August always brings a familiar mix of excitement, optimism, and just enough chaos to keep things interesting. Some of us are already back at school and beginning to settle into a rhythm. Others are still preparing for students to arrive. Wherever you are in that process, a new school year gives us a chance to reset and bring some fresh energy to our work.
That feels especially true for CCIS this year. We are beginning the 2026–2027 school year with several new members on our Executive Board and an expanded Extended Board. Returning members bring continuity and experience; new members bring fresh perspectives. As I shared in my July 2026 President’s Message to CCIS members, I’m honored to serve as President and excited about the work ahead.
CCIS exists to advocate for high-quality independent study, support educators, administrators, support staff, programs, and—ultimately—students throughout California.
CCIS Support for the Year Ahead
Independent study requires us to be flexible and responsive. We also have to keep up with changing laws, compliance requirements, instructional practices, technology, and student needs. No one person—or program—can stay on top of all of that alone.
CCIS can help.
We are beginning the year with several professional learning opportunities. Our Back-to-School Independent Study webinar will be available from Aug 24, 2026 through Aug 28, 2026. This recorded presentation also gives participants an opportunity to submit follow-up questions. It reviews essential responsibilities and sound practices for starting the year with strong systems in place. See the CCIS website for details and registration:
On Sep 3, 2026, we will offer Ready, Set, AI: Back-to-School Success for Independent Study Educators, a free live webinar focused on practical classroom uses of artificial intelligence. We’ll share examples from our own work, tools that can save time, and lesson ideas and resources you can use with students.
Later this fall, Stacey Perez and I will continue hosting our popular Innovations in Independent Study webcast series. We talk with educators and other experts about the challenges they face, what they have learned, and what is working in their programs. Those conversations have always been well received because they focus on useful ideas you can take back to your own students and school.
Advocacy, Blog Posts, and the Winter Conference
CCIS also pays attention to decisions made beyond our individual schools and programs. We work with partners to monitor legislative and regulatory developments and advocate for strong, flexible, and accountable independent study options. When requirements change, we help members understand what changed and what it means in practice.
Webinars are only one part of what CCIS offers. Throughout the year, we’ll provide compliance training and legislative updates, advocate for high-quality independent study, and give educators and administrators more ways to learn from one another.
We are also renewing the CCIS blog and plan to publish something useful each month. Upcoming topics include artificial intelligence, onboarding new independent study teachers, PBIS and MTSS, audit preparation, and other issues that affect our daily work. These posts will give Board members and other independent study professionals another way to share what they know.
We’re also looking ahead to the CCIS 2027 Winter Conference, scheduled for Feb 1, 2027 through Feb 3, 2027 in Burlingame. The program will cover best practices, legislative updates, compliance, and many other professional learning opportunities. Just as valuable will be the chance to talk in person with your colleagues from across California.
Tell Us What You Need
CCIS is strongest when our work reflects what members actually need. From time to time, we’ll ask what topics, training, and resources would be most useful to you. Please tell us. If your program is facing a challenge, you keep running into the same question, or you know a practice others should hear about—we want to know.
The first day of school is always a moment worth celebrating, whether it is your first first day or the first day of your thirtieth year. So is all the work that follows.
CCIS will be here throughout the year with information, training, advocacy, and a community of colleagues. We may work in independent study, but none of us has to do this work alone.
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