Why Advocacy Matters: A Year of Impact for California’s Schools

When it comes to influencing education policy in California, CASBO members have a powerful voice, and this past year proved just how critical that voice can be. As CASBO’s Chief Governmental Relations Officer, I want to share a behind-the-scenes look at the strategic, fast-paced, and collaborative work that shapes laws and funding affecting school business every day.

A Team Committed to Member Engagement and Data Driven Strategy

I have the honor of leading the Governmental Relations (GR) team, which includes Director of Policy and Advocacy Mishaal Gill and Legislative Analyst Veronica Molina. Each of us brings a distinct passion and expertise to our work:

I am driven by promoting smart, student-centered policy that supports school health, operations, and long-term viability. With a background in policy development and implementation, I focus on sharing the voice of CASBO’s members and building statewide coalitions that make a difference.
Mishaal brings a strong legislative background and excels at identifying political opportunities to advance thoughtful legislation. She’s particularly skilled at aligning legislation with practical, operational realities.
Veronica plays a key role in monitoring bills, coordinating committee feedback, and building relationships with member practitioners. She is passionate about elevating member voices and transforming feedback into policy solutions.

Our work is made possible through partnership with CASBO’s Legislative Committee and Advocacy Network Committee. These two groups are essential in reviewing legislation, shaping our positions, and amplifying our message across the state.

Strategic Wins Through Member Partnership

Over the past year, CASBO members have joined us to weigh in on dozens of policy proposals, attend hearings, host site visits, and lend their expertise directly to state leaders. Our Advocacy Days each spring bring our committees to the Capitol for two focused days of meetings with legislators and policymakers. It’s a whirlwind, over 50 meetings in two days, but it’s also one of the most energizing and effective ways we influence policy.

Advocacy Days Capitol — One of my favorite photos from this year captures both the Legislative Committee and Advocacy Network Committee gathered in the State Capitol rotunda. It’s a powerful image of the strength in our collective voice.

Advocacy Days — Another photo shows members from CASBO’s Central Section meeting with Assemblymember Petrie-Norris

Press Conference — There’s also a snapshot of us standing with Senator Sasha Renée Pérez during a press conference in support of SB 848, which was based on the FCMAT report and focused on preventing childhood sexual assault. We were proud to support this important legislation, which passed both houses and was signed into law.

Testifying — Another image shows Mishaal testifying during a legislative hearing—a powerful reminder of how often we speak on behalf of our members, not just in private meetings but on the public record.

AB 1224 Coalition — One more photo features Mishaal with Assemblymember Avelino Valencia (D- Anaheim), who authored AB 1224. This bill, co-sponsored by CASBO, Association of California School Administrators (ACSA), California School Boards Association (CSBA), and California County Superintendents, aimed to extend substitute teacher flexibilities. Though it was vetoed, the bill received only one "no" vote throughout the entire legislative process.

Alvarez Site Visit — We also welcomed Assemblymember David Alvarez to a Chula Vista Unified. That visit, captured in another image, showcased the real-world impact of the programs state policies support. It created a powerful moment for dialogue between local leaders and legislators.

Advocacy Days Limon — And in another snapshot, Senator Monique Limón (D- Santa Barbara) joins our members during Advocacy Days. Moments like this deepen understanding and build long-term relationships that are vital to our continued success.

Legislative Highlights: Bills That Made a Difference

This year, we saw direct impact from our advocacy on several key pieces of legislation. These are the bills specifically highlighted in our work:

SB 848 (Sasha Renée Pérez) – –This bill incorporated FCMAT report recommendations focused on preventing childhood sexual assault,. It was signed into law after strong CASBO support, including participation in a press conference with the author and coalition partners.
AB 1224 (Avelino Valencia) – Aimed to extend substitute teacher flexibilities. CASBO co-sponsored this bill alongside ACSA, CSBA, and California County Superintendents. Although it passed with only one no vote, it was ultimately vetoed by the governor. Despite that, it demonstrated the power of a strong legislative coalition.
Expanded Learning Opportunities Program Implementation Grade Period – CASBO advocated for a grace period for new Tier 1 LEAs related to audit requirements tied to the Expanded Learning Opportunities Program. This grace period was successfully included in the state budget, helping relieve immediate compliance pressure for LEAs. We also supported a higher minimum grant amount, making this program feasible for small LEAs.
Student Support and Professional Development Block Grant– We preserved $1.7 billion in block grant funds with minimal new strings attached, ensuring districts retained local control over these vital resources.
Statutory COLA Funding – We fought for and secured full funding of the statutory 2.3% cost-of-living adjustment, protecting base funding levels across the state.
TK Implementation Support – An additional $1.2 billion was allocated to support the implementation of transitional kindergarten programs, supporting infrastructure and staffing requirements.

These wins underscore how strategic, data-driven advocacy paired with strong member engagement can lead to tangible results for school business officials and the students they serve.

Clear Results from a Smart, Strategic Approach

This year, we took positions on 41 pieces of legislation:

17 support positions
24 oppose positions

Here’s how it turned out:

Of the 24 opposed bills, 22 did not reach the Governor’s desk.
Of the 2 opposed bills that did reach the Governor’s desk, both of those were vetoed
Of the 17 supported bills, were signed, including:
- A bill to increase inventory threshold levels
- A pilot for best value procurement
- Extension of the Civic Center Act
- New safety protections for students
- Clean-up legislation on cell phone policies

We also worked to stop or amend bills that would have added reporting burdens, limited the use of safety technology, or jeopardized energy efficiency agreements. These outcomes were only possible through coordinated strategy and member feedback.

The Power of Facts, Data, and Practitioner Voices

We don’t just advocate. We educate. Lawmakers often rely on expert practitioners to help them understand the real-world implications of what they’re voting on. That’s where CASBO shines.

Whether we’re testifying in committee, hosting a site tour, or sharing one-pagers backed by field data, we speak from experience. One example of this is our support of new research developed by Jason Willis at WestEd. This research relies on administrators taking an anonymous survey to help quantify the true time and cost of compliance activities in California’s schools.

Advocacy Is a Team Sport

Advocacy matters in a very real way. It doesn’t require any one of us to have deep political or policy expertise, but it does require us all to work together. I am proud of the work our team and members accomplished this year. Together, we shaped legislation, influenced the budget, and protected operational flexibility.

The results speak for themselves, and the relationships we’ve built will carry this work forward into the coming year. I hope you’ll join us. Your voice is essential to our success.