Information and resources about the initiatives and priorities of State Superintendent Tony Thurmond that transform our California K-12 public schools by integrating new programs and strategies for students, families, educators, and LEAs.

Big changes are underway for California K–12 education, and we need all the resources possible to help students heal, recover, and thrive.

Safe Havens: Protecting Access to Education for Immigrant Families

Safe Havens are LEAs, which include school districts, county offices of education, and direct-funded charter schools that have committed themselves to reassuring students, parents and educators that everyone is welcome on school sites, regardless of immigration status. Safe Havens also provide helpful resources, such as information about immigration laws, and ways to be prepared in case a student or family member is deported.

Learn more about the Safe Havens Initiative

Correspondence

• Letter from the California Department of Education, which Reminds LEAs of Their Obligation to Protect Immigrant Families’ Rights to Access Public Education (Posted 21-Jan-2025)

Housing Initiative: Renewing the California Dream

State Superintendent Thurmond’s Housing Initiative reframes access to housing as an essential part of the "California Dream," underscoring the state's commitment to ensure this dream remains attainable for all Californians, especially educators, teachers and school staff, regardless of their background. Housing is a critical foundation for building stable, thriving school communities, and the initiative recognizes that expanding access to affordable homes is key to preserving the inclusive nature of California’s identity.

One of the most promising solutions to accelerate housing development is by leveraging the 75,000 acres of developable land owned by California's LEAs. With the potential to create 2.3 million new housing units, this land offers an unprecedented opportunity to address the state's housing crisis while fostering economic growth. By utilizing this resource, California can lead the way in creating forward-thinking solutions to housing access.

Learn more about the potential for educator workforce housing

News Releases

• State Superintendent Thurmond Launches Initiative to Add 2.3 Million New Housing Units by Developing Land Owned by Schools(Posted 30-Jul-2024)
• State Superintendent Thurmond Convenes Key State Leaders to Accelerate Housing Development in California(Posted 14-Aug-2024)

Community Schools: It Takes a Village—Schools Can Be More Than Academics

A community school is a public school serving any grade prekindergarten–12, inclusive, with community partnerships that ensure pupil learning and whole-child and family development. This includes integrated support services, collaborative leadership, extended learning time, and practices for educators and administrators.

Learn more about Community Schools

Professional Learning: Supporting Our Teachers and Mentors

We are re-evaluating how our teachers and mentors are being engaged. Proactive teacher support will be key to success in the short and long term. Teachers are learning new technologies, engaging in educator trainings, and putting in the work to reach our students.

Teacher preparation programs will need to reflect our new reality over the long term and help prepare future teachers for the flexibility and adaptability that will help them succeed and reach every kind of learner.

Learn more about Professional Learning

Mental Health Support: A Healthy Mind Is Essential for Learning

The mental health of our school communities is essential to addressing the needs of the whole child. There is a lasting impact of the pandemic, one that we know has adversely effected the mental wellness of our school communities, with a disproportionately effecting students of color, English learners, and those socioeconomically challenged. The data around the mental wellness has raised concerns around providing mental health resources and support for our school communities. Knowing that we are still in recovery from the pandemic, we must look at not only learning loss but the whole child to try and negate the factors that are impacting our school communities and look at the Whole Child.

Learn more about Mental Health Support

Universal Prekindergarten (UPK): California's Great Start

Decades of research demonstrates that high-quality early learning experiences can have long-lasting impacts on both short-term outcomes (school readiness) and long-term outcomes, including grade retention, special education placement, and high school graduation—and later, income levels and civic participation.

High-quality early education disrupts the school-to-prison pipeline, reduces the likelihood of suspensions and expulsions, and increases the likelihood of home ownership, college attendance, and positive health outcomes later in life.

UPK will bring together programs across early learning and K–12, relying heavily on transitional kindergarten (TK), the only program to be funded by universal preschool, and the California State Preschool Program, to ensure that by 2025–26, every four-year-old child—regardless of background, race, zip code, immigration status, or income level—has access to a quality learning experience the year before kindergarten, and that more three-year-old children from income-eligible households and children with disabilities have access to an additional year of high-quality preKindergarten.

Learn more about Universal Prekindergarten

Universal Meals: Nourishing Young Minds for Learning

Universal School Meals provide the opportunity for all students to reach their full academic potential by fueling their brains and nurturing their social–emotional needs for optimal learning. The California Universal Meals Program is designed to build on the foundations of the federal National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs and to supplement, not replace, the federal nutrition programs.

Learn more about Universal Meals

Antibias Education: Preventing, Addressing, and Eliminating Racism and Bias

This initiative is designed to empower educators and students to confront hate, bigotry, racism, and bias rising in communities across the state and nation. CDE leads a series of strategies—including educator training grants, partnerships with community leaders, examination of policies, virtual classroom sessions—that leverage the power of education to create a more just society.

Learn more about Antibias Education

Expanded Learning Programs: Education Outside of the Classroom

Expanded Learning refers to before school, after school, summer, and intersession learning experiences that develop the academic, social, emotional, and physical needs and interests of students. Expanded Learning opportunities should be hands-on, engaging, student-centered, results-driven, involve community partners, and complement learning activities in the regular school day/year.

Learn more about Expanded Learning Programs

Other Related Priorities

California Literacy: Reading by Third Grade and Beyond

State Superintendent Thurmond’s Reading by Third Grade and Beyond initiative aims to ensure literacy and biliteracy for students in California. The effort includes policies, initiatives, evidence-based practices, and resources for educators, parents, and community members to ensure California students are reading by third grade and beyond.

Learn more about California Literacy

Black Student Achievement Task Force

In an effort to call out the impacts that systemic and institutional racism have had on Black students in California, State Superintendent Thurmond formally launched a statewide task force, Improving Black Student Achievement.

Improving Black Student Achievement news releases:

• State Superintendent Thurmond Leads Task Force and Programs to Support Black Student Achievement(Dated 15-Nov-2021)
• State Superintendent Tony Thurmond Announces Co-Chairs for Task Force to Improve Black Student Achievement(Dated 14-Oct-2021)

For more information or questions, contact the Governmental Affairs Division at GAD@cde.ca.gov.

Literacy Task Force

State Superintendent Thurmond launched a literacy task force to help all California students reach the goal of literacy by third grade, by the year 2026. This effort will also include a biliteracy milestone for dual-language learners. The task force pulled together experts and community partners to design a strategy for reaching this goal, including making recommendations to expand resources for improving reading proficiency of California students.

For more information, email statewideliteracycampaign@cde.ca.gov.

Literacy Task Force news release:

State Superintendent Tony Thurmond Announces Co-Chairs for Statewide Literacy Task Force(Dated 01-Oct-2021)

Closing the Digital Divide

The Closing the Digital Divide Initiative focuses on identifying needed resources and partnerships to support distance learning in California schools. State Superintendent Thurmond and his Closing the Digital Divide Task Force have been working to help equip all California students with computing devices and connectivity to ensure equitable teaching and learning environments.

Learn more about Closing the Digital Divide

Looking for more?

• Additional Initiatives and Programs

Questions:   CDE Initiatives Team | Initiatives@cde.ca.gov | 916-319-0800

Last Reviewed: Wednesday, January 22, 2025

CDE - Mental Health Resources - LINK

Child Abuse Prevention Training and Resources
Information on training and reporting requirements for mandated reporters, training guides and model practices for parents, families, and administrators, and technical assistance to promote child well-being and protection from abuse.

Crisis Preparedness
Provides training, resources and technical assistance in preparedness for, immediate response to, and mitigation of the aftermath of school safety crises.

Safe Schools for Safe Learning Act of 2013
Requires the California Department of Education to post information including a list of statewide resources for youth who have been affected by gangs, gun violence, and psychological trauma caused by violence at home, at school, and in the community.

School Environment
Provides training, resources, and technical assistance in the establishment of a school/community environment that is physically and emotionally safe, well disciplined, and conducive to learning.

Violence Prevention
Information concerning violence prevention, safe storage of firearms, and school safety planning.

The Affidavit of Residency establishes a common acknowledgement between the parent and homeowner that  ... that they have lived in the location for a period of time, or they reside 

 

establishes proof of residency at the locale, lacking evidence such as utility bills or mortgage/rent receipts . Click on the image below to view the document. 

 

Student work permits are processed at the student's current home school. 

If you have additional questions, please contact your student's school.

Click on the image to view and download the Work Permit form.

 

 

Student work permits can be made available through our office by appointment.

Call our office to schedule an appointment. (760) 848-1161