CA LMI Associate Director Californians Dedicated to Education Foundation (CDEF) is seeking an Associate Director who will play a key leadership role in supporting the development and execution of statewide convenings, professional learning opportunities, and stakeholder engagement efforts. This position will be primarily responsible for advancing program strategy, ensuring effective coordination, and overseeing successful implementation. The Associate Director will work closely with districts and county office labor-management teams to strengthen collaboration, develop innovative problem-solving approaches, and facilitate high-quality professional learning opportunities that promote shared leadership and systemic improvement. The Associate Director will oversee the operational components of the CA LMI [...]

Introducing “The Residency Lab 3.0” The Residency Lab has had some major shifts since I started in January, and we are excited and ready to share what is next for us. Our beloved former co-directors Dr. J and Jeanna Perry have transitioned to new roles, and we continue to work with them in new capacities. Dr. Heather Michel joined The Lab in May 2024 as Director, and I am happy to now serve as Associate Director. In the coming weeks, we will be welcoming some new team members, so stay tuned to hear more about what they bring to our team. [...]

February is Black History Month, and while we know we should be learning about the historical contributions of African Americans and all people of color all year long, we are always happy to highlight the actions of African Americans during this month as well. Our theme for this month is Black Health and Wellness. This theme acknowledges the legacy of not only Black scholars and medical practitioners in Western medicine, but also other ways of learning and growing, it considers activities, rituals, and initiatives that Black communities have done to be well. There have been many injustices when it comes to [...]

The CDE Foundation is proud to release the report Grappling with Covid’s Impact on Education: Labor and Management Confront the Crisis, by Dr. Julia Koppich. You can read a prologue from our CA LMI team below. Download the executive summary and full report here. UPDATE - NEW PACE COMMENTARY: Strong, Collaborative Labor-Management Relations Can Move Postpandemic Education Forward Authored by Julia E. Koppich | J. Koppich & Associates As we move into fall and the beginning of a new school year, California school districts are facing myriad decisions. This new PACE commentary focuses on the kinds of decisions districts and [...]

February is Black History Month, and while we know we should be learning about the historical contributions of African Americans and all people of color all year long, we are always happy to highlight the actions of African Americans during this month as well. Our theme for this month is Black Health and Wellness. This theme acknowledges the legacy of not only Black scholars and medical practitioners in Western medicine, but also other ways of learning and growing, it considers activities, rituals, and initiatives that Black communities have done to be well. There have been many injustices when it comes [...]

  Our recommitment to practicing racial equity. As we launch into the new year and Black History Month, the CDE Foundation stands firmly in its commitment to putting equity into practice. Since we wrote our Racial Equity Statement in June of 2020, we’ve made strides toward practicing the essential work of dismantling persistent systems of oppression in our education system. We promised to share more about how we are taking steps to address these institutional barriers and structural racism. On this page, you can find a variety of content to explore and leaders to learn from, and a partial list of actions we’ve [...]

Join Us for a Virtual Launch Event! Join us for a conversation about the realities of implementing the early years of education in California and some of the strategies to do better for children. The pandemic has only increased the pressure on California’s schools to ensure children are on track for postsecondary success – and to do so in an equitable way. Over the next few years, that goal can only be accomplished by improving outcomes in early childhood and early elementary years. As California looks to strengthen its early education system, policy changes and new capacities could make a [...]

Join us for STEAM Family Day on Sunday, December 13th! Family Day Tickets are only $45 per family! The California STEAM Symposium invites families to join us for Family Day, which is designed for parents and their children. Enjoy a day of learning, joy, laughter, and inspiration at the California STEAM Symposium. Family Day is only $45! Sunday, Dec. 13 from 9am - 1pm PT. OUR STEAM FAMILY DAY KEYNOTES! Dianna Cowern, aka “Physics Girl” To be eligible to win a spot in a small group Q&A with her, register today to give yourself the gift of scientific joy! Dianna [...]

At a time when we are inundated with stories of divisiveness, our CA LMI team brings you stories from the field of how educators have come together for the common good focusing on issues as critical as ending generational poverty through education. The California Labor Management Initiative Spotlight series is a research-based examination of labor-management practices in school systems that have built intentional partnership strategies to improve outcomes for students and staff. The CA LMI Spotlight author, Julia Koppich, is a leading education policy researcher and has served as a policy consultant for numerous state and federal organizations. These stories from the field, focus on the practices, [...]

The CDE Foundation is proud to announce a partnership with Education Trust-West, in collaboration with over 30 other education organizations, released “A Pathway to Equitable Math Instruction,” an approach for supporting equitable access to math standards for grades 6-8 focusing on students who are gaining proficiency in English as well as Black and Latinx students. The Pathway offers actionable resources immediately available for teachers to implement during hybrid learning, especially in this moment of the pandemic, and into the future. School leaders and teachers can move from crisis to opportunity by using these tools to address and close inequities in math education. [...]