News Briefs | FYI
September 15, 2025
Newsom signs order to address loneliness in boys
Gov. Gavin Newsom has issued an executive order to address a loneliness crisis in boys and young men.
In response to an alarming rise in suicides and disconnection among California’s young men and boys, the governor’s order initiates a statewide response to improve mental health outcomes, reduce stigma, and expand access to meaningful education, work, and mentorship opportunities.
“Too many young men and boys are suffering in silence — disconnected from community, opportunity, and even their own families,” Newsom said, in a July 30 news release. “This action is about turning that around.”
Depression is ranked as a leading cause of death among men, and mental health conditions often go untreated among men because they are far less likely to seek mental health treatment than women. In California, men aged 15–44 die by suicide at three to four times the rate of women, often by firearms. Young men are more disconnected from school, work, and relationships than ever before, with higher rates of disconnection for young Black males.
This disconnection has pulled men out of the workplace. Labor force participation among men without a college degree is currently at historic lows, with about one in nine men aged 25-54 neither working nor looking for work.
In addition to addressing the suicide crisis, the executive order aims to reconnect men and boys with pathways to enter education or the workforce, including through service opportunities like California Volunteers.
The order also helps address the lack of male role models in educational settings, by directing the Executive Director of the State Board of Education and requesting the California Department of Education and the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing to identify opportunities to improve recruitment of men as teachers and school counselors.
The executive order comes alongside the new announcement of $20 million awarded through the California Apprenticeship Council Training Funds to support apprenticeship training in the building trades. Apprenticeship funding is a key component of the governor’s Master Plan for Career Education, which focuses on creating different career pathways that do not necessarily rely on a four-year college degree.
FYI
Nominations for ACSA awards program now open
Know an administrator who deserves recognition for excellence in their field? Nominate them for one of ACSA’s Administrator of the Year awards or special awards. Nominations are now open for the 2026 award program. Visit acsa.org/awards to use the online portal to submit a nomination. The deadline for nominations in all regions is Jan. 22, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. For questions, contact statewide awards coordinator Emily Agpoon at eagpoon@acsa.org.
SBE seeks applicants to serve on IQC
The SBE is seeking applicants for three appointments from currently practicing teachers and/or education leaders with experience and expertise in areas including English language arts, English language development, early literacy, health/physical education, and mathematics, to serve on the Instructional Quality Commission. The application, along with a current résumé and two letters of recommendation, must be submitted by 5 p.m. Sept. 29. For additional information, visit www.cde.ca.gov/be/cc/ab/index.asp.
Toolkit outlines FERPA/HIPAA in school settings
A new toolkit is available to explain how two federal data privacy laws, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act Privacy Rule, might apply in school behavioral health. The toolkit outlines key issues considering the importance of privacy and of information-sharing to coordinate care. Visit the toolkit at cybhi.chhs.ca.gov/resource/navigating-hipaa-and-ferpa-for-integrated-school-behavioral-health-services-toolkit.