CLSBA Unity 2026: Full Schedule

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9:00am PDT

From Voice to Action: Building Civically Engaged Students through Purposeful Schoolwide Practices

Friday August 28, 2026 9:00am - 9:45am PDT

How can School Boards/Districts/Schools move beyond isolated programs to ensure 100% of students engage in meaningful civic learning? This session highlights an award-winning school-wide model embedding civic engagement across instruction, leadership, and partnerships that improves engagement, climate, and achievement. Participants will learn how governance teams can support systems that shift classrooms from teacher-directed instruction to student-driven inquiry, where students lead discussions on real-world issues, participate in simulations of democratic processes, and influence school decision-making. Attendees will leave with practical strategies to implement scalable, low-cost civic engagement structures in their own districts.

Highlights
This session highlights the board’s role in setting priorities that elevate student voice and civic engagement, aligning efforts to LCAP goals, and ensuring equitable access for all students. It addresses policy considerations related to student leadership, student engagement, civic learning, and community partnerships. Budget implications are minimal, leveraging existing staff, collaboration time, and grants, demonstrating how boards can support high-impact, sustainable initiatives.

Key Takeaways/Call to Action:
1. Build systems that ensure 100% student engagement in civic learning. 2. Shift from teacher-directed instruction to student-driven inquiry and leadership. 3. Take action: align policies, leverage existing resources, and implement scalable civic practices across your district.

Speakers

Dr. Elida MacArthur

Superintendent, Mount Pleasant Elementary Sch. Dist

r. Elida MacArthur was selected as Superintendent by the Mount Pleasant Elementary School District’s Board of Trustees in August of 2020. With more than two decades of service to the District, she began her career as a Kindergarten Dual Language Immersion Teacher and worked her... Read More →

Melissa Got-Lopez

Vice President, Mount Pleasant Elementary Sch. Dist

Raquel Topete

Principal, Mount Pleasant Elementary Sch. Dist

Friday August 28, 2026 9:00am - 9:45am PDT
Willow Glen 2

Breakout Workshop

10:00am PDT

Creating Multilingual School Districts: The Schools we Need for a Multilingual California

Friday August 28, 2026 10:00am - 10:45am PDT

Willow Glen 2

Preparing all students to thrive and lead in a global world, and closing gaps for our culturally and linguistically diverse students requires visionary and strategic leadership. Creating multilingual school districts that reflect, embrace, and support our diverse communities is the critical next step for California. Come hear from school board members and superintendents at LEA and County Office levels who are working on the cutting edge to implement a vision of multilingual education, and learn about an exciting statewide campaign to establish multilingual education as a signature feature of California schools. In this session you’ll hear about the rationale and research behind this movement to scale multilingual education for every student in our state. Attendees will gain actionable leadership strategies and concrete tools to move their own districts forward—including sample board policies—and learn how to join with forward-looking leaders across the state in this groundbreaking campaign. implement multilingual education for every student in our state, learn about leadership strategies, gain tools to move your own district forward (including sample board policies), and consider joining with forward-looking school board members throughout California in this ground-breaking campaign. We need schools that reflect, embrace and support our diverse communities! As with the State Seal of Biliteracy, our English Learner Roadmap, Global California 2030, and development of dual language immersion models, California is once again paving the way for the nation. Join us.

Speakers

Elodia Ortega-Lampkin

Superintendent, Woodland Joint School District

Superintendent Elodia Ortega-Lampkin possesses a diverse range of experience throughout her 31-year career in education. Her career began as a student-teacher at Dingle Elementary School and she served in the California Mini-Corps Program as a tutor/para educator at Grafton Elementary... Read More →

Izela Jacobo

Senior Director, San Diego County Office of Education

Izela Jacobo is an Executive Leadership Coach for the San Diego County Office of Education Multilingual Education and Global Achievement Department. She's also a lecturer for the San Diego State University Dual Language and English Learner Education Program. Previously, Izela was... Read More →

Dr. Yolanda Rogers

Assistant Superintendent, SDCOE

Alicia Muñoz

School Board Member, San Diego County Office of Education

Dr. Gloria Ciriza

Superintendent, San Diego County Superintendent of Schools

Claudia Rodriguez Mojica

Board Trustee, Woodland Joint School District

Friday August 28, 2026 10:00am - 10:45am PDT
Willow Glen 2

Breakout Workshop

11:00am PDT

Effective Communication Between Board and Superintendent

Friday August 28, 2026 11:00am - 11:45am PDT

Willow Glen 2

Effective Communication Between Board and Superintendent

Speakers

Dr. Jesus Vaca

Superintendent, Somis Union School District

Cynthia Salas

Board Member, Oxnard School District

Friday August 28, 2026 11:00am - 11:45am PDT
Willow Glen 2

Breakout Workshop

1:45pm PDT

Board Members Drive Impact for Multilingual Students: Adopting High-Quality Instructional Materials

Friday August 28, 2026 1:45pm - 2:30pm PDT

Willow Glen 2

Overview:
The time for bold leadership for multilingual students is now. California’s current math curriculum adoption and ELA/ELD/SLA cycles offer a critical opportunity to improve instruction for over 5 million students, including 1.1 million multilingual learners (MLLs). With two-thirds of students performing below basic proficiency on the Nation’s Report Card and only 10% of English learners meeting California math standards, the urgency for change is clear.

Join us to explore ELSF’s Curriculum Adoption Toolkits and MLL-inclusive RFP language. These resources are designed to help districts ensure that selected materials align with the CA EL Roadmap Policy and state initiatives to close achievement gaps for MLLs. We will highlight how leaders can take action to support local education agencies (LEAs) throughout the adoption and implementation process and share more about ELSF’s professional learning services.

What You’ll Gain:

- Action Steps: Guidance for board members and leaders to collaboratively create plans with district leadership.
- Equity and Access: Clarity on how to center equity throughout the curriculum adoption and implementation process.
- Concrete Tools: Sample RFP language and MLL-centered reviews of materials aligned with the 2023 California Math Framework.
- Professional Learning: Awareness of ELSF’s offerings to support math adoption and implementation across LEAs.

Speakers

Benito Aranda-Comer

Email Title to [email protected] for badge, The Education Trust–West

Dr. Renae Skarin

Senior Advisor, ELSF

Renae Skarin has almost 30 years of experience working with English learner and minoritized populations through research, advocacy, and program development and implementation with educators nationwide and abroad. She currently serves as the Senior Advisor for Content at the English... Read More →

Friday August 28, 2026 1:45pm - 2:30pm PDT
Willow Glen 2

Breakout Workshop

9:00am PDT

10:00am PDT

11:00am PDT

1:45pm PDT

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