CALSA's Summer Institute 2026

 Successful negotiations begin with a solid understanding of the bargaining process. This session will introduce participants to the essential elements of collective bargaining, including preparation strategies, effective communication, and common challenges. Attendees will gain practical tools and insights to approach negotiations with confidence and support positive labor relations outcomes for student success. 

Caring for the whole child means caring for the whole family. Leaders from Garden Grove Unified School District (GGUSD), a diverse urban community, will present on how the district expanded its comprehensive network of five Family Resource Centers (FRCs) to strengthen the entire educational ecosystem for students and their families. This initiative, rooted in the Community Schools Framework and the California English Learner (EL) Roadmap, showcases how schools can act as vital hubs of opportunity. In these hubs, families, students, educators, and community partners work together to eliminate barriers and increase access to academic and wellness supports. Through this focused collaboration, GGUSD successfully created a coordinated system of care that provides expanded access to academic supports, wellness resources, and basic needs services, ensuring students can fully engage in their education.
Presenters will explain how the district's commitment to safe, welcoming, and inclusive schools is supported by the GGUSD Board of Education’s vision and Resolution 20, which helped secure sustainable funding and strategic alignment for this work. Participants will see how the FRCs function as true hubs of partnership, where schools and the community join forces to remove obstacles, elevate family voice, and cultivate environments where students and families feel valued, supported, and empowered.
Attendees will gain practical strategies for developing partnership models that go beyond traditional family engagement. These models create integrated systems of support that build trust, expand opportunities, and establish families as essential, active partners in student success.

 
This session centers on transforming special education systems into spaces of access, empowerment, and belonging by leveraging the collective power of families, educators, and community partners. Grounded in the belief that students and families are co-architects of their educational experiences, participants will explore actionable strategies to better support students with diverse learning needs while equipping families, particularly those from historically underserved communities, with the knowledge and confidence to navigate complex special education processes.


Aligned to a collaborative, community-driven approach, this session highlights how educational leaders can serve as bridges between schools, families, and broader support systems by demystifying processes, strengthening communication, and fostering authentic partnerships. Participants will engage with practical tools that not only support individualized student success, but also elevate family voice, promote advocacy, and create inclusive environments where students are empowered as active contributors to their learning journeys.


Through an equity lens, the session will address common barriers families face, including language access, trust, and systemic inequities, while offering concrete, partnership-driven solutions to remove those barriers. Emphasis will be placed on culturally grounded family engagement, intergenerational collaboration, and shared leadership between students and adults to shape school culture and practices.


Participants will leave with ready-to-implement strategies that expand access to resources, strengthen home-school connections, and build thriving, inclusive educational ecosystems where every student and family feels seen, valued, and empowered to lead and transform their educational experience.

Join seasoned leaders Dr. Rafael Gaeta and Dr. Ruben L. Fernandez as they map out their non-traditional pathways to becoming Chief Business Officials (CBOs), showcasing the full arc of their professional journeys. This session will provide actionable strategies for navigating career transitions and building the confidence and tools needed to thrive. Attendees will gain valuable perspectives on how diverse backgrounds and unconventional routes create new leadership pathways, strengthening the profession through intentional mentorship and succession planning for the next generation of public education leaders.

What if families were not just participants, but powerful partners? What if students were not just learners, but leaders shaping the future of our schools?
In today’s evolving educational landscape, schools must move beyond traditional family engagement models to cultivate authentic, intergenerational ecosystems of leadership. This session highlights the transformative work of the Community Schools model and the Community Engagement Initiative (CEI) within Alisal Union School District, where families, students, educators, and community partners collaborate as co-architects of student success.
Participants will explore how culturally grounded practices and relationship-centered strategies shift engagement from participation to true partnership. Through real-world examples, this session will showcase how authentic family connections drive meaningful engagement, strengthen trust, and expand access to academic, social-emotional, and wellness supports.
This presentation will also center student voice as a critical component of system transformation. Attendees will learn how students are empowered to lead, share their experiences, and influence school culture and decision-making alongside adults—creating a shared responsibility for educational innovation and equity.
Learning Objectives:
Participants will:

• Understand the core components of Community Schools and the Community Engagement Initiative (CEI) as drivers of equitable systems
• Identify strategies to build authentic, trust-based relationships with families that lead to sustained engagement
• Explore models of intergenerational leadership where students, families, and partners collaborate to shape school culture and outcomes
• Learn how to elevate student voice and leadership as essential to continuous improvement and innovation

Session Format:
This session will showcase the wins, challenges, and adaptations from Alisal Union School District’s implementation of Community Schools and the Community Engagement Initiative (CEI). Presenters will share authentic examples from their journey, highlighting lessons learned, barriers encountered, and the responsive strategies used to deepen engagement and partnership. Participants will engage in reflection and dialogue to consider how these insights can inform and strengthen their own practices.
Target Audience:
School leaders, district administrators, community school coordinators, family engagement leaders, and community-based partners
Impact:
This session will inspire educators and leaders to reimagine engagement as a shared leadership model—one that honors the voices of families and students, strengthens community partnerships, and builds sustainable systems where all stakeholders are empowered to lead. By highlighting the Alisal experience, participants will leave with practical tools and a renewed vision for creating inclusive, community-driven schools that respond to the needs and strengths of their communities.