space for their brilliance and their dreams. To educators, families, and policymakers: LGBTQ+ students are telling us what they need. The question is whether we are willing to listen and to build schools that don’t just tolerate them, but actively affirm and protect their right to learn and belong.” blog.csba.org/pride-2-26/

In a demonstration of unity, California’s leading education organizations representing administrators, classified employees, county superintendents, parents, school board members, school business officials and teachers convened on the West Steps of the State Capitol on May 21 to urge the Legislature to reject Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposal to withhold $3.9 billion owed to public schools. “It’s not just $3.9 billion, even though that’s a tremendous amount of money, what we’re confronting is an existential threat to the way that we fund public schools here in California,” CSBA Chief Information Officer Troy Flint said. “That is resources that our kids won’t have, and those are opportunities they will never receive. A dollar delayed is a dollar denied.” @ACSA_info @WeAreCTA @CaliforniaPTA @CFTunion @CACountySupts @CSEA_Now @seiucalifornia edsource.org/2026/californi…

At just 17-years-old, Zachery Ramos saw a need to fill and legacies to honor through the creation of the Gustine Traveling Library. What began as a small project to honor the sacrifices of his father — an immigrant from Portugal who sacrificed his own academic ambitions to further those of this children — and a tribute to his late brother, the traveling library has just hit a milestone by distributing its 350,000th free book to youth in underprivileged communities. Now a board member with the Gustine Unified School District, a district located in Merced County with 1,583 students, Ramos was able to grow the program by leaps and bounds with the support of fellow board members and the community at large. Small school districts face unique challenges like limited resources and staff but still must deliver on large expectations. They also hold a powerful advantage: deep community connections and the ability to make a big impact fast. CSBA is recognizing the work of these small but mighty districts through the Small Schools, Big Ideas blog series. Learn more about the Gustine Traveling Library and other innovations taking place in small districts across the state: blog.csba.org/category/schoo…

In the final days of budget negotiations, a new and alarming threat to Proposition 98 has emerged: a proposal to fold the non-school based provider portion of the state’s preschool program into the same Prop 98 allocations that have traditionally supported TK–14 public schools. On June 11, leaders of the California State Senate and Assembly jointly announced a budget plan that both includes a new provision to fund non-school based preschool providers in the California State Preschool Program under Prop 98 and retains the previously announced withholding of $3.9 billion from public schools. The Legislature is expected to consider the budget plan when it returns from the weekend break on June 15, so the opportunity for public discussion of this major change to school funding and redirection of Prop 98 funds from public schools is beyond limited. Learn more and contact the Governor and your legislators to denounce this threat to Prop 98: blog.csba.org/new-attack-on-…