March 23, 2019 / Published in Education
The one-room schoolhouse was solid and wonderful, but it was the opposite of the flexible grid style schools needed for the future. Demographics often mimic a slow tide, coming in gradually and making incremental and predictable changes. Eventually, everything is different and where you were once sitting is now underwater, but this change is too
District High School in California
January 28, 2019 / Published in Education, News & Events
In November 2018, California voters passed most of the 125 bills seeking to fund improvements in local school districts. The bills represented more than $15.7 billion in construction bonds, with more than $14.8 billion approved by voters that will fund everything from asbestos and lead removal to entirely new buildings. There were a smaller number
kids working in school district
December 4, 2018 / Published in Education
After all the lesson planning and class preparation that teachers do to help students succeed, sometimes the biggest challenge is just getting students to show up. Studies show that students who miss school score lower on standardized tests and are ultimately less likely to graduate from high school. Attendance is particularly important for students in
October 26, 2018 / Published in Education, Workforce Housing
Research shows that teacher-student relationships are vital in creating successful learning communities, and both teachers and students gain an advantage when teachers are able to live in the communities they serve. School employees who are part of the community stay invested in and connected to the families they work with. But rising housing costs can
resolving and reviewing paperwork while you make money with your church property
October 10, 2018 / Published in Education
When a school district has a piece of property it isn’t using, the school board members must ask themselves two basic questions: Will they need the property anytime soon and would the property be worth something if it were to be repurposed to a commercial or residential use? If the property will be needed soon,
October 5, 2018 / Published in Education
School districts have the disadvantage of building schools that last for decades to meet student enrollments that can shift tomorrow. Sometimes that leaves districts with unused properties that once served an important purpose but don’t any longer. When that disuse is more than a temporary hiccup, school districts must decide what to do with those
August 6, 2018 / Published in Education
Communities change over time, as do the school districts that serve them. Too often, however, the real estate holdings of those school districts stay stuck in the past, which does no good for the district or the community. When school districts hold onto property that is unused or underused, they are passing up the opportunity
Recognizing the critical connection of teacher quality and satisfaction with academic success, CAAASA will be presenting a special session on Workforce Housing: an innovative solution aimed at recruiting and retaining quality teachers. In California, one of the biggest drivers of teacher turnover is the increasing cost of housing. Drawing on its history of working with
February 13, 2018 / Published in Education, Workforce Housing
Housing costs have pinched California’s public school teachers for years. But the public perception is that college professors have it much better. That’s only partially true. A 2015 report by the UC Berkeley Center for Public Relations found that 25 percent of part-time college faculty and their families are enrolled in at least one of
California state lawmakers have been working hard to address the affordable housing crisis and propose legislation to help educators live in the communities they serve — and on Thursday, Oct. 12, their hard work paid off. Gov. Jerry Brown approved an assembly bill designed to empower school districts to use school property in new ways. Under the new bill,
Amid ongoing efforts to meet school budget needs and safely house students, a bill that reinstates charter schools’ priority in the purchase of surplus public school district property has stalled in the California Legislature. What Happened On July 1, 2016, the California education code provision relating to school facilities, surplus real property and charter schools quietly expired. From
The California Legislature knows the state has an affordable housing crisis. Lawmakers have proposed more than 100 bills to address the affordable housing shortage, including four bills that specifically target teacher and school staff housing. Recruiting and retaining high-quality teachers, librarians, coaches and other school staff who support students is critical to a healthy community