A note from CSBA: Focusing on what matters most 

Focusing on what matters most is undoubtedly a winning strategy, whether you find yourself in good times or bad. But let’s be honest—it’s easier said than done, even in good times. In bad times, it feels like it’s darn near impossible to focus at all. But here at CSBA, during what can charitably be called a challenging time, you might be surprised to learn that our staff remained steadfastly focused on what matters most—serving the needs of our members as they work to meet the needs of the children in their school districts or county offices of education.

Don’t get me wrong—we are all still responding to the events of our tumultuous summer, and we are committed to creating a CSBA that is stronger and more vibrant than ever before. (For those of you who have been caught up in your own cycle of good and bad times and don’t know what I’m referring to, please go to our website—www.csba.org—and click on “CSBA Financial Accountability” under the Spotlight section to see what has transpired, and the steps that CSBA has taken and will be taking to address it all.)

CSBA’s focus manifests itself in many ways. Some will be obvious and easily recognized. For example, the Leadership Development Department is gearing up to deliver a tremendous array of workshops and critical issue sessions at this year’s Annual Education Conference and Trade Show. Likewise, the Masters In Governance and Governance Consulting Services  programs continue to provide leadership education and assistance at the local, regional and state level.

Beyond that, CSBA’s Governmental Relations Department is busy sorting out the recently enacted state budget and representing our members’ interests at the federal level on issues such as reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and the Child Nutrition Act—all the while gearing up for the next governor, Legislature and Congress. Similarly, the Policy Analysis Department is working to assess  and share its understanding of regulations implementing the new Open Enrollment Act and to represent California schools’ interests on a host of other issues coming before the State Board of Education and other regulatory bodies.

If that wasn’t enough, the Education Legal Alliance is pressing ahead on CSBA’s education finance lawsuit while eyeing other opportunities to ensure that districts and county offices have the financial resources they need to tackle their multiple demands. Our Policy Services Department is striving to make sense of this past year’s statutory and regulatory changes as well as the impact of legal decisions affecting our members’ operations.

From communications and organizational development to information technology and all the other internal operations that make CSBA’s external services possible, all of the work we do is focused on helping school boards understand their role and responsibilities and on giving them the tools, training and resources needed to be successful as they work to improve the lives of children.

But clearly, the lives of children extend beyond the classroom, the campus and the school day, beyond lessons and grades, to encompass their mental, physical and emotional health. Unfortunately, many of our children are simply not healthy. About one child in six doesn’t get enough physical activity, and twice that number are overweight or obese from consuming foods and beverages with little or no nutritional value. Other issues are plaguing our children as well: One-quarter of elementary school children have untreated cavities; almost 1.6 million of our children have been diagnosed with asthma. About one-third of middle and high school students reported having feelings of hopelessness for two consecutive days last year; one of every five 12- to-17-year olds are at risk for depression.

Some in the education community will tell you that health and education don’t mix. The truth of the matter is that not only do they mix, they are inextricably linked. More and more research shows that healthy students do better in school than their unhealthy counterparts. For instance, students who are more physically active tend to perform better academically.

Conversely, it’s been shown that undernourishment impacts children’s behavior, school performance and ability to concentrate; that the majority of missed school days can be attributed to tooth decay and asthma; that serious health issues disproportionately impact children who are poor or from so-called minority populations.

When we address the health and wellness obstacles impeding at-risk students, schools can simultaneously tackle the academic achievement gap and create and sustain a healthy learning environment that positively impacts all children.

The challenge before us is extraordinary. To succeed and create the future that our children deserve requires an equally extraordinary response. It requires everyone to focus on what matters most—the future of our children. It requires us to keep our focus through good times and bad. It requires each of us to reach beyond the silos of our customary comfort zones. It requires us to build a shared vision of our future, a shared sense of responsibility, and it requires us to take all necessary and purposeful steps to secure that future. To do anything less is to squander the opportunity that time gives us.

Our children are complex, their needs are vast, and the solutions required to meet these needs far outstrip the available resources of any one system. Perhaps therein lies the answer. Perhaps we can inspire our local city and county leaders, as well as those working in community-based organizations, to see that we can accomplish so much more working together than we can working alone. That’s why CSBA’s focus is on providing school leaders with the inspiration, knowledge, resources and tools they need to develop collaborative solutions that will create and sustain schools and communities focused on what matter most—the children. 

Martin Gonzalez (mgonzalez@csba.org) is the deputy executive director of CSBA.