On Oct. 27, trustees representing John Swett Unified School District, @MtDiabloUSD, @BerkeleyUnified, @SRVUSD1, West Contra Costa USD, Albany USD and the @CoCoSchools met with Assemblymember @BuffyWicks to discuss issues including technology in schools, student well-being, protecting Prop 98 and more. Wicks was also honored with a Special Recognition Award from CSBA for her leadership on education workforce housing via Assembly Bill 1021, which was signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Oct. 10.

Registration is now open for the sixth annual Coast2Coast Federal Advocacy Trip, happening April 5-7 in Washington, D.C.! This invaluable event provides California education leaders the opportunity to bring their stories and experiences directly to the offices of their congressional representatives to ensure they and their staff understand the urgent needs of the state’s nearly 6 million preK-12 students back home. The event, hosted by CSBA and @ACSA_info, empowers California education leaders to advance key issues including federal education appropriations and restructuring; student privacy, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence; and the need for full funding under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to improve outcomes for all students. Over the first two days, participants will attend sessions on federal education policy, network with prominent D.C. figures and engage in briefings with decision-makers and influencers directly. The event culminates in face-to-face meetings with California’s federal representatives. By sharing local educational agency data and experiences, education leaders can influence policies that make a lasting impact. Learn more and register at ow.ly/NqYj510275B

On Oct. 15, the California Department of Education released updates for the California School Dashboard and the results of the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) together for the first time. The Dashboard and CAASPP results paint a picture similar to the past several years: incremental progress and vast disparities between student groups. Read CSBA’s full analysis of the results: ow.ly/r6wO5101KbQ Much like the scores themselves, state leaders' reactions to the progress echoed those of prior years. Gov. Gavin Newsom painted a rosy view of these results in his statement, linking them to many of his flagship programs by saying, “This just in, test scores are up across the board in California for the third straight year.” In a statement, CSBA CEO & Executive Director Vernon M. Billy shared how governance alignment and reciprocal accountability is needed to truly move the needle on student achievement. “With a new governor on the horizon, California has an extraordinary opportunity to replace fragmented initiatives with a unified strategy built around student achievement, operational effectiveness and reciprocal accountability,” Billy said. “We cannot be satisfied with simply launching more programs or celebrating marginal gains. We must embrace reciprocal accountability and continue to push for better results from the entire education system, including the state government itself.”

CSBA President Dr. Debra Schade has seen firsthand the innovative secondary school redesign practices taking place at @CajonValleyUSD and @SanDiegoCOE. Now, for the first time, attendees of the 2026 Annual Education Conference and Trade Show, happening Dec. 3-5, can take part in site visits at one of these two locations on Dec. 2! Learn more and add a pre-conference site visit to your AEC registration at ow.ly/4BKL5101nBV.

“When policymakers discuss educational inequality, the conversation usually centers on teachers, curriculum, or school funding. Yet one important factor often receives far less attention: the condition of the school building itself,” researchers from the Learning Policy Institute and the University at Albany wrote in an Oct. 7 report that calls for state policymakers to address unequal access to adequate school facilities. Details: blog.csba.org/facilities-fun…

The Oct. 22-23 meeting of the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing saw only one action item regarding implementation issues candidates are experiencing with the newly adopted Child Development Permit structure. The commission also received several key updates about teacher performance assessments and met in closed session on Oct. 23. Full meeting recap: blog.csba.org/ctc-oct-2026/

On Oct. 19, CSBA President Dr. Debra Schade joined a diner and panel hosted by the Orange County School Boards Association and ACSA Region 17. The event included leaders from community college districts, the University of California system and K-12 who discussed emerging technologies, future-ready skills, career pathways and cross-sector partnerships that can better prepare students for the evolving demands of higher education and the workforce.

The percentage of students with disabilities served by California schools has increased 4 percentage points in the last decade — even as overall enrollment has declined — making up a total of roughly 15 percent of the population (more than 880,000 students) in 2025–26, according to @PPICNotes' October fact sheet on the subject. Learn more: blog.csba.org/students-with-…

The October newsletter includes a breakdown of the final wave of education bills signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom — including four CSBA-sponsored bills that, together, will give local educational agencies additional tools, flexibility and state-level support they need to serve students effectively while eliminating unnecessary administrative obstacles. This issue also spotlights new research on youth experiencing homelessness and recaps the most recent State Board of Education and California Commission on Teacher Credentialing meetings, a recent court ruling in the ongoing battle over the rights of transgender students in schools and a CSBA webinar on the role of superintendent-principals. Find these articles and more: publications.csba.org/califo…

Amid a harsh fiscal landscape, a new report by @NCTQ asserts that states should support local educational agencies to use dollars in ways that attract and retain good teachers in the schools and subjects most in need and where attrition is most significant. Learn more: blog.csba.org/teacher-pay-2/

This week, CSBA President Dr. Debra Schade visited Napa Valley USD and spoke with local leaders and students about literacy and dual language pathways, nutrition and student wellness and programs providing future-ready skills and career technical education. Another terrific tour!

The National Endowment for Financial Education gave California an F grade in its 2026 National Report Card on State Efforts to Improve Financial Literacy in High Schools, but projects the state could earn an A grade by 2031. Details: blog.csba.org/personal-finan…

Considering internationally comparable data, 9.1 percent of primary and secondary teachers in the dozens of countries tracked by @OECD were not fully qualified in 2024–25, according to its Education at a Glance 2026 report. The publication covers the state of education worldwide with a focus this year on teacher shortages and their impact as well as how the issue can be addressed. Learn about other findings: blog.csba.org/ed-at-glance26…

On Oct. 14, CSBA honored Assemblymember Esmeralda Soria (D-Fresno) with the Special Recognition Award for her efforts with AB 1111. The bill, which represents a CSBA priority, sought to provide more flexibility to those local educational agencies that are already struggling with a forthcoming requirement to transition to zero-emission school buses — a significant challenge for districts across the state. CSBA thanks Soria for her and her staff’s pioneering work on the issue!

CSBA President Dr. Debra Schade took a tour of the 200-student Warner USD on Oct. 13 to learn more about how the small, rural district provides students opportunities to thrive through its various arts, agriculture and career technical education programming and boosts engagement with the help of its tribal and county partnerships despite the infrastructural challenges it faces in terms of transportation, the ability to provide safe drinking water and more. “Warner Unified may be small in enrollment, but its commitment to students and the strength of its community are substantial,” Schade said while reflecting on the visit. “The visit reinforced the importance of recognizing the unique needs of rural districts and ensuring that every student, regardless of background or ZIP code, has access to meaningful educational opportunities and a promising future.”

Common Sense Media has released a collection of free resources to support families, teachers and district leaders to support thoughtful, developmentally appropriate decisions about technology use in the classroom. Details: blog.csba.org/tech-in-school…

In response to the Oct. 15 release of California’s 2026 student assessment results, CSBA CEO & Executive Director Vernon M. Billy issued a statement calling for reciprocal accountability in improving student outcomes. Read it in full here: ow.ly/c4ws50ZYwFT

As #HispanicHeritageMonth comes to an end, the latest CSBA blog post is recognizing the 80-year anniversary of landmark California desegregation case Mendez v. Westminster and how its legacy lives on today. Read it now: ow.ly/rUgi50ZY6ov

The start to the 2026–27 school year in Larkspur-Corte Madera SD looked a bit different than prior years. The first two weeks were device free in the K-8 district, which serves about 1,200 students in the Bay Area. Each grade level received six lessons focused on digital citizenship and wellness created by Common Sense Media. Educators focused on creating a positive classroom climate and culture, setting expectations for technology use and how to work and engage with one another. The response from students, parents and staff was “overwhelmingly positive,” said Superintendent Brett Geithman. Learn more: blog.csba.org/larkspur-corte…

New research from @ctschoolsucla documents persistent disparities in academic achievement, graduation, attendance and school discipline, as well as substantial racial and geographic disparities among children who experience homelessness. Learn more: blog.csba.org/achievement-ga…