California School Boards Association Elects Chris Ungar as New President
Fifteen-year veteran of the San Luis Coastal Unified School Board brings 27 years of special education experience to new role
SACRAMENTO, Calif., (January 13, 2016) – As the latest accomplishment in a lifetime devoted to public education, San Luis Coastal Unified School District Trustee Chris Ungar takes the reins as CSBA President. Ungar, a 15-year veteran of the San Luis Coastal School Board was elected to the position at the 2015 CSBA Delegate Assembly after serving on the organization’s Board of Directors since 2007 and its Executive Committee since 2013.
Ungar worked for 27 years a special education instructor and administrator and, at his retirement in 2014, was Special Education Director for the San Luis Obispo County Office of Education. As a director, he represented Monterey, San Benito, San Luis Obispo and Santa Cruz counties, all situated along California’s central coast.
"I can think of no greater honor than to have my peers elect me as President of the California School Boards Association,” Ungar said. “CSBA provides advocacy, professional development, and important services to more than 900 California school districts, 5,000 democratically elected school board members and more than 6 million students. It is vitally important that CSBA continue to provide statewide educational leadership, and I will work to secure our preeminent place as the voice for our children and communities."
Ungar predicts that 2016 will be an important year for California's schools. He believes that CSBA will have an opportunity to influence the implementation of the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), speak to the need for stable and continuing state revenues, tackle important issues related to charter schools, comment on special education regulations and funding, give input on teacher credentialing rules, engage the State Board of Education in its accountability discussion, support the need for a construction bond, modify the reserve cap, and support school funding adequacy.
"Every school trustee has a stake in these issues; CSBA and I depend on our members involvement and commitment,” Ungar added. “Together we will assure a bright future for our students.”
About CSBA
The California School Boards Association (CSBA) is the non-profit education association representing the elected officials who govern public school districts and county offices of education. With a membership of nearly 1,000 educational agencies statewide, CSBA brings together school district governing boards and county boards of education to advocate for effective policies that advance the education and well-being of the state’s more than 6 million school-age children. CSBA provides policy resources and training to members, and represents the statewide interests of public education through legal, political legislative, community and media advocacy.
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