On behalf of the CITE Board of Directors, the Advocacy Committee is pleased to share CITE’s new 2023 Legislative Platform with their members. CITE’s legislative platform was developed through input from members, their Board of Directors, and their Advocacy Committee. While it does not represent an exhaustive list of policy issues for which CITE may advocate, it does communicate their legislative priorities.
Those priorities are as follows:
Priority 1: Student Data Must Remain Private and Secure The private student data of your children and your constituents’ children remains vulnerable without ongoing funding in the state budget. Cybersecurity funding should not be a local control decision; the state should provide dedicated, protected funding to begin, mature, and maintain cybersecurity measures.
Priority 2: Sustainable Technology Funding for Students Must Be a State Priority Technology funding from both state and federal sources must be protected and be more flexible to address local student needs. Technology systems must receive priority in the local control planning process.
Priority 3: Digital Equity Means Ongoing Funding Should Be Provided to School Districts for Staffing and Technology Training Students must have access to technology to meet their college- and career-ready needs as well as security of their data, and this can only be accomplished with ongoing funding for additional qualified technology staff and accompanying technology professional development. Technology staff positions must receive the same protection from budget cuts as other classified K-12 positions. Each priority addresses important issues that coordinate with CITE’s values and standards. Student success is at the forefront of what CITE aims to accomplish by providing resources and programs to educate and inform K-12 IT professionals in the state of California. CITE’s attendance at Lobby Day on May 2nd proves their ongoing dedication to protecting privacy and security in K-12 districts. “The CITE Advocacy Committee is looking forward to representing K-12 IT at our May 2 Lobby Day. We will be meeting with legislators and their representatives, advocating for increased support and sharing our new legislative platform,” said Laurel Nava, the Director of Education and Partnerships at CITE. This platform prioritizes CITE's advocacy efforts, though it does not reflect everything they may address in public policy. The platform was approved by the Board on Friday, April 21 and will be shared with legislators, other associations, and more. For more information and details, please visit https://www.cite.org/advocacy
California IT in Education is a non-profit membership-based California organization that helps develop and support IT professionals in K-12 education. The association brings over 60 years of dedicated service to its members. We partner with vendors and companies that make resources more attainable and affordable for our members. We cover topics from advocacy, cybersecurity, educational resources, privacy services, etc. Each year, we hold a conference for our members to engage with these topics and vendors through keynote speakers, hand on labs, showdowns, and hundreds of informative sessions. To learn more, please visit cite.org.