BSA Newsletter, March 2026
California Department of Education's Black Student Achievement (BSA) Newsletter for March 2026.Welcome to the Black Student Achievement newsletter! The purpose of this newsletter is to share resources and information that support Black/African American students, their families, and educators.
From the Desk of the Deputy Superintendent of Public Instruction, William McGee
Dear Community Partners, Families, Educators, and Supporters,
On behalf of State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, I extend greetings and thank you for joining us in our shared commitment to advancing Black student achievement in California.
The California Department of Education’s (CDE’s) Black Student Achievement initiative offers information, tools, and resources designed to support county offices of education, local educational agencies, community organizations, and families in strengthening academic, social, and whole-child success for Black/African American students. This work builds on intentional efforts to call out and address opportunity gaps and systemic barriers that have historically impacted Black/African American learners.
Thank you for your commitment, collaboration, and advocacy.
With appreciation,
William L. McGee
Deputy Superintendent
California Department of Education
CDE Highlights
Power in the Pipeline: Black Educator Advocacy Day
April 7, 2026
Time: 8:45 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
California Department of Public Health East End Complex Auditorium.
1500 Capitol Ave, Sacramento, CA
Registration: [closed]
Join educators from across California as we advocate for policies that strengthen and protect the Black educator pipeline. We’re building people power for Lobby Day, grounded in Black educator voice, care, and collective action.
California’s High-Impact Tutoring Outcomes Based Contracting Cohort
California is joining Arkansas, Florida, and Texas in advancing outcomes based contracting, linking public funding to measurable student success. The Center for Outcomes Based Contracting in collaboration with state partners will support up to ten districts in launching high-impact tutoring programs with built-in accountability. Santa Ana Unified School District scaled from a 42-student pilot to over 1,100 students in one year, with 72 percent meeting at least one contracted literacy outcome. Read the Impact Story
.
Participation is at no cost to districts and includes virtual learning, expert coaching, and statewide collaboration. The application deadline is May 8th and applicants will be notified by May 15th. Apply today to be part of the movement driving results for California students
.
Upcoming Events
Webinar: Honoring Culturing Preferences in School Nutrition, during National School Breakfast Week
In support of the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tony Thurmond’s Black Student Achievement (BSA) Initiative, the California Department of Education (CDE) is convening a live webinar. This webinar aligns with CDE’s commitment to improve student achievement and address gaps through various initiatives and resources to ensure all students have access to high-quality education and quality, nutritious meals.
Date: Tuesday, March 3, 2026, from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m., Pacific Standard Time
Registration is required to attend the webinar. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. The webinar will:
- Highlight research-informed and practice-based strategies
- Elevate cultural food traditions without stereotyping
- Connect cultural responsiveness to student wellness, participation, and belonging
For questions regarding this webinar, please contact NutritionEducation@cde.ca.gov.
AI in Action: An Equity Leadership Lab
March 3, 2026
3 p.m.
Registration: [event has passed]
Join an interactive session designed to support K–12 educators in using AI to strengthen culturally affirming instruction, mitigate bias, and expand student agency, while maintaining strong instructional guardrails. As districts navigate AI integration, many leaders are asking: How do we ensure AI aligns with our equity commitments? How do we prepare teachers to use AI responsibly and effectively? How do we move beyond experimentation to structured implementation? This session is hosted by the Center for Black Educator Development in partnership with the Generation AI Initiative and is part of a broader effort to build educator-led capacity around AI.
Literacy and Justice for All Symposium
Date: March 6–7, 2026
Location: Oakland, CA (Various Locations)
Join fellow educators for Oakland Literacy Coalition’s 5th Annual Literacy and Justice for All Symposium
in Oakland, CA for a convening of over 650 educators and literacy changemakers. This year’s program features a keynote by Zaretta Hammond, over 26 breakouts sessions including: Co-Directors Statewide Literacy CDE Nancy Brynelson and Bonnie Garcia, Julie Washington, Elsa Cárdenas-Hagan, Claude Goldenberg, Maryanne Wolf, Susan Neuman, and Esther Quintero. Register here [event has passed].
Boots on the Ground: Reclaiming Literacy, Rewriting History
Date: March 11–14, 2026
Location: Norfolk State University | Norfolk, Virginia
The third Black Literacy Matters® Conference — a national gathering of parents, educators, researchers, policymakers, literacy advocates, community leaders, and international partners committed to changing the trajectory of Black student literacy for the first time since post-slavery gains.
Grounded in the science of reading, Black Literacy Matters® works to equip educators, families, and communities with the knowledge, tools, and instructional strategies necessary to ensure students develop strong decoding, language, and comprehension skills. While our work acknowledges the disproportionate impact of literacy failure on Black students, the instructional practices we advance are designed to benefit all learners.
Link: Black Literacy Matters
Umoja Community 2026 Southern California Regional Symposium
March 13, 2026
CSU Dominguez Hills
7:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m.
The Umoja Community Education Foundation annually hosts the Regional Symposium, a transformative event held in both the Northern and Southern regions of California during the spring semester in April. Specifically designed to serve our 83 affiliate programs, the symposium serves as a dynamic platform for collaborative learning and growth. Each regional event encompasses a rich array of activities, including workshop sessions, engagement with four-year universities, connection to the African Diaspora, cross-regional support, and alliance building.
College Board: A Dream Deferred Conference
March 16–18, 2026
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
The program for A Dream Deferred™: The Future of African American Education 2026
is now live. Join educators, counselors, and education leaders this March in Philadelphia for practical strategies, forward-looking ideas, and conversations designed to support today’s classrooms. The conference is open to all and offers insights and strategies that benefit every student, regardless of role or setting.
Black Educator Healing Convening, Black Teacher Project
Date: March 21–22, 2026
Location: Los Angeles, California
Join the Black Teacher Project (BTP)
in the Los Angeles area from Saturday–Sunday, March 21–22, 2026, for their Black Educator Healing Convening, an in-person two-day professional development gathering created to support Black educators in reconnecting to their wellbeing and purpose. This experience blends wellness practices, identity-centered learning, and restorative frameworks that honor the humanity of Black educators. Through reflection, embodied activities, and shared tools for thriving, attendees will deepen their understanding of adult wellness and teaching.
Register today: [event has passed]
California Department of Education All Titles Conference
Date: March 24–26, 2026
Location: Sheraton Gateway Hotel, Los Angeles, CA
Overview: Keynote Speaker Bettina Love. The 2026 California All Titles Conference is scheduled for March 25–26, 2026, in Los Angeles, California. Our two-day event features 48 capacity building workshops, student performances, networking, and Federal Updates from the Bruman group. This year we will be offering an opportunity for attendees to meet 1:1 and/or in small groups for program office hours hosted by the California Department of Education staff-so come with your questions!
To register for the conference, please follow the link to the online registration system: [event has passed].
Freedom Dreaming for Student Success
Date: April 15–17, 2026
Time: 8:30 a.m.–4 p.m.
Location: Kern County, KCSOS Bell Tower, Bakersfield, CA
Cost: Free
The GENIUS Initiative and 21st Century School Leadership Academy invite all Equity Multiplier Schools and local educational agencies to a three-day professional learning experience focused on advancing outcomes for Black/African American and other marginalized students. Participants will engage with the Supporting the African American Learner (STAAL) Research Framework, learn from expert practitioner panels, connect with community partners, and collaborate around implementing research-based strategies.
Genius Initiative Community of Practice
Dates and Time: 2–3:30 p.m. PST
- March 12, 2026
- April 9, 2026
- May 14, 2026
GENIUS Initiative is sponsoring a FREE 6 session virtual Community of Practice for student-facing PK–12 public educators on Collective Liberation and Self Care lead by Dr. Dena Simmons.
This yearlong partnership with Dr. Dena Simmons and Collective Liberation LLC engages educators and leaders in a community of practice rooted in healing, justice, and equity. Through interactive workshops, reflective exercises, readings, and discussions, participants will explore self- and collective care, belonging, and liberatory practices that support social, emotional, and academic thriving.
Contact: Email: genius@lacoe.edu
Website: Genius Initiative
California Association of African American Superintendents and Administrators (CAAASA) 2026 Statewide Professional Development Summit
Date: March 17−20, 2026
Anaheim Marriott, Anaheim, CA
Equity and Education Since Brown v. Board of Education: Where Do We Go From Here?
2026 CAAASA Annual Conference Registration Link [event has passed]
Workforce and Talent Development
Third Annual Corps to Career Fair
Date: March 7, 2026
Now more than ever, it is critical to be reminded that there is hope for our future. Hope shines through the thousands of young leaders across California who dedicate up to a year of service to strengthen their communities through the California Service Corps
, supporting disaster relief, climate action, educational opportunities, and more. The Third Annual Corps to Career Fair
on March 7th will be the largest Career Fair in their history featuring 500+ California Service Corps members, local and state leaders, and 100+ employers across education, local and state government, nonprofits, and business partners. This is not a public event, but if you’d like to see the California Service Corps ecosystem in action, click the links below that offer a firsthand look at the Corps to Career model and its growing impact in building a diverse, values-driven, career-ready workforce pipeline for California.
- Highlights from our last Corps to Career Fair
- From Service to Success: 2nd Annual Corps to Career Fair 2025 at the Novo -Video Highlights
(Video; 3:20)
Umoja Community 2026 Northern California Regional Symposium
April 24, 2026
7:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m.
CSU Sacramento
2026 Northern California Regional Symposium | Umoja Community
The Umoja Community Education Foundation annually hosts the Regional Symposium, a transformative event held in both the Northern and Southern regions of California during the spring semester in April. Specifically designed to serve our 83 affiliate programs, the symposium serves as a dynamic platform for collaborative learning and growth. Each regional event encompasses a rich array of activities, including workshop sessions, engagement with four-year universities, connection to the African Diaspora, cross-regional support, and alliance building.
Resources and Tools
Framework: Supporting the African American Learner
(PDF) (STAAL) Guide
A guide to assist with implementing the vision of improving educational systems to support Black students so that each student receives what is most needed. The STAAL Guide is based of four foundational principles for changing student outcomes:
- Principle 1: Explore Belief Systems to Begin Work
- Principle 2: Create Educational Systems that Facilitate and Support Learning
- Principle 3: Ensure Culturally Relevant, Sustaining and Revitalizing High-Quality Instruction
- Principle 4: Mitigate the Accumulation of Disadvantage
Contact
To share information, please email BlackStudentAchievement@cde.ca.gov.
BSA Mailing List
To receive BSA updates, please join the BSA listserv by sending a blank email to subscribe-blackstudentachievement@mlist.cde.ca.gov.