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The Advisory Commission on Charter Schools (ACCS) voted 6-1 today to provide 100 percent funding to a charter school that missed the usual regulatory expenditure tests to qualify for full funding. The ACCS voted in spite of the California Department of Education (CDE) staff’s proposal to cut the school’s funding by 30 percent for two years, citing their large reserves.

April 11, 2022

Starting in 2022, the California School Dashboard will apply a much more punitive penalty when schools and their student groups do not meet 95 percent participation on California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) tests in English Language Arts/Literacy (ELA) and Mathematics. The new penalty could present unexpected risks to charter renewal, even for schools that have not had challenges in the past. For some schools, penalties may create a concerning Dashboard and, worse, may even result in placement on a lower renewal “track.” This article describes the new penalty, how it connects to charter renewal, and suggestions to reduce risk.

March 22, 2022

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is a federal law that prevents discrimination against students with disabilities. Under this provision, any school that receives federal funding must make

March 11, 2022

At its March meeting, the State Board of Education (SBE) will discuss possible actions related to “modified” measures on the California School Dashboard (Dashboard) for Dashboard Alternative School Status (DASS) schools. On recent Dashboards, to better align to the nature of DASS school programs, the California Department of Education (CDE) published...

March 03, 2022

Governor Newsom and California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly announced today that after March 11, masks will no longer be required in California schools, but will be “strongly recommended.” The announcement follows the state’s February 14 shift away from masking mandates for most public settings; the same day Ghaly promised he would issue updated school-specific guidance on February 28.

February 28, 2022

Access the recording and supplemental materials for this webinar held on February 24, 2021.

February 22, 2022

California Health Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly announced today that California will continue its current school masking mandate, will reassess the mandate on February 28, and hinted that lifting the mandate is likely if current data trends hold. The announcement came as the state is removing its general masking mandate for public settings, shifting from a mandatory masking to an official “strongly recommended” stance after February 15 for most public settings. Masking mandates will remain in place after February 15 for schools, childcare, health care, long-term care, and corrections facilities.

February 14, 2022

In the movie Toy Story, the animated character Buzz Lightyear had a tagline: “To infinity and beyond!” This catchphrase, signifying limitless possibilities, was used by both Buzz Lightyear and by the character Woody as a rallying cry for the other toys. Different from the word “infinity” the word “affinity” means “a similarity of characteristics suggesting a relationship” and an “affinity group” is a term commonly meant to indicate a group created around a common set of shared interests or goals.

February 07, 2022

Governor Newsom’s staff posted 103 pages of draft K-12 education budget “trailer” legislation this week, fleshing out some key details of his proposed 2022-23 state budget. The trailer bill includes several remarkable twists, especially related to independent study and delaying a mandate to offer expanded learning. CSDC addressed most of the governor’s proposals during our recent webinar, while this article summarizes and explains the key new items of interest to charter schools revealed in the trailer bill.

February 04, 2022

Access the recording and supplemental materials for this two-part workshop with Eric Premack from the 2021 Leadership Update Conference.

January 31, 2022

The California Senate yesterday passed SB 579 (Allen, D-Santa Monica), a bill to provide “hold harmless” funding protections for schools during the current and upcoming school year. This bill is one of several pending proposals to address Pandemic-driven enrollment and attendance declines.

January 27, 2022

To help California schools cope with unprecedented staffing shortages related to the COVID-19 pandemic, on January 10, 2022, Governor Newsom issued Executive Order N-3-22 to provide temporary staffing flexibility to impacted schools. The Order widens eligibility to perform substitute teacher services. The Order also addresses two potential barriers to some retired educators returning to work.

January 25, 2022

Governor Newsom outlined his proposed 2022-23 state budget this morning during a lengthy press conference, including a large cost-of-living adjustment and continued implementation of massive K-12 program expansions; he also issued a vague call for protecting charter schools from pandemic-driven enrollment and attendance declines. 

January 10, 2022

Last summer, AB 130 expanded requirements for Local Control and Accountability Plans (LCAPs) once again. These changes included a significant one-time requirement for a mid-year report. This article reviews the mid-year reporting requirement as well as changes to the LCAP template for the next cycle.

December 20, 2021

As the winter holidays approach, it’s more fun to think about festive songs by Frank Sinatra than it is to think about charter school bylaws. But well-written charter school governing bylaws are important to think about because they increase the transparency and accountability of charter school governing boards and help to guide the board’s decision-making process.

December 10, 2021