CSBA at issue: CSBA’s 2013 Policy Platform – A Big Change
By:
Christopher MaricleSpring 2014
In December 2013, CSBA’s Delegate Assembly took action on the recommendation of the Policy Platform Review Committee. This action was the culmination of 18 months of work that began with a new structure and format presented to the Delegate Assembly in December 2012, which they unanimously approved. An initial draft of the Platform of this new structure was approved in May 2013 and discussed by delegates in breakout sessions. All delegates were then provided opportunity for input and suggestions via an electronic survey in summer 2013. The final Platform was presented and approved in December 2013.
This is the Platform’s first major revision in more than a decade, and it constitutes a significant shift in the both the content of the Platform and the process by which future revisions may be enacted. An overview of the Platform is provided below, and the entire Platform is available at www.csba.org/PolicyPlatform.
What is the purpose of the Policy Platform?
CSBA’s Policy Platform provides a broad policy framework for implementing the association’s mission to set the agenda for the public schools and students of California. Specifically, the Platform provides important guidance in four key areas of the association’s operations:
- The Platform influences the association’s policy work, including analyzing local, state and national education issues, creating issue-oriented task forces and committees, focusing publications on critical issues, and determining policy strategies.
- The Platform guides CSBA’s political efforts including the development of CSBA’s legislative agenda, serving as a basis for developing testimony to state and federal agencies on critical issues, taking positions on proposed legislation, and identifying issues for building coalitions.
- The Platform impacts CSBA’s research and philanthropic endeavors including grant writing in support of CSBA’s work, collaborating with other entities on education and governance research, and building coalitions with other educational organizations, local government and children’s organizations.
- The Platform shapes our efforts for working with the public to build awareness and support for K-12 public education and local governance, by educating local communities, informing the media, and generating support of improvements in education funding and education reform.
All these efforts are guided by the framework set forth in the 2013 Policy Platform. Whenever CSBA’s leadership and staff take action on behalf of the school and county boards in the state, the Policy Platform serves as the foundation for these efforts.
What happens next?
The vote to adopt the Platform in May 2013 by the Delegate Assembly stipulated that:
- CSBA will use this new Platform for a year (2014) to evaluate its usefulness.
- A newly formed Policy Platform committee will design a Platform review process to be implemented in 2015.
What’s your part?
The Platform is a key document for your association. After you’ve read the following overview, go the website and download the full Platform. Read it and share it with you colleagues. Contact the delegates in your region with your ideas and questions. Become a part of the larger conversation.
Christopher Maricle (cmaricle@csba.org) is a CSBA Policy and Programs officer.
2012-13 Policy Platform Review Committee
Jill Wynns, Immediate Past President (San Francisco USD), Chair
Josephine “Jo” Lucey, President-elect (Cupertino Union SD)
Darryl Adams, Delegate, Region 24 (Norwalk-La Mirada USD)
Bill H. Farris, Delegate, Region 12 (Sierra Sands USD)
Juliana Feriani, Delegate, Region 8 (Tuolumne COE)
Donna Martin, Delegate, Region 12 (Visalia USD)
Betsy Sandoval, Delegate, Region 10 (Clovis USD)
Teresa Stanley, Delegate, Region 6 (Folsom-Cordova USD)
Dana Tom, Director, Region 20 (Palo Alto USD)
CSBA Policy Platform overview
Strengthen local governance
The fundamental principle of our system of government is a democratic republic with representatives elected to govern on behalf of the communities that elect them. School boards are the simplest expression of this system at the local level. Boards provide citizen governance for one of our most valuable public institutions: California’s K-12 public schools. CSBA vigorously defends and values the contributions that school boards make to K-12 education, and is committed to preserving and strengthening the authority of district and county boards of education.
To strengthen local governance, CSBA will pursue four education policy levers:
1.1 Local authority and flexibility for boards to create policy that guides student learning, support programs, staffing, and resources
1.2 One K-12 system that ensures consistency for all schools in standards of accountability, support for innovation, and exercise of local control
1.3 Strong and coherent local governance with equity among and support for the professional development of all local governing boards
1.4 An engaged public that participates in local elections, supports student learning and advocates for education
Secure fair funding
Public education is a fundamental component of our American democracy and vital to the economic success of our nation. Our highest value and priority should be investing in the public education and training of the next generation. Federal, state and local government spending should reflect this critical investment.
To secure fair funding, CSBA will pursue three education policy levers:
2.1 Fair funding that is sufficient and equitable
2.2 Stable funding that is consistent and guaranteed
2.3 Local flexibility for generating local revenue and allocating resources
Improve conditions of children
The primary responsibility of public schools is to educate students. The ability of children to attend school, to be engaged and learning in the classroom and to achieve academic success is significantly affected by conditions in their daily lives. The physical, mental and emotional health of each child, the social and economic obstacles they and their families may face, and the environments in which they live all impact a child’s ability to learn. All children need access to appropriate support services.
Improving the outcomes for K-12 education in California is a complex challenge. The emerging research and documented success of the collective impact achieved by mobilizing multiple organizations to collaborate to find solutions for communities is compelling, and CSBA believes this must be a key strategy for meeting this challenge. No one agency can solve this problem alone, and CSBA is dedicated to convening the conversations and sustaining collaborations at every level that will bring our vision to fruition—children unbounded by circumstance.
To improve the conditions of children, CSBA will pursue three education policy levers:
3.1 Integrated student services that ensure interagency collaboration focused on prevention, intervention and support for students
3.2 Safe and supportive school environments that are dedicated to safe schools and healthy students
3.3 Community engagement that supports community-based support and partnering with families to support the physical, emotional and mental health of students
Ensure achievement for all
California students need a well-aligned education system that prepares them for college and career success. The state role should focus on standards, frameworks, accountability and data. State and federal governments must provide an effective, efficient and unbiased accountability system that uses multiple measures to determine school success and balances the depth and scope of testing at each grade level to provide timely results and minimize the impact on instructional time. Local governing boards must have authority and flexibility to adopt local standards and curricula for their school communities that serve their local needs.
To advance the achievement of all students, CSBA will pursue five education policy levers:
4.1 An aligned education system that ensures effective collaboration, coordination and articulation among districts, county offices of education and California’s institutes of higher education
4.2 Rich and challenging local curricula that is comprehensive and competitive, culturally inclusive, and locally driven
4.3 Student-centered teaching and learning built on a foundation of data-driven and effective instruction, assessment and intervention and equitable access to quality resources
4.4 Preparing effective teachers through a well-aligned and coherent system for K-12 teacher preparation including credentialing, recruitment, professional development and evaluation
4.5 Community involvement and support for student learning that encourages family involvement and builds community partnerships that can enhance learning opportunities and resources
The entire Platform is available at www.csba.org/PolicyPlatform.