The experience a parent or community member has when they call the main office, complete a registration form, ask a transportation question, navigate a website or portal, raise a concern, request language access or any number of other interactions shapes the way they feel about their school or district. While LEAs use different terminology to describe these instances — customer service, community relations or family and community engagement — a new report from @NSPRA shows that these moments shape whether people feel informed and confident that their needs can be met. Details: blog.csba.org/school-communi…

“Over time, it has become clear that … more dramatic action is needed to push California toward true reciprocal accountability. What we’re missing is a state governance structure that allows us to optimize those state investments and initiatives, make sure they’re aligned and that they are producing the desired results,” said CSBA CEO & Executive Director Vernon M. Billy in the cover story of the latest edition of California Schools magazine. The article details the lead up to, and introductory year of, CSBA’s campaign for state accountability in California’s education system. Find the article at: ow.ly/hTLT50ZRevF

Most AI tools in K-12 classrooms are still judged by adoption, engagement and how much time they save educators, rather than the impact they have on teaching and learning, according to a Sept. 16 panel discussion hosted by Brisk Teaching, a platform that provides educators with AI-driven tools. Read a recap of the event: blog.csba.org/measuring-ai-i…

That’s a wrap on the 2026 CSBA Counties Conference! On the final day of the event, attendees took part in sessions focused on student voice, charter school oversight, using social media as a trustee and how to support students after the Supreme Court’s decisions in Mirabelli and Mahmoud. Best-selling author and criminal justice advocate @damonwest7 delivered a keynote about his personal story, involvement with the justice system and the resiliency people have as they grow and change with life experiences. Thank you to this morning’s speakers from Nevada COE, Los Angeles COE and @OCDeptofEd as well as the California Association of Student Councils, California Charter Authorizing Professionals, F3 Law and CSBA. And thank you to everyone who participated! Here are some snapshots of the conference. Stay tuned for a full recap in an upcoming edition of California School News.

Today’s sessions at the 2026 CSBA Counties Conference delved into topics including literacy; AI; career technical education; trauma-informed safety protocols for schools; workforce housing; charter authorizing, accountability and oversight; improving graduation rates for foster youth; supporting high-quality mathematics instruction; the state’s CalKIDS program; and legislation and policy priorities for COEs. During the keynote, award-winning documentary filmmaker Shaun Kadlec and foster youth advocate and UC Santa Barbara student Alex Ballantyne shared the powerful story behind Emmy-winning documentary “Possible Selves,” which highlights the resilience of foster youth and the life-changing impact of caring adults. Thank you to speakers from @RCOE, San Mateo COE, @AlamedaCOE, Monterey COE, @SBCEO, @SanDiegoCOE, Placer COE, the California Student Aid Commission, @CalTreasurer, California Reading & Literature Project at UC Berkeley, Capitol Advisors Group, California Association of School Counselors and Wellness Together as well as Brailsford & Dunlavey; Orbach Huff & Henderson LLP; Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP and CSBA!

The 2026 CSBA Counties Conference kicked off in Marina del Rey this afternoon with sessions covering trends, challenges and innovative practices in special education; the CSBA Policy Toolkit and work of the CSBA Legislative Committee; and the current political landscape and its impact on education in California. Thank you to speakers from Los Angeles COE, @CoCoSchools, @SanDiegoCOE, Dannis Woliver Kelley, Capitol Advisors Group and CSBA! This evening, attendees will mingle at a welcome reception and watch the award-winning documentary “Possible Selves,” which provides a firsthand look at the resilience of foster youth and the life-changing impact of caring adults, ahead of a keynote address by the filmmaker and one of the students featured on Saturday.

CSBA extended its historical leadership position in education funding advocacy by filing a lawsuit on Sept. 22 against the State of California challenging the withholding of $3.9 billion in Proposition 98 education funding under the 2026–27 State Budget. CSBA contends the withholding violates the State Constitution’s minimum funding requirement for public schools and community colleges. The action follows CSBA’s announcement last week that it would bring a new, independent challenge alongside its existing Proposition 98 litigation for separate but related abuses of the education funding guarantee. Details: ow.ly/jihp50ZQNov

Congratulations to CSBA’s latest group of Masters in Governance for County Offices of Education program graduates! Your commitment to effective governance practices is admirable. Forthcoming changes to the MIG for COEs schedule proposed by the Transitional Working Group committee will make participation even more accessible! Stay tuned for highlights from the 2026 Counties Conference in Marina del Rey, which starts tomorrow.

CSBA extended its historical leadership position in education funding advocacy by filing a lawsuit on Sept. 22 against the State of California challenging the withholding of $3.9B in Prop 98 education funding under the 2026–27 State Budget. CSBA contends the withholding violates the State Constitution’s minimum funding requirement for public schools and community colleges. The dispute concerns the disparity between the minimum education funding guarantee calculated by the state under Prop 98, and the amount the state is currently allocating in the budget — a difference of $3.9 billion. CSBA maintains that recognizing an obligation for future payment is not the same as meeting that obligation and does not resolve the constitutional question raised by withholding mandated, voter-approved funding that is required to first be applied to support for public schools. “Our lawsuit asks the court to resolve a fundamental question: whether the state can calculate the guaranteed funding required under Proposition 98 and then withhold a portion of that guarantee from schools for its own convenience,” said CSBA CEO & Executive Director Vernon M. Billy (@Vbilly_CSBA.) “Proposition 98 is not a credit card or piggy bank that can be raided gratuitously by the state. Our objective is to secure the funding required by the constitution and provide school districts and county offices of education with greater certainty about the resources available to serve students.” blog.csba.org/prop98-lawsuit…

The September newsletter provides an update on the final weeks of the legislative session as well as upcoming civic engagement opportunities and resources for High School Voter Education Weeks — happening now. Among other topics covered are a new brief from CSBA’s Research and Education Policy Development Department intended to help trustees understand special education in the state, and changes to CSBA sample board policies concerning nondiscrimination, parent/guardian rights and student privacy following the U.S. Supreme Court’s March 2026 emergency order in Mirabelli v. Bonta. View it here: publications.csba.org/califo…

CSBA CEO & Executive Director Vernon M. Billy recently sat down with California Schools magazine for a special Q&A on the association's SOS for Student Achievement: Close the State Accountability Gap campaign and how the legislative package changed the conversation in Sacramento, highlighted the need for comprehensive reform of state-level education governance and elevated the concept of alignment, coherence and reciprocal accountability at the state level as foundational to student achievement at the local level. Read it here: ow.ly/xjEG50ZQnS3

On Sept. 18, the Governor signed AB 2008 by Assemblymember Dr. Darshana Patel, which CSBA co-sponsored with the California Association of School Business Officials, the Association of California School Administrators and @SmallSchoolDA. AB 2008 requires all future state LEA reporting requirements to be repealed four years after their establishment. It would also require the California Department of Education, by Oct. 1, 2027, to develop a standardized template for use by LEAs when completing programmatic or expenditure competitive state grant reports. Learn about how the reporting burden takes focus away from students in this article from the latest edition of CSBA’s magazine: ow.ly/4uFM50ZQlFQ

A new report based on findings from a sampling of districts that implemented tutoring or educational technology interventions under outcomes-based contracting (OBC) agreements covers the associated student outcomes, district spending, the impact of OBC on district-provider relationships and more. Details: blog.csba.org/obc-report/

Coming to @CSBA_Now annual ed conference? Join us for lunch to network w/ district leaders and hear from #edpolicy champions @LDH_ed, Pres of @SBECalifornia & @sophiefanelli, Pres of @Stuart_FND. Register for #AEC and CA Suburban Districts Luncheon at aec.csba.org/registration/

Exciting news! Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed CSBA-sponsored AB 2225 by Assemblymember Dr. Darshana Patel, which served as the centerpiece of CSBA’s Close the State Accountability Gap legislative package. Thank you for all your advocacy in support of this bill! AB 2225 furthers the goals of AB 181 by ensuring that the report required of the as-yet-to-be appointed education commissioner aligns with the goal of providing the supports necessary for local educational agencies to close student achievement gaps. Through this effort, AB 2225 will help keep the state focused on the long-term goal of greater state alignment of public education governance.

In a special issue of California Schools, CSBA documents the lead up to, and introductory year of, its campaign for state accountability in California’s education system. Read it now: ow.ly/RyIO50ZQgVT The magazine includes a Q&A with CSBA CEO & Executive Director Vernon M. Billy on the association’s SOS for Student Achievement: Close the State Accountability Gap campaign and how the legislative package changed the conversation in Sacramento. It also features an in-depth interview with Assembly Education Committee Chair and former CSBA Delegate Dr. Darshana Patel on her sponsored bills to increase state accountability for education governance and to streamline reporting for LEAs, as well as the unique career and life experiences that shaped her legislative perspective. Other articles cover topics including the importance of understanding data and how it can be used to drive student achievement; the reporting burden LEAs face and CSBA’s advocacy to lighten the load; @FontanaUnified's College Application Submit Day; rethinking teacher staffing; legal challenges regarding the educational rights of undocumented immigrant students and more.

A Sept. 17 webinar, “Support Strategies for the Superintendent-Principal,” provided real-world examples that brought to life CSBA’s May report Two Jobs, One Person: Supporting the Superintendent-Principal, which spotlights the dual-role administrator and is proving to be a vital resource for those in the field. Find a recap of the event on the CSBA blog: blog.csba.org/supe-principal…

The CSBA Board of Directors met on Sept. 19-20 in Sacramento and discussed the Close the State Accountability Gap campaign, legislative and legal updates, policy pillars and other important topics. Among other duties, the board is responsible for setting direction for CSBA by adopting the vision and mission and overseeing the corporate operations of the association.

New research from @MigrationPolicy found that bilingual education programs are heavily concentrated in elementary grades, leaving many older multilingual learners without a strong path to building proficiency and mastering grade-level content. The report examines barriers keeping bilingual programs from being established in middle and high schools, as well as factors that support successful implementation and sustainability in places where such programs exist. Learn more: blog.csba.org/bilingual-ed-f…