From Shaping Policy to Representing District Interests, Explore the CBO’s Role in Advocacy

California legislators introduce approximately 2,000 bills each year, according to Capitol Weekly. Many of these bills contain provisions that directly impact public school operations and, as a result, student learning – often in ways legislators never intended or foresaw.

Consider, for example, the Public Records Request Act. The act is intended to support transparency and accountability to facilitate the open exchange of information and encourage ethical operations. In practice, however, the Public Records Request Act is draining resources from local school districts, says Sara Pietrowski, CASBO’s chief governmental relations officer.

As the number and complexity of public records requests received by school districts has increased in recent years, districts have had to devote significant time and money to fulfilling those requests – time and money that would otherwise be spent on primary school operations that directly benefit staff and students. Some districts have had to hire additional staff to meet the demand; at least one district has a full-time staff member devoted solely to managing public record requests.

The legislators who initially introduced the Public Records Request Act in the 1960s almost surely did not envision that their legislation would someday become a costly burden for school districts. The legislators who supported the 2023 reorganization of the act without making any substantial changes also likely did not realize they were essentially supporting an unfunded mandate on public schools; they voted to support public transparency.

“Legislators don’t understand all the implications that can occur with what appears to be a very innocuous bill,” says Darrin Watters, deputy superintendent of business services at Hemet Unified School District and a member at large of CASBO’s Legislative Committee.

That’s why it’s important – essential, even – for those affected by legislation to speak up. Legislators understand how to make policy; they don’t always understand the nuances of public education (or other sectors that may be impacted by their legislation). The responsibility falls on those in the trenches to help lawmakers understand how policies play out in the real world.

Because chief business officials (CBOs) are involved in budgeting and financial planning, transportation, facility development and maintenance, human resources and the systems that support teaching and learning, they are well-positioned to identify and communicate concerns regarding legislation that affects public schools. What many CBOs don’t realize, however, is that they can also play a positive role in the development of legislation.

“Chief business officials’ thoughts, opinions and knowledge about the issues being decided upon in Sacramento and Washington, D.C., are extremely valuable,” Pietrowski says.

The CBO’s Role in Advocacy

Frustration fueled Darrin Watters’ first forays into advocacy. “My then-assistant superintendent of ed services and I were looking at some ridiculous piece of legislation that had passed and we were both very frustrated. And then we both looked at each other and made a commitment to get involved so our voices would be heard at least,” he shares.

In that moment, Watters and his colleague realized that it would be wise to invest some of their time and effort toward advocating for reasonable legislation, rather than simply complaining as they struggled to operationalize policies that don’t make sense. And he realized that the onus was on him. “My legislators don’t typically call me and say, ‘Hey, we’re thinking of doing this and it’s going to impact education this way. What are your thoughts?’”

Watters says. “I have to go to them and say, ‘I really need you to think about these items.’”

Like most CBOs, Watters didn’t have any previous experience with advocacy. He didn’t learn advocacy skills or techniques in school, and he spent most of his time focused on the day-to-day business of running a school district. He wasn’t even entirely sure what advocacy entailed.

But at its core, advocacy is simply about supporting a cause – and that’s something CBOs already do every day. They support public education, their staff and their students. Public or political advocacy is just another way to do that work.

“Advocacy is no more than sharing information so that ultimately, at the end of the day, the best decision can be made from the best information,” says Mark Schiel, deputy superintendent/CBO at Santa Clara Unified School District.

“It’s no different than having a conversation with your executive cabinet members, with your superintendent or with your governing board members out in the community.”

In practice, advocacy may involve having face-to-face conversations with legislative staffers about proposed (or passed) legislation. Or it can entail sharing stories from your district with members of CASBO’s Legislative Committee, so they can collate and compile anecdotes to help legislators better understand how, say, a policy requiring electric buses might affect rural districts serving families in the mountains of California. It may also involve inviting your legislative representatives to events in your district.

CBOs do not need a deep understanding of politics, public policy or the legislative process to become advocates. What’s needed most of all is the conviction that your voice can make a difference. Your belief that the voices of school business deserve a seat at the table when decisions affecting public schools are being made.

From Awareness to Action

Getting started in advocacy is easier than it may seem. Here’s how you can actively advance policies and legislation that positively serve California districts:

Start small.

“Find one bill that you’re passionate about and get involved with that one bill,” Schiel says.

Most CBOs are consumed with the day-to-day work of school business operations, so focus your initial efforts on a bill or piece of legislation that’s already giving you headaches. You don’t have to know the whole history of the bill to get involved; you can start where you are. You already have knowledge that legislators may not — a good understanding of how said bill or legislation is (or may) affect your district’s students, educators and families.

Jot down the information you have; collect and compile any data you have that supports your position, including information and data that seems overwhelmingly obvious to you.

Watters knows that his school district is 650 square miles – and that his district provides contracted transportation services to surrounding districts. He’s also learned that electric school buses typically go 100-120 miles on a single charge, with top ranges of 300 miles. He shared those basic facts with legislators working on California Assembly Bill 579 (AB579), which mandates that all new school buses purchased on contracted by California school districts must be zero-emission by Jan. 1, 2035.

“Originally, it was going to be 2028,” he says. “I told legislators that I cannot run an electric bus up into my mountain communities. It won’t last; the technology does not allow the buses to operate in those types of conditions for a long period of time. I also brought up that there’s not yet enough manufacturing capacity to make that many electric buses, and that anytime I buy an electric bus, I have to add infrastructure. I have to add charging stations and get larger feeds from my utility provider.”

Work with your professional organization.

CASBO employs a legislative analyst, director of policy and advocacy, and chief governmental officer; these professionals study legislation and work directly with legislators so you can focus on local school business.

“We keep our members apprised of things that are happening in the government that may affect them and share specific requests to provide input,” Pietrowski says. “Members can simply lend their expertise on a specific issue or share feedback.”

Because there’s power in numbers – and because diversity of experience is so valuable – CASBO’s legislative team includes CBOs from throughout California. Collectively, the legislative and governmental teams analyze bills to consider potential impact: Does the bill add or take way funding for schools? Does it add beneficial services for students? Does it have an impact on labor/management relationships?

Both the Legislative Committee and governmental team frequently seek additional input from CASBO members; contributing your expertise and insight is perhaps the easiest, most efficient way for you to be involved with advocacy efforts.

“CASBO has built great relationships with so many of the members of our Legislature,” says Paula Ford, a member of CASBO’s Legislative Committee and assistant superintendent of business services at Jurupa Unified School District. “Our advocacy is so effective because we’re clearly communicating the real-world impact of decisions that are being made, and we’re doing that by sharing data and specific experiences.”

Share stories.

Stories that illustrate the impact of legislative decisions are more powerful than you may realize.
Charts, graphs and numbers that demonstrate the financial effect of legislation are helpful as well, but what staffers and representatives really want to know is the story behind those numbers, Ford says. “They want to know, how is really going to impact kids? How is it going to impact our unions? Our communities? That resonates with them more than if we just talk about dollars,” Ford says.

When California was considering changing school start times in an effort to ensure that students get enough sleep, Ford shared stories with her legislators. “I told them, ‘That’s going to be problematic for our parents,’” she says. “We’re a bedroom community; we had a 7:15 start time for our high schools so parent could drop their children off and get to work.”

Of course, California Senate Bill 328 (SB 328) passed and went into effect in 2023. Jurupa’s high schools now start at 8:30 a.m., but Ford doesn’t consider her advocacy on the issue wasted effort.
“I had a voice at the table. And so, I was able to sit with our union leadership and parents and say, ‘I was in the senator’s office. I told our story and advocated to leave start times to local control.’ Unfortunately, we didn’t get the result we wanted but I made every effort, and our unions appreciate that,” Ford says.

Build relationships.

You don’t have to cozy up with politicians to become an effective advocate. While it can be helpful to establish a personal connection with your legislators, it’s arguably even more important to develop relationships with your colleagues.

“Identify the person who’s in your network and working directly with advocacy,” Ford advises. “Start having conversations with them and let them know that you are someone who is able to collect data, pull together information and support the process.”

A fellow CBO who is actively involved in advocacy can also serve as a mentor of sorts, teaching you the ropes via both example and conversation.

It’s also smart to learn when your representatives are in your district and use that time to connect.

“Most legislators are in-district on Fridays, so if you’re doing to have an event in your school district – an open house, ribbon cutting or other celebration – do it on Friday and invite them,” Watters says. “If they can’t be there, they’ll typically send a staff representative to come and that’s fine. That’s how you start building rapport and getting to know people.” (And, in a state with term limits, relationships with staffers can be extremely valuable, Watters says, as staffers may be around for many years.)

Remember that relationships, like advocacy, should be reciprocal. Don’t focus solely on your needs and priorities; take time to understand your legislators’ position and priorities as well. Work toward shared goals.
“I always close out my meetings with legislators or staff by asking, ‘Are there any bills you’re working on that we could help you support? Is there anything you need from us?’” Watters says.

Effective advocacy isn’t about politics; it’s about helping lawmakers understand what policies look like in practice. Sharing that operational expertise is an important – and increasingly essential – part of the modern CBO role.

Advance Your Advocacy

CASBO offers a variety of resources to help you build and strengthen your advocacy efforts, including:

• Our Legislative Process 101 and Advocacy 101 self-paced courses inside CASBO School Business University (SBU). Start here if you want to better understand the nuts and bolts of public policy.
• Newsbreak (casbo.org/newsbreak), CASBO’s legislative update. A great way to stay up to date on current legislative efforts and advocacy actions.
• CASBO’s 2026 Policy Platform (casbo.org/papers/casbo-policy-platform/). Learn how CASBO is advocating for public education –and quickly get up to speed on the broad policy issues affecting California schools.
• CASBO’s advocacy webpage (casbo.org/advocate-impact/). Includes links to the California State Senate and Assembly, the Legislative Analysts’ Office and a glossary of terms, as well as a link to help you identify and contact your state representatives.