businessnews california school
June 7, 2022
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SCHOOLbusiness news DEADLINE FOR UNIVERSAL MEALS DECISION IS JUNE 20 CBO/CHILD NUTRITION/FACILITIES In several states, momentum has been building to secure universal school meals after districts nationwide benefited the past two years from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s pandemic-era waiver authority to provide free meals to all students regardless of income. The deadline for Congress to extend the USDA’s ability to keep universal meals and other waivers assisting school nutrition programs with supply chain woes is June 30. If the waivers do not continue, families nationwide will have to start paying again for breakfast and lunch unless their children qualify for free or reduced-price meals. Solutions at the federal level are also waning as a bipartisan Senate bill to extend this federal waiver authority has made little progress in Congress since being introduced in March, according to a K-12 Dive report. Recently, however, the Vermont state legislature passed a bill funding universal school meals for the next school year at a cost of $29 million. In Colorado, state lawmakers approved a measure allowing voters to decide in November if they want a universal school meal program starting in 2023. The House of Representatives in Massachusetts also passed a budget including $110 million to fund universal school meals for one year, as the state’s Senate debates its final budget proposal. California and Maine were among the first states to have passed statewide free school meals in 2021.
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June 7, 2022 ED DEPARTMENT NOW TARGETING JUNE FOR DRAFT TITLE IX RULE SUPERINTENDENTS / HUMAN RESOURCES The U.S. Department of Education is once again pushing back the release of its highly awaited regulatory proposal on Title IX. The planned release is now set for sometime in June. The draft rule will dictate how K-12 schools and colleges must investigate and potentially punish sexual misconduct. It’s also expected to include protections for transgender students, according to a report from K-12 Dive. The head of the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights last year said they expected to issue the proposed regulation in April. The department then delayed the draft until May. A spokesperson said the department “is taking the time necessary to ensure that schools are providing students with educational environments free from discrimination.” Postponing the intended timeline for the draft rule runs against the wishes of advocates for sexual assault prevention, some of whom called for the Education Department to publish it by the beginning of October 2021. In other circles, the prospect of a new regulation is highly unpopular. A coalition of more than two dozen organizations, led by conservative advocacy group Defense of Freedom Institute for Policy Studies, has urged the department to abandon efforts to rewrite the current rule, which took effect August 2020 under former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. The DeVos-era rule required schools to overhaul their reporting and investigation processes in some cases. New requirements included investigating sexual assault when any school employee is put on notice and appointing two different staff for the investigation and decision. Some education organizations were critical of the changes, which came at a time when schools were already spread thin due to COVID-19. Others praised changes ridding the live hearing requirement for K-12. When the department does publish its draft rule in the Federal Register, it will trigger a public comment period that is typically 60 days. Once the department reviews this feedback, it will finalize a regulation. Depending on when the regulation is finalized and which party controls Congress after the midterm elections, a new Republican majority could undo it using the Congressional Review Act that gives lawmakers the ability to reject major executive actions within 60 days of rules being submitted. ANNUAL CONFERENCE
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SCHOOLbusiness news MOST AMERICANS THINK THEIR LOCAL SCHOOLS ARE DOING A GOOD JOB SUPERINTENDENTS/ RISK MANAGEMENT / FACILITIES Despite a very vocal minority, the vast majority of the U.S. believes that teachers have done a great job during the pandemic, according to Justin Reich, director of the MIT Teaching Systems Lab. He shared this conclusion based on poll after poll that found public satisfaction with schools regardless of who is conducting the survey. An NPR poll recently found that “by wide margins – and regardless of their political affiliation – parents express satisfaction with their children's schools and what is being taught in them.” The survey found that 88% of respondents agree “my child's teacher(s) have done the best they could, given the circumstances around the pandemic.” And 82% agree “my child's school has handled the pandemic well.” There is even often majority agreement on topics such as required masking in schools or other COVID mitigation efforts, according to a report by Tech & Learning. A National Parents Union survey conducted in January asked parents how they felt their school had handled the Omicron surge and more than 70% of respondents said they had handled it well. According to Reich, no matter how the question was asked, supermajorities of Americans are satisfied or very satisfied with their local public school and their teachers. Despite clear support for teachers and schools in polls, if you scroll through Twitter or consume only right- or left-wing leaning media, you might come away believing that faith in schools is at an all-time low. This inaccurate impression likely arises for a couple of reasons, according to Reich. There’s a disconnect between the way many people view the work their local public school is doing and education as a whole. And second, the Republican party that has latched on to some disaffection with school, Reich says. This helps create an imbalance in which those critical of schools are far louder than the supporters. Reich believes more can be done to let teachers know that their communities are behind them. He frequently tweets pro-teacher polling numbers and thinks educators should be made more aware. He also believes the public can do more to show its support – like volunteering in schools and attending board meetings to voice their support. 3
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TRANSPORTATION LEADERSHIP ACADEMY REGISTRATION ENDS JUNE 30 Learn More & Register Get the essential instruction you need to enhance your transportation career.
Northern California Begins August 26, 2022 Twin Rivers USD Sacramento, CA
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CASBOinsights ACT NOW TO SUPPORT EDUCATION IN THE FINAL BUDGET AGREEMENT LEGISLATIVE CALL TO ACTION We need you to make your voice heard by sending a message to your state representatives by June 10, 2022. On June 1, 2022, the legislature announced their budget plan and action items in response to the Governor’s May Revision. The legislative plan serves as the basis of their negotiations with the Governor. 1. Rejects the Governor’s May Revision proposal to provide COVID average daily attendance (ADA) relief. This proposal provides fiscal protection for schools that experienced significant attendance declines in 2021-22 due to the impacts of the Delta and Omicron surges. 2. Requires local educational agencies (LEAs) to offer transportation to all TK-6 and low income students beginning in the 2027–28 school year. This would create an unsustainable new mandate. Home-to-School Transportation funding should go towards increasing the reimbursement percentage and provide a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA). With the June 15th deadline to pass a budget bill just around the corner, budget negotiations have begun with the Governor and the Legislature. They need to hear from local educational leaders pushing back on these changes before they finalize a budget.
View CASBO’s Positions and Contact Your Legislators CASBO encourages all LEA employees to contact their legislators today using our automated system. This tool will provide a prepopulated “Call to Action” message, making it easy for you to act. Thank you for your support in this matter. Remember that the most effective and convenient way to become involved is by joining CASBO’s Count Me In campaign. To participate, please email countmein@casbo.org. We ask that only current employees of a local educational agency use this tool to contact state representatives. 5
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THE VOICE OF SCHOOL BUSINESS IN CALIFORNIA
Episode 19
Preparing for the Next Job
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CASBOinsights SACRAMENTO AND NORTHERN SECTIONS WELCOME NEW PRESIDENTS SECTION LEADERSHIP UPDATE As it happens every year at the end of the fiscal calendar, CASBO members have stepped into leadership roles around the state, ensuring that we continue to be led by, and for, outstanding school business professionals. In the Sacramento Section, Dawn Nantz of Sacramento City USD was welcomed as the 2022-23 Section President by Aaron Heinz. Aaron served as the Sacramento Section President for 2021-22 and will hold two positions for Sacramento Section, Immediate Past President and Director IV. Dawn was the President-Elect and will now be their current President 2022-23.
The Northern Section will be led by Mary Kitchen from West Contra Costa USD. Mary, who served as President-Elect for 2021-22, takes over as President after Shirene Moreira. Shirene was the Northern Section President for 2021-22 and will become the Immediate Past President.
All seven CASBO regional sections are planning to welcome their incoming board members in the coming weeks. CASBO is honored to have such dedicated leaders among our membership!
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June 7, 2022 CALIFORNIA DEPT. OF EDUCATION HONORS TEACHERS AND STAFF CASBO MEMBER RECOGNITION California’s Classified School Employee Week, established as an official week of statewide recognition in 1986 through Senate Bill 1552, was celebrated May 16 to May 20, 2022. State Superintendent Tony Thurmond honored the 2022 California Classified School Employees of the Year at the CSEY Awards Luncheon on May 19. Among those recognized were nine distinguished CASBO members: Trudi Walsh, School Secretary, Humboldt COE Clerical and Administrative Services
Erik Estrada, Campus Supervisor, Hunting Beach Union SD Security Services
Robert Estrada, Head Custodian, El Monte City SD Custodial and Maintenance Services
Timothy Romaine, Vehicle & Equipment Mechanic, Orcutt Union SD Skilled Trades Services
Gayla Hager*, Food Service Lead, Ramona USD Food and Nutrition Services
Armando Gomez, Database Specialist, Los Alamitos USD Technical Services
Sheri Saladow, Guidance Technician, Capistrano USD Health & Student Services
Shannon Lauricella*, School Bus Driver, Garden Grove USD Transportation Services
Renee Thompson, Classroom Instructional Aide, Enterprise ESD Paraprofessional Services
*Denotes National Recognizing School Employees (RISE) Award Nominee
On May 16, 2022, the California Department of Education honored the California Teachers of the Year at the Sheraton Grand Sacramento Hotel in Sacramento. CASBO was a proud sponsor of this event, represented by current President Diane Deshler, and was thrilled to see so many outstanding educators honored as finalists.
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LEADERSHIPtrends HERE'S THE SECRET TO ASKING QUESTIONS THE RIGHT WAY COMMUNICATION The questions you ask determine the answers you get in business – and in life in general. But to get the right answers, it's not just whether you ask questions but whether you ask the right questions the right way – in other words, whether you employ critical thinking, according to Harvard Business Review contributor John Coleman. How much information you gain, or fail to, depends on how your question is posed. Here are the strategies employed by companies such as Apple and Tesla, reports Kelly Main for Inc. Open the door for problem-solving According to HBR's Coleman, you want to ask questions that require critical thinking. To do this, you need to create space for active problem-solving. This not only eliminates the short, and largely uninformative, single-word response, but it forces the respondent to open up, giving you a depth of understanding that you wouldn't likely get otherwise. For example, Coleman says that instead of asking a straightforward yes-or-no question such as "Is this market stable?" frame the same question as, "If the market were unstable, why would that be?" Drop your angle The human mind is wired to seek and identify danger. This process naturally involves looking for signals of risk, something that a question with an angle that doesn't help you can do. And if it's not helpful, the mind might assume it might be harmful. Take the approach used in science and angle your questions to try to prove your hypothesis wrong, not right. Without an evident angle, your questions are received more innocently, and are more likely to yield an open response. Ask for details Draw information from others by asking questions as if you already know the answer and simply want to hear more details about it. This is a favorite hack used for parents. They might say, "I heard about last weekend. How did that happen?" And more often than not, the full story will be divulged. 9
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June 7, 2022 ROOTING OUT EXCLUSIONARY AND OUTDATED WORKPLACE LANGUAGE WORKPLACE CULTURE In a job-seeker’s market, there is no room to let language get in the way of recruiting or allow it to exclude existing talent. While restructuring workplace culture is a complex and multilayered challenge, updating language to be more inclusive is a step everyone at every level can take. If you don’t know where to start, try incorporating these four terms and phrases into your workplace vocabulary, according to Pamela Culpepper for Fast Company. Drop “minority” and pick up “historically excluded” For decades, the term “minority” has been used to describe anyone who is not a straight white cisgender man. Not only is it incorrect, as the majority of the world is non-white, but minority is a word that creates a dynamic of unequal power. There is nothing minor about Black or brown individuals, women, nor gay or trans individuals. They have been left out and excluded from opportunities throughout history, so try acknowledging that. Flip “maternity leave” to “parental leave” Let’s start off by acknowledging that any leave after welcoming a child into your family is not a vacation. It’s also not a “mother”-only job. Saying “parental leave” allows for families with samesex parents, fathers and people who don’t identify as male or female to be included. It also is a reminder that this leave is not actually a “break” from work but rather the start of the new or expanded job of being a parent. Forget “grandfathered in” and make it “preapproved” Like a lot of outdated terminology in the U.S., this term has heavy roots in racist history. The grandfather clause was created as another way to take away voting rights from Black people while maintaining said rights for lower-educated white people. Next time you’re thinking of customers who are “grandfathered in,” consider instead saying they’re “preapproved.” “Hey you guys”: Let’s use “folks” Greeting more than one person with a “hey guys” has been a habit and subconscious choice for many of us. It feels harmless, but in doing so we are automatically labeling and identifying multiple individuals as males. This term may feel small, but for people who identify as female, nonbinary, or anywhere else on the gender spectrum, it can be isolating and invalidating to their experience. Drop the gendered term and pick up easier, more generalized and inclusive terms like “folks.” ANNUAL CONFERENCE
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LEADERSHIPtrends 3 WAYS TO IMPROVE THE EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE THIS WEEK'S LIST Leaders of organizations should strive to control the controllable to win the talent war, according to Joe Galvin in an article for Inc. After all, the labor shortage has reinforced that people are the lifeblood of a company. What to do with this tidbit? Galvin points out that leaders are faced with a variety of factors that are outside of their control (i.e., a global pandemic, international war, supply chain slowdowns, inflation and even the labor shortage). But employee retention – one of the most important and impactful considerations of all – falls directly within every organizational leader’s domain. Keeping top talent on staff is an invaluable recruiting tool, as well as the only way to truly win the talent war. Sure, pay is important. But it’s not the end-all-be-all. Employee experience or creating an environment that people want to work in, is the most holistic and effective way to approach retention. Employee experience can be broken down into three entirely controllable elements: culture, workplace and boss. Culture A leader's most important job is embodying the culture they desire and pulling it through to the entire organization. Culture can stop an employee from applying elsewhere, and make a candidate choose one organization over another. It must be authentic, and it must come from the top down and be brought to life for the worker by their “boss." Workplace On the most basic level, business leaders must regularly invest in physical workspace. As we settle into routine, flexibility will become custom-fit to each team's needs and responsibilities – there is no one-size-fits-all solution to where and when all employees should work. For instance, individual tasks like writing, processing spreadsheets and completing individual work are more productive when done from home, but collaboration, innovation, problem-solving and team building are best suited for in-person. 11
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June 7, 2022 Boss People don't leave companies, they leave bosses. Bosses control and dictate their direct report's entire work experience. They build their job description, define their tasks and activities, measure their performance, and even charter their growth and salary. No one has greater influence over an employee's day-to-day experience than their boss. With increased pressure to retain employees, the new boss is more than just a manager. They are a leader, creating their work group's vision and determining how that connects with the organization's overarching mission; they are a conduit of culture, disseminating it to their direct reports who may be any mix of remote and in-person; they are a coach, driving employee development on an individual basis.
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June 7, 2022
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