For the first time, all ACSA members had the opportunity to witness a Leadership Assembly meeting. More than 400 members logged onto Zoom on the morning of Thursday, Feb. 8, to receive updates from ACSA leaders, hear information about legislation that impacts education and access timely professional learning topics.

The Leadership Assembly — the voting body of ACSA delegates that meets three times annually — was opened to all members in order to strengthen connections and engagement with the association.

ACSA President Parvin Ahmadi welcomed attendees while acknowledging the challenges educators are facing in the field today.

“This is really a moment like none other, where our administrators, educators and teachers who work hard to empower students with accurate information and critical thinking skills are facing unprecedented push back,” she said, “because those who benefit from the current systems of oppression are afraid of our young people finding their voices.”

Amid a backdrop of book bans, curriculum re-writes and push-back against ethnic studies, Ahmadi said that coming together in solidarity is what allows administrators to continue doing their best work for children.

There were 422 unique participants who logged on at some point in the three-hour meeting. ACSA Executive Director Edgar Zazueta emphasized that these attendees were more than mere guests.

“All of you here are ACSA members. This is your home. This is your house,” he said. “We are privileged to have you here.”

In his report, Zazueta updated members on association activities that have been driven by ACSA’s Strategic Plan. These include evaluating professional learning offerings, strengthening partnerships with affinity organizations and transforming operations using digital tools to enhance member experience.

Zazueta also led a Q&A session with state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, who took questions from ACSA members about policies impacting education.

Thurmond was also asked about his advocacy for students, including a high-profile incident last year where Thurmond was removed from a school board meeting after speaking out against a policy that would force the outing of transgender students.

“I fully respect parental rights ... but when there is a decision being made to force the outing of someone who is LGBTQ+, that, to me, goes beyond respecting parental rights,” he said. “It’s actually an attack on students.”

Thurmond asked for ACSA members’ partnership and feedback on issues that will help close the achievement gap and ensure the well-being of all students, including an upcoming effort to evaluate the effectiveness of pandemic-related investments in learning recovery.

“I still have so much hope for what we can do for California students,” he said.

Attendees also heard statements from candidates for the office of ACSA Vice President, reviewed ACSA’s One Voice for Students Legislative Platform and heard from Namita Brown, partner with F3 Law, who spoke on protections for administrators.

Cherina Betters, chief of Equity and Access with San Bernardino County Office of Education, gave a presentation on the history of exclusionary discipline and other practices that disproportionally “push out” students of color and those with disabilities.

“Diversity is about differences, and we only get stuck in conversations around diversity when we value one dimension of difference over another,” she said. “Who’s in and who’s out?”

She asked attendees to examine their values and the culture at their schools that may be contributing to the exclusion of students.

“Anything that gets in the way, even if it’s me, of other peoples’ children being successful in our school and community — we’ve got to tell that thing to move,” she said.

Betters asked attendees to type “move” in the chat to commit to not standing in the way of student success.