2026 CSBA Counties Conference: Full Schedule

Welcome to the 2026 CSBA Counties Conference!

This conference provides a unique opportunity for county board leaders to come together and discuss students’ futures in light of domestic policies and global trends. County board members, superintendents and educational partners from throughout the state will come together to gain valuable knowledge and information in three key areas: advocacy, governance and policy; funding, workforce and educational access; student well-being, safety and success.

As the role of county offices of education (COEs) continues to evolve, CSBA is committed to providing COE board members with the necessary tools and information to become effective elected education leaders. The program will feature member-led workshops, micro-trainings, networking opportunities, and more—offering attendees practical strategies, peer-driven insights, and ample chances to connect and collaborate with colleagues from across California. It is a must-attend event for county board leaders!

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Visit Marina del Rey
View the CSBA Counties Conference Marina del Rey Visitor Guide to find information about local events, restaurants and attractions. Discover what the beautiful coastal city of Marina del Rey has to offer its visitors.

If you require any assistance during your stay in Marina del Rey, please visit the registration desk outside the California Ballroom in the Outer Foyer located on the Lobby Level of the Marina del Rey Marriott.

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7:45am PDT

Networking Breakfast

Sunday September 27, 2026 7:45am - 8:45am PDT

California Ballroom, Lobby Level

Enjoy the breakfast buffet open to all registered conference attendees.

Persons with health-related considerations such as multiple chemical sensitivities, environmental illnesses, food allergies, or special dietary needs, may notify CSBA staff at [email protected] when registering for the conference to determine whether special arrangements can be made for them.

Sunday September 27, 2026 7:45am - 8:45am PDT
California Ballroom, Lobby Level

Meal

7:45am PDT

Conference Registration

Sunday September 27, 2026 7:45am - 11:00am PDT

Outer Foyer, Lobby Level

*California Ballroom doors open at 7:45 a.m.

Sunday September 27, 2026 7:45am - 11:00am PDT
Outer Foyer, Lobby Level

8:45am PDT

County Boards and New Changes to Charter School Oversight

Sunday September 27, 2026 8:45am - 9:50am PDT

Palisades, Lower Level

Breakout session (attend one per session time).

Even before the latest charter school legislation, county boards had a critical role in charter school authorizing, as California is in its single biggest year ever for charter renewals — and potential appeals. The education budget trailer bill makes important changes to charter oversight that boards must understand for their ongoing oversight and high-stakes decisions they make at the board level — and to help ensure county office staff are prepared for their own multi-faceted role. This session will review the board’s key responsibilities before the new law, explain what has changed and how it may impact boards, and equip boards to make sure they are ready for the oversight challenges, substantively and politically.

Speakers

Debi Deal

Senior Fiscal Consultant, California Charter Authorizing Professionals

Debi Deal is a former school district chief business officer (CBO), a retired Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team (FCMAT) fiscal intervention specialist, and a former certified fraud examiner. Debi serves as CCAP’s chief financial manager and fiscal agent, she has developed... Read More →

Louise Johnson

Board Member, Nevada COE

Louise Johnson serves Trustee Area 1 on the Nevada County Board of Education. She was born in Reading, Pennsylvania. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Penn State University, a Master’s degree in School Administration from Fresno Pacific University and a Doctorate in... Read More →

Tom Hutton

Executive Director, California Charter Authorizing Professionals

Tom Hutton is Executive Director of the California Charter Authorizing Professionals (CCAP), an association of school districts and county offices of education in their capacity as current or potential charter school authorizers. Tom is a former school attorney who served in-house... Read More →

Yvonne Chan

Board Member, Los Angeles COE

As the Founding Principal of Vaughn Next Century Learning Center in Los Angeles, Dr. Chan has pushed the limits of education and social innovation for more than 50 years as a school leader, policy maker and the founder of the first conversion charter school in the nation that now... Read More →

Sunday September 27, 2026 8:45am - 9:50am PDT
Palisades, Lower Level

Advocacy Governance and Policy

Resources https://calauthorizers.org/resource/ccap-summary-of-2026-omnibus-education-trailer-bill-assembly-bill-126-provisions-related-to-charter-schools/

8:45am PDT

Reimagining Schools Through Student Voice

Sunday September 27, 2026 8:45am - 9:50am PDT

Promenade, Lobby Level

Breakout session (attend one per session time).

Student presenters will lead an interactive exercise addressing the challenges of limited authentic student input in governance decisions and of translating student voice into actionable board priorities. Students will first demonstrate for participants a student-led facilitation model that can be used to engage broad student input, co-creating a vision of the ideal school and identifying priorities for board action. Next, students will lead a group discussion on barriers to student board member engagement and share feedback around what skills students need to learn to be effective board members.

Speakers

Ethan Duncan

High School Senior at Canyon High School, Director, California Association of Student Councils (CASC)

CASC State Government on a Local Level Director and Elected Student Board Representative
Ethan serves as State Government on a Local Level Director and an elected Student Board Representative at the California Association of Student Councils, California’s largest statewide student-led leadership and advocacy organization. He leads the statewide OnBoard Fellowship and coo... Read More →

Euri Kim

High School Senior at Arnold O. Beckman High School, State President, California Association of Student Councils (CASC)

CASC State President and Student Board Representative
Euri serves as State President at the California Association of Student Councils, leading California's largest statewide student-led leadership and advocacy organization representing over 5.8 million students. In her position, she leads and oversees statewide conferences impacting th... Read More →

Patrick Cruz

Inglewood USD Student Board Member, SABLE Director, California Association of Student Councils (CASC)

CASC SABLE Director and Inglewood Unified School District Student Board Member
Patrick is a senior at City Honors International Preparatory and serves as the Inglewood Unifi ed School District Student Board Member. Passionate about student voice, education, and leadership, Patrick works to amplify student perspectives and create meaningful opportunities for y... Read More →

Kelly Wachowicz

Executive Director, California Association of Student Councils

Kelly Wachowicz is serving as CASC’s Interim Executive Director, supporting the organization through a leadership transition process. She attended her first CASC program in 1983, and has served in a wide variety of roles for the organization over the decades, including most recently... Read More →

Maggie Chou

Claremont High School Site Council Member, Region 9 President, California Association of Student Councils (CASC)

CASC Region 9 President and Claremont High School School Site Council Member
Maggie serves as the Region 9 President for the California Association of Student Councils (CASC) and as a student representative on the Claremont High School Site Council. Through CASC, she has served as a counselor at Leadership 101 and contributed to developing a legislative propo... Read More →

CSBA Counties Conference Presentation (2026) (3) pdf

Sunday September 27, 2026 8:45am - 9:50am PDT
Promenade, Lobby Level

Student Well-Being Safety and Success

8:45am PDT

Supporting Every Student After Mirabelli and Mahmoud

Sunday September 27, 2026 8:45am - 9:50am PDT

Malibu/Santa Monica, Lower Level

Breakout session (attend one per session time).

As legal and policy debates surrounding parental rights, student privacy and student support services continue to evolve, county boards and educational leaders face increasing challenges in balancing legal compliance, student well-being and community expectations. This session will examine the practical implications of recent court decisions, including Mirabelli v. Bonta and Mahmoud v. Taylor, and their impact on policies, communication practices, and student support systems. Through real-world examples and lessons learned from local educational agencies, presenters will share governance considerations, policy insights and practical strategies for supporting students and families while navigating an evolving legal landscape.

Speakers

Christopher D. Keeler

Partner, F3 Law

A versatile advisor and advocate for public education, Christopher D. “Chris” Keeler guides Southern California superintendents and school boards through the wide range of legal matters. Helping primarily San Diego and Inland Empire educational entities, he adeptly counsels clients... Read More →

Greg Rolen

General Counsel, Orange COE

Gregory J. Rolen serves as General Counsel for the Orange County Department of Education, where he advises the County Superintendent, Board of Education, and executive leadership on complex legal, governance, labor and employment, student services, charter school, special education, and constitutional... Read More →

Sunday September 27, 2026 8:45am - 9:50am PDT
Malibu/Santa Monica, Lower Level

Student Well-Being Safety and Success

10:00am PDT

Micro-training: Social Media Do’s and Don’ts

Sunday September 27, 2026 10:00am - 10:30am PDT

California Ballroom, Lobby Level

Social media offers board members valuable opportunities to inform, engage, and connect with their communities—but it also presents legal, ethical, and governance considerations. This fast-paced micro-training will cover practical do's and don'ts, common pitfalls to avoid, and best practices for using social media in a way that builds public trust while supporting your role as a board member.

Speakers

Alisha Kirby

Senior Writer, Communications, CSBA

Alisha Kirby has been a part of CSBA’s communications team for seven years. As a senior writer, she has developed stories highlighting the successes of local educational agencies throughout the state, as well as the numerous challenges they face. In recent years, she has helped... Read More →

Heather Kemp

Senior Writer, Communications, CSBA

Heather Kemp joined CSBA’s communications team in 2021 and currently serves as a senior writer, promoting organizational offerings and showcasing the impressive work that California local educational agencies engage in via the association’s digital and print publications and social... Read More →

Sunday September 27, 2026 10:00am - 10:30am PDT
California Ballroom, Lobby Level

Micro-training

10:30am PDT

Be a Coffee Bean

Sunday September 27, 2026 10:30am - 11:15am PDT

California Ballroom, Lobby Level

Life can be like a pot of boiling water. It can be harsh, stressful and difficult. You have three choices how to respond to your pot of boiling water. Be like a carrot that becomes soft, an egg that becomes hardened, or a coffee bean that changes the water to coffee.

Speakers

Damon West

Best-selling Author and Criminal Justice Advocate

Damon West, M.S. Criminal Justice, is a college professor, internationally known keynote speaker, 4 x Bestselling author and a formerly incarcerated individual, who was sentenced to Life in prison for Organized Crime.
USA Today calls him the “modern day Shawshank Redemption and... Read More →

Sunday September 27, 2026 10:30am - 11:15am PDT
California Ballroom, Lobby Level

General Session

11:15am PDT

Call to Action and Adjourn

Sunday September 27, 2026 11:15am - 11:30am PDT

California Ballroom, Lobby Level

Speakers

Dr. Debra Schade

President, CSBA

Dr. Debra Schade serves as the President of the California School Boards Association (CSBA), where she plays a pivotal role in shaping the Association’s direction and advocating for policies that strengthen public education across the state. As a member of CSBA’s Executive Board... Read More →

Mike Walsh

Director, County Board Member Services, CSBA

Mike Walsh is the co-founder and CEO of Beacon Results, an organizational growth and change management firm founded in 2005 that works primarily with school districts and nonprofits to help them develop and align their strategic plans. He has both a B.A. and M.A. degree in Organizational... Read More →

Sunday September 27, 2026 11:15am - 11:30am PDT
California Ballroom, Lobby Level

7:45am PDT

7:45am PDT

8:45am PDT

8:45am PDT

8:45am PDT

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10:30am PDT

11:15am PDT

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