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-…

On June 11, CSBA President Dr. Debra Schade participated in a press conference hosted by @WeAreCTA in San Diego where students and educators called for the protection of constitutionally-guaranteed Proposition 98 funding in this year’s state budget — calling attention to the local impact the withholding would have. “To make the best decisions for kids, school boards need funding transparency, but this withholding introduces uncertainty for boards and instability for kids,” Schade, who also serves as a trustee is Solana Beach SD, said at the event. “As school board members who have to make tough budget decisions, the administration’s withholding forces us into terrible choices that result in fewer opportunities for students who already face enormous challenges.” CSBA leadership will continue to advocate for the full funding of Prop 98.

CSBA's #SOSforStudentAchievement campaign, which is calling for a state-level operations and support plan to address the issue as well as the state accountability gap, is vitally important in helping local educational agencies close the achievement gap. CSBA Delegate Jack Flynn of Region 3, who serves as board Vice President in @FairfieldSuisun, shares why more investment, while necessary, isn't enough on its own to ensure students graduate ready for their future. Learn more at csba.org/studentachievement.

Last month, CSBA President Dr. Debra Schade learned more about some of the incredible local programs and initiatives underway in @CalexicoUnified, Heber Elementary School District and @IUSD1 related to everything from robotics, dual immersion, student wellness and more!

Registration for CSBA’s Annual Education Conference and Trade Show (AEC) — the premier event for board members and other education leaders to connect and further their governance skills in California — is open now! Join us in San Diego from Dec. 3–5 for inspiring General Sessions, informative workshops and breakout sessions, and explore the Trade Show Floor! New and veteran trustees, superintendents, school business officials and board support professionals will come away from this conference with practical ideas and strategies to better support board governance and student outcomes. Register between June 9 and Aug. 11 to lock in the early rate: aec.csba.org/registration/

Using the latest data from the California Department of Education, a fact sheet recently released by Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE) examines trends in chronic absenteeism statewide through the 2024–25 school year. Learn more: blog.csba.org/chronic-absent…

In the final installment of the five-part CSBA County Board Handbook webinar series, happening at 11 a.m. on June 17, panelists will dive into one of the most important roles of a board trustee: advocacy and community engagement. Register: ow.ly/OfNJ50Z7Ovp Attendees will learn about their role in engaging with communities, advocating for students and building partnerships beyond the boardroom. Panelists include CSBA Chief of Governmental Relations Patrick O’Donnell; Legislative Director Chris Reefe; Director-at-Large, County Ramon Flores; and Region 14 Director Annette Lewis.

A May brief by @PPICNotes, “Accelerating English Learner Progress by Improving Reclassification,” offers 5 research-backed recommendations to improve the reclassification process and support student achievement. In California schools, current and former (also known as reclassified) English learner students comprised 1/3 of the K-12 population in 2025–26 — accounting for roughly 1.8 million young people. Students being reclassified too early can deny them services that are necessary to their academic development, while waiting too long can stunt progress as they lose out on access to higher-level coursework and can even hurt their self-esteem. “The reclassification process needs to balance support with rigor." blog.csba.org/el-reclassific…

Have you read the spring issue of California Schools yet? It includes articles on how LEAs are supporting foster youth, common issues in special education and how LEAs are addressing them with innovative solutions, and what education leaders should know about the evolving crime of sextortion. Explore the magazine: ow.ly/HRGN50Z0piV Additionally, it highlights the upcoming 250th anniversary of America’s founding and the importance of civics education, including a column on the topic from CSBA CEO & Executive Director Vernon M. Billy; CSBA’s Small School District Advisory Workgroup’s research and guidance on the role of the superintendent-principal; Westside Union ESD’s Extended Day Reading Intervention Program; insights on labor negotiations and more.

Compensation, school leadership and job and workplace satisfaction are factors associated with teacher turnover, according to a March @LPI_Learning report about teacher turnover in the U.S. The national rate of teacher turnover remains high, with 15% of teachers moving schools or leaving the profession between 2020–21 and 2021–22. According to the report, turnover rates were stable in the last two decades but are 27% higher than they were in the early 1990s. blog.csba.org/teacher-turnov…

Reminder: Nominations in all CSBA Golden Awards categories are due June 26! Learn more: awards.csba.org/ The Golden Awards honor the hard work and dedication of governing boards and LEA staff who create innovative programs that improve student achievement and well-being in the state’s preK-12 public schools. The Golden Bell Awards recognize outstanding programs and governance practices of school boards, the Golden Gavel Awards recognize individual school board members and governance teams who exemplify best practices in effective governance and boardsmanship, and the Golden Quill Awards celebrate the important role education journalists play in creating awareness in the community. Shout out to 2025 Board Member of the Year Suzie R. Swartz of @SVUSDSchools and the 2025 Governance Team of the Year from Napa Valley USD, pictured here!

A new report from Insightful Education Solutions examines whether states have the foundational conditions — well-structured pathways, reliable data, workforce alignment and public transparency — needed to credibly assess and improve their career technical education (CTE) programs. Despite the explosive expansion of CTE in recent years, the report finds that among all 50 states and the District of Columbia, pathway-level completion and outcomes data are frequently missing or inconsistent, as is assessment of workforce alignment and public transparency. blog.csba.org/data-and-cte/

May was another busy month for CSBA President Dr. Debra Schade! In addition to multiple visits to Sacramento for the Board of Directors and Delegate Assembly meetings and budget-related advocacy efforts, she attended a convening of the Los Angeles County School Trustees Association and toured sites in @CajonValleyUSD to learn about local programs.

Shine a spotlight on talented students at the 2026 CSBA Annual Education Conference and Trade Show! CSBA is looking for student performers to take the stage during General Sessions on Dec. 3 and 4 in San Diego for performances that will run approximately 8 to 10 minutes. Groups of all performance styles and traditions are encouraged to apply now through June 24. View guidelines and submit an app: aec.csba.org/wp-content/uplo…

Ahead of Pride Month celebrated each June, the Petaluma City Schools Board of Education unanimously approved a resolution directing all campuses in the district to fly the Pride flag throughout the school year. Specifically, the district will now fly the Progress Pride flag, designed in 2018 as an update to the traditional rainbow flag to emphasize inclusion and intersectionality within the LGBTQ community. “At the end of the day, it’s a symbol. It doesn’t change policy or it doesn’t magically make bullies not bully, or make homophobic adults not be homophobic or transphobic, but it does signal that the district is thinking about inclusion, that the adults on campus are committed to that, and that school should be a safe place," said Petaluma City Schools trustee Caitlin Quinn. Learn more: blog.csba.org/pride-month-20…

Looking for some weekend reading material? Check out CSBA's May newsletter, which includes a breakdown of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s May Budget Revise, as well as CSBA advocacy to demand Prop 98 education funding be protected in the final budget; progress related to the #SOSforStudentAchievement legislative package; and a recap of the Coast2Coast Federal Advocacy Trip! The latest edition of California School News also includes information on newly developed resources about supporting foster youth and the release of the Board Policy Development Toolkit, legal updates related to student free speech, a message from CSBA President Dr. Debra Schade on the importance of honoring students’ educational journeys as the academic year ends and more. Read it here: publications.csba.org/califo…

A multimedia textbook from UCLA’s Asian American Studies Center released during #AAPIHeritageMonth covers more than 50 years of AAPI studies in one convenient, online portal that high school educators can access. Get details: blog.csba.org/aapi-textbook/

May is National Foster Care Awareness month, and CSBA has released several resources in recent weeks including briefs and the spring edition of California Schools magazine which features a deep dive into the new briefs and Riverside County Office of Education's Foster Youth Success Initiative, as well as a discussion with CSBA Vice President Jackie Thu-Huong Wong, a Washington Unified School District trustee with extensive experience working with foster youth at every level of policymaking. "I encourage all school board members and LEA leaders to read the briefs, learn more about the needs of foster youth, and support foster youth and their caregivers and families in their communities," said CSBA Principal Research Manager Angela Asch, who oversaw the development of the new resources. "An awareness month is also an opportunity to review and update board policies and administrative regulations regarding specific student groups to ensure they are up to date." Read the magazine feature, which includes links to CSBA's new resources: publications.csba.org/issue/…

Great news on CSBA’s #SOSforStudentAchievement legislative package! This week is the house of origin deadline for legislation and AB 2225 (Patel), AB 2514 (Ransom), AB 2149 (Garcia) and AB 2202 (Muratsuchi) all overwhelmingly passed the Assembly and are now headed to the Senate. CSBA Legislative Director Chris Reefe explains the intent of each bill in this video! Learn more about CSBA’s SOS for Student Achievement campaign and how your LEA can get involved at csba.org/studentachievement.

With the Regional K-16 Education Collaboratives Grant Program, which aims to address persistent inequities in higher education and workforce participation through the development of regional intersegmental partnerships statewide, reaching its end, a new report from @edpolicyinca examines the outcomes of one of the programs key partnerships. Here's a summary: blog.csba.org/regional-k-16-…