In its first in-person meeting since March 2020, the Commission on Teacher Credentialing approved sending to Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Legislature the report, “Teacher Supply in California, 2020–21,” and conducted a review of four key foundational components for establishing a PK-3 Early Childhood Education […]
Author: Kimberly Sellery
Schools play a big role in child abuse prevention
National Child Abuse Prevention Month recognizes the importance of families and communities working together to prevent child abuse and neglect. In California, there were 391,470 reports of child abuse in 2020 with nearly 60,000 of those verified child abuse cases. Katie Albright, CEO and president […]
New study finds negligible effect of remote learning on students — until the data is disaggregated
A new study from Curriculum Associates found that remote instruction may not have affected student’s learning as much as previously reported, at least on average. Like previous research, this study found that almost all groups of students were negatively impacted by school closures during the […]
Teacher Residency Program hitting goals; needs long-term financial support
The 2018–19 state budget included one-time funding of $75 million for the Teacher Residency Program intended to address teacher shortages, especially in the areas of special education and STEM, and for teachers who are bilingual. This program pairs local educational agencies with institutes of higher […]
National superintendent survey shows burn out, hope for better times
A new survey of district superintendents shows that the last two years have been challenging enough that almost half — 44 percent — reported considering or are actively planning to leave their role within the next two to three years. That response is tempered, however, […]
Teacher retention a major concern in diversity initiatives
Years of research have shown that a diverse teacher workforce helps to close achievement gaps for students of color while providing educational benefits to all students. Yet nationally, while almost 50 percent of students identify as people of color, more than 80 percent of public […]
California school mask mandate ends March 11
California will change its school masking policy from “required” to “strongly recommended” beginning March 12, according to a joint release in which Gov. Gavin Newsom joined the governors of Oregon and Washington in announcing new masking policies. The decision to sunset the statewide mask mandate was accompanied by […]
District leaders identify mental health of students and staff as top concern
As of November 2021, district leaders were more concerned about the mental health of students, teachers and principals, in that order, than student engagement, student discipline, student and teacher attendance and declined enrollment, according to a RAND Corporation poll, “District Leaders’ Concerns About Mental Health […]
Late start goes into effect July 1. Are you ready?
Senate Bill 328 (2019), also known as the late start bill goes into effect July 1, 2022. The bill, which was codified in Education Code 46148, mandates that the school day cannot begin before 8 a.m. for middle schools, and 8:30 a.m. for high schools. […]
Gov. Newsom announces next phase in pandemic response
In a press conference today, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a “more sensible and sustainable health care approach based on lessons learned to prepare for the unknown.” The SMARTER Plan addresses: Shots – Vaccines are the most powerful weapon against hospitalization and serious illness Masks – […]











