Jan
|
Feb
|
Mar
|
Apr
|
May
|
Jun
|
Jul
|
Aug
|
Sep
|
Oct
|
Nov
|
Dec
August 2009
 | Del Cederquist, a Fresno-area school board member since 1952, is applauded as probably the senior local elected public official currently serving in California at the state’s largest-ever gathering of local elected officials. They came together in Sacramento last month for the Cities, Counties and Schools Partnership’s summit on state-local relations. Also shown are CSBA Vice President Martha G. Fluor, facing left in the foreground and, to Cederquist’s right, 2008 CSBA President Paul H. Chatman and CSBA President-elect Frank Pugh. |
Web Only Articles
25 August 2009 - In calling for a special legislative session to resolve disparities between California law and the requirements of the “Race to the Top” portion of the federal stimulus package, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has provided a good opportunity to address important education reforms, CSBA Executive Director Scott P. Plotkin said last week. However, “We feel it is important to develop school reforms not only to meet the requirements for the Race to the Top funds, but more importantly to provide high-quality education to all students throughout California.”
25 August 2009 - With schools struggling to stretch scarce dollars as they prepare California’s children for college or careers, CSBA’s 2009 Back-to-School Webcast will be more valuable than ever.
25 August 2009 - The state of California is seeking to overturn a major victory that CSBA’s Education Legal Alliance and other petitioners secured last year, with an estimated $160 million in future reimbursements of state-mandated costs imposed on schools on schools at stake. A final decision by the 4th District Court of Appeal in San Diego is not expected until mid-2010, according to Richard L. Hamilton, director of CSBA’s Education Legal Alliance.
18 August 2009 - California public schoolchildren continue to make consistent improvement in mastering the state’s academic standards, although a gap in achievement between white students and their black and Hispanic peers remains unchanged for the seventh year.
In California School News
“Increased class sizes, cuts to key education programs, additional layoffs for teachers, librarians, counselors and administrators and a shorter school year are just a few of the overwhelming consequences our districts face with this budget plan,” CSBA President Paula S. Campbell said after the deed was done. “When schools re-open [this] month for the new school year, we will all see the profound impact of these draconian cuts.”
An unprecedented summit drew approximately 500 local elected government officials from all over California to Sacramento last month for two days of strategic talks on reforming state-local government relations and financing.
As we grapple with how to best use federal stimulus funds during this budget catastrophe, this is a good time to weigh in on the role of the federal government in education.
In recognition of the financial stress being experienced by the association’s members, the CSBA Board of Directors approved a budget for 2009-10 that freezes membership dues levels for the first time in memory. At Executive Director Scott P. Plotkin’s own request, the board also reduced his salary and froze it in place for the coming year.
CSBA is offering several timely conferences and workshops this fall to help school governance teams advance student interests.
A new bond financing opportunity under the federal stimulus program can help school districts, county offices of education and charter schools construct new facilities, purchase land, and repair and renovate existing schools—and a new CSBA partnership can help applicants meet all the requirements in time for the first-round deadline of Aug. 25.
CSBA and the Cities, Counties and Schools Partnership have teamed to produce a guidebook, “Building Healthy Communities: A School Leader’s Guide to Community Engagement and Leadership,” that addresses the collaborative and leadership role school board members can play as community leaders in addressing childhood obesity. The school leadership guide will be the foundation for a unique pre-conference event Oct. 5, prior to the School Wellness Conference in Anaheim.