Under what conditions should proposed legislation invite support or opposition from the state's broadly inclusive private school community? Given the diversity of views - philosophical, religious, and political - among California's private schools, the question may appear insoluble. If private school leaders don't agree about the essence of human nature, the nature of child development, what should be taught, how it should be taught, and how teaching and learning should be evaluated, how can they be expected to be in agreement when it comes to supporting, or opposing pending legislation?

As the "voice of California's private schools," the California Association of Private School Organizations (CAPSO) requires more than presumptive agreement before it commits to a formal position on bills pending in the State Legislature. It requires unanimity among its respective member-organizations. In practice, this gives each member-organization actual veto power, no matter how few, or how many schools it represents, or the number of students enrolled in those schools.

In theory, it might seem that such a distribution of power would make it nearly impossible to satisfy the unanimity principle. In practice, it has actually eased the path to consensus. Cognizant and respectful of their differing views, CAPSO's leaders are all too well aware of the issues around which unanimity cannot be reached. But that knowledge has also helped our decision makers cultivate a keen sense of not only where consensus is achievable, but when it is necessary. As a result, state private school leaders have come to regard certain principles as inviolable.

One such principle is that the state should desist from specifying the contents of a private school's curriculum. At present, California law requires only that "private full-time day schools...offer instruction in the several branches of study required to be taught in the public schools of the state." (California Education Code Section 48222) Private schools are under no obligation to follow any of the state's curriculum frameworks (though many have adopted or adapted elements, thereof), and nowhere does the state detail what must be included in a private school's teaching of English, math, history, science, social studies, or any core curricular area.

AB 800, a bill authored by California Assemblymember Liz Ortega (D. - San Leandro, pictured at right) appears to have crossed this well established boundary. If enacted, the measure would deem the "week of each year that includes April 28...as 'Workplace Readiness Week.'” The current version of the bill holds that "all secondary schools shall annually observe that week and by providing information to pupils on their rights as workers." It doesn't stop there. The measure specifies that the topics covered must include local, state, and federal laws regarding:

C) Worker safety;

D) Workers' compensation;

E) Paid sick leave;

F) Prohibitions against retaliation; and,

G) The right to organize a union in the workplace.

Additionally, secondary schools will be required to furnish information about the labor movement's role in winning the protections and benefits enumerated above, and must provide "an introduction to state-approved apprenticeship programs in California, how to access them, and how they can provide an alternative career path for those who do not attend college." Finally, AB 800 establishes that the above requirements "shall be integrated into the regular school program, consistent with the history-social science framework."

In AB 800's original version, the bill's language made it clear that all of the above-mentioned provisions would be applicable to public schools only. On April 3, however, the bill was amended in a manner that changed "All public schools" to "all secondary schools." The amended language would appear to make private secondary schools subject to the measure's curricular and instructional mandates.

CAPSO has asked the author's office to clarify whether it is Assemblymember Ortega's intention to make private schools subject to AB 800's provisions. Should the answer be "no," we will request that the bill be amended in a manner that restores its original reference to public schools. Should the answer be "yes," look for CAPSO to achieve unanimous support for an "oppose unless amended" position.

UPDATE: Literally minutes before this edition of the E-Mailer was published, word has been received that AB 800 will be amended in a manner that will make the bill's curricular and instructional provisions applicable to public secondary schools only. The author's office had been informed that failure to do so would almost certainly have resulted in strenuous opposition from CAPSO.

The Office of Non-Public Education (ONPE) congratulates three private schools for receiving a 2023 U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools (ED GRS) award. This year, the U.S. Department of Education honors 26 schools, 11 districts, and four post-secondary institutions across the country for their innovative efforts to reduce environmental impact and utility costs, improve health and wellness, and ensure effective sustainability education. The Department named these honorees from a pool of candidates that received nominations by 18 states. In addition, the Department recognized one state education official with the Director’s Award, and this year, Alexandria Roe of the University of Wisconsin System received that award. The Department plans to honor awardees at a ceremony in August.

U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona recognized awardees in a video and commended them by stating in a press release:

"Our 2023 U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools have raised the bar for sustainable practices, energy efficiency, health and wellness, and hands-on learning experiences that enhance students’ problem-solving skills and foster a sense of environmental stewardship and civic responsibility."

Bellarmine College Preparatory, San Jose, California

Palmer Trinity School, Miami, Florida

Tamarack Waldorf School, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Did you know that California is the only state in the nation that offers its own Green Ribbon Schools program in tandem with the U.S. Department of Education? The great thing about the California GRS program, which will shortly enter its 13th year, is that there is no limit to the number of schools - public and private - that are eligible to receive recognition from the state.

Schools become eligible for consideration by completing an application in which progress within the following three "pillars" is described:

1) Reducing environmental impact and costs;

2) Improving the health and wellness of schools, students, and staff; and,

3) Providing effective environmental education, which teaches many disciplines, and is especially good at effectively incorporating STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), civic skills, and green career pathways.

Applications are studiously evaluated by a panel of judges, who are also available to help schools continue their progress and improve their scores. One of the wonderful aspects of California's GRS program is that schools need not compete against one another to receive recognition. Schools whose applications are scored at-or-above a baseline level of accomplishment become eligible for recognition at the Bronze Level; those scoring within the next higher range are recognized at the Silver Level. Above that is the Gold Level. The four highest-scoring public schools (or districts) and the highest-scoring private school are recognized as California "Green Achievers," a distinction that carries an accompanying nomination for recognition as a National Green Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond recently announced the five California schools/districts named as "Green Achievers." Each of the following has also been recognized as a National Green Ribbon School:

From its inception, CAPSO has partnered with the California Department of Education to administer the private school component of the California Green Ribbon Schools Award Program. CAPSO strongly encourages private school leaders to learn more about the CA GRS program, and to give serious consideration to entering the CA GRS "pipeline." An FAQ can be found here, and an introductory webinar conducted by CDE GRS Program Lead George Garcia can be viewed, below.

Finally, CAPSO extends thanks and appreciation to Dr. Paul Chapman, former Head of School at Head-Royce School, Oakland, and a nationally prominent leader in sustainability education and planning. Not only has Paul graciously served as coordinator of the private school component of the CA GRS program since its inception, he was instrumental in creating the state program. Moreover, Paul has been extraordinarily gracious in providing expert assistance both to participating schools, and schools considering participation.

A CAPSO shout-out also extends to Hovey Clark, Sustainability Director at Woodside Priory School, Portola Valley, and Steve Harrington, Director of Facilities at Prospect Sierra School, El Cerrito, for serving as members of the CAPSO-GRS Selection Committee, together with Paul.

Private school leaders: Please give the Committee more work to do in the coming school year by starting your school's journey toward GRS recognition!

The California Department of Education is asking educators at California private nonprofit schools offering instruction in any of grades K-12, inclusive, to hold the dates of August 2-4, 2023 for three-days of professional learning that will be offered remotely and provided at no cost to participants. The program, which is being jointly organized by CDE, the Sacramento County Office of Education, and Education Speakers Network, is underwritten by federal funds reserved under provisions of Title II-A and Title IV-A of the Every Student Succeeds Act.

The conference will run from 9:00 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. on each of the three days, and will feature keynote speakers Michele Borba (shown at right) on Day 1, and George Couros on Day 3. Participants can choose from among 75 sessions led by education experts that include private school colleagues. Session presenters include Catlin Tucker, Kristin Hilty, Rick Wormeli, Lori Elliott, Kathy Schrock, Shauna King, and many more.

Online registration will be available soon. Download a conference flyer with additional information, here.

As readers of the E-Mailer are well aware, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and Diocese of Tulsa are currently in the process of re-submitting an application that, if approved, would herald the nation's first religious charter school. Regardless of whether the St. Isadore of Sienna Virtual Charter School is ultimately green-lighted, the matter will almost certainly make its way to the courts. Fierce opposition from the nation's traditional public school establishment, teachers unions, and related interests is sure to follow approval of the application, should it occur. But what about charter and private school advocates?

A recent article by Greg Toppo, a senior writer at The 74, explores the question. In "Choice Supporters to Oklahoma Backers of Catholic Charter Schools: 'Proceed with Caution'," Mr. Toppo uncovers the presence of uncertainty and a degree of anxiety about what the anticipated judicial proceedings could mean for the future of charter schools and state regulation of expanded student opportunity programs. Those following the unfolding developments will want to give it a read.

Educators are invited to join CDE Computer Science Coordinator Katherine Goyette on Wednesday, May 24 at 8:30 a.m. as she moderates a virtual panel discussion regarding the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on our students’ lives. Panelists from across California’s K–12 and higher education systems will speak to build students’ conceptual knowledge of this emerging technology and address the capabilities and limitations of AI. Register via Zoom for the Artificial Intelligence: Demystifying AI for California Students event. Email questions to [email protected].

The California Youth Climate Policy Leadership Program (CYCP) empowers youth to take climate action into their own hands. During the program,

plan, and are eligible to receive a $500 stipend upon completion of the program. Incoming 9-12th graders should apply here by May 29th!  

Download a printable flier here.

National Assessment of Educational Progress test results released earlier this month showed the continuation of a decade-long decline in knowledge of U.S. History, with scores in Civics falling for the first time since the initiation of the assessment in 1998. The tests, which were administered to a nationally representative sample of 8th graders, showed that just 13 percent of students scored at-or-above the NAEP Proficient level in U.S. history, and 22 scored at-or-above the NAEP Proficient level in civics.

According to the National Assessment Governing Board, the nonpartisan body that oversees policy for the NAEP (also known as "The Nation's Report Card"): "Nearly one-third of eighth graders are performing below NAEP Basic in civics, meaning they likely cannot describe the structure and function of government. In U.S. history, 40 percent of eighth graders performed below NAEP Basic, meaning they likely cannot identify simple historical concepts in primary or secondary sources."

John Fensterwald reports the story for EdSource, here. Chester E. Finn, Jr. offers commentary, here. And American Enterprise Institute scholar Nate Malkus provides an interesting analysis, here.

I must confess that my memory is beginning to slip. I can't, for example, recall whether Walter Cronkite was trusted slightly more, or slightly less than God. What is certain is that a 1972 Oliver Quayle Research survey found the legendary CBS news anchor to be "the most trusted man in America." So formidable was Mr. Cronkite's influence that when, while reporting from Vietnam in 1968, he referred to the war as "a stalemate," it prompted then-President Lyndon Johnson to lament, "If I’ve lost Cronkite, I’ve lost America.” And that's the way it was.

Mr. Cronkite wasn't alone among journalists who inspired widespread trust. The vast majority of Americans were confident that the likes of Chet Huntley, David Brinkley, Howard K. Smith, Harry Reasoner, Eric Sevareid, John Chancellor, Connie Chung, Dianne Sawyer, Tom Brokaw, Cokie Roberts, Peter Jennings, Jessica Savitch, Barbara Walters and others were reporting accurate, well-sourced, and mostly unbiased news.

Nowadays, not so much. A recent Gallup poll asked a representative sample of Americans the following question: "In general, how much trust and confidence do you have in the mass media -- such as newspapers, TV and radio -- when it comes to reporting the news fully, accurately and fairly -- a great deal, a fair amount, not very much or none at all?" (Gallup has asked the same question every year for the past 50 years.) For the first time ever, the percentage of respondents who answered "None at all" (38%) eclipsed the percentages responding "Great deal/Fair amount" (34%) or "Not very much" (28%).

Another Gallup/Knight report suggests that "...about two in five Americans believe official government accounts of events can’t be trusted (43%) and that the opinion of ordinary people is worth more than that of experts or politicians (40%)." And according to Gallup Trends, "average confidence in institutions, including business, religion, the U.S. court system and schools, dropped to the lowest on record in 2022."

With confidence in the media at an apparent all-time low, and trust in government institutions on the wane, to whom are Americans turning as trusted sources of information? Enter Gallup and the Knight Foundation, once again. In an October, 2022 survey, the pollsters found that nearly 9 of every 10 Americans followed at least one "public individual" for news, or other information. Who do these individuals tend to be?

Readers might be comforted (or not) to know that "Scientists or experts" led the pack, having been identified by 66 percent of respondents. The second most oft-cited group was "Journalists," at 58 percent. OK, but this is where it gets dicey. A greater number of respondents indicated that they turned to "Comedians" as sources of information (32%) than "Religious leaders" (25%). 17 percent named actors, and 12 percent responded that they look to athletes.

I do not wish to be dismissive of comedians. Raw and acerbic as they were, comic voices such as those of Lenny Bruce and Dick Gregory delivered painful truths with a spoonful of sugar. Jon Stewart and Bill Maher are regarded by many as contemporary extensions of that tradition. And while the media they employ to ply their craft are of a relatively recent vintage, satire and farce have served as effective vehicles for the delivery of social and political criticism for centuries, if not millennia.

But the Walter Cronkite era seems a millennium removed from the present. Back then, one was accustomed to wait until 7 p.m. to receive the news of the day. Now, waiting more than a few minutes invites a Herculean exercise in deferred gratification, for today there is no waiting. Our inboxes and smart phones are inundated with a nonstop flood of "breaking news" from an ever-growing number of sources.

Back then, access to the airwaves and print journalism was restricted to those with appropriate training, credentials, and experience. Political commentary was largely restricted to the editorial pages of newspapers, magazines, and televised editorials and programs that were clearly demarcated from news. Now, anyone can get into the game. Feedspot furnishes a list of the "100 Best Political Podcasts worth listening to in 2023." These are deemed the best among thousands of such podcasts.

Here's someone's list of the top 30 Instagram influencers. Ever heard of Khabane Lame? At least 158 million people have. That's the number of followers the 23-year-old Senegalese-born Italian has attracted on the Tik Tok social media platform. To say he offers political commentary would be a stretch. But should he decide to do so, he'll have an audience that's more than five times larger than Walter Cronkite's.

The exponential increase in both the availability of information and the number of 'influencers' vying to package, present, and interpret its meaning to mass audiences has been accompanied by a no less significant change. Postmodernism has destabilized truth. Back then, people spoke of the truth. Nowadays, an increasing number of people speak of their truth. If truth has become fungible, follower counts on podcasts and social media platforms can be said to provide indicators of whose truth is 'truer'.

These changes have not been free of consequence for education. Arguments over whose truth is being taught are pushing the nation's public schools into the heart of the culture wars. The politicization of parent groups around issues of curriculum and instruction is seen by some as a healthy expression of democratic local control of schools, and by others as a stampede conducted by a retrograde mob of book-burning villagers with pitchforks.

In the face of such contentiousness, private schools offer a workable pluralistic alternative. Despite their differing philosophical, religious, and political orientations, each private school is a community grounded in a transparent set of shared values and beliefs. The freedom to pursue differing visions and missions is, has been, and must continue to be private education's most important source of strength and promise.

Speaking at a CAPSO Colloquium on Private School Accountability, former U.C. Berkeley Law Professor (Emeritus) Jack Coons may have put it best in offering the following exhortation to an audience of private school leaders:

"Keep your identity. Teach your own ideas. But, in all justice I urge you to ponder how something like this freely chosen diversity of yours might be made accessible to every family. Maybe we can secure to all parents the dignity of favoring their own vision of the good and the true. Among the benign side effects would be a new transparency in the public sector; for the market would give government schools good reason to be as honest as you all are about what it is they actually teach."

A visionary thinker if ever there was one, Professor Coons offered those remarks in 2005. He may not be Walter Cronkite, but this brilliant, justice-seeking and fun-loving nonagenarian surely makes my list of people I can count on to speak the truth.

Ron Reynolds

Note: The commentary and views expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily represent those of the California Association of Private School Organizations, or its members.

The next edition of the CAPSO Midweek E-Mailer will be published on June 14, 2023.