California School Business News July 26, 2022

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July 26, 2022

Report Discloses Cost, Statistics p. 3 on School Ransomware Attacks CASBO Professional Roundtables p. 5 Are Heating Up!

Nine Habits to Employ p. 9 to Increase Your Energy

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SCHOOLbusiness news CDPH ISSUES NEW GUIDANCE TO KEEP SCHOOLS OPEN CBO / FACILITIES / HR / RISK MANAGEMENT As district leaders prepare for a fourth pandemic school year, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) has issued guidance aimed at keeping schools open while mitigating COVID19 risk.

Noting that school closures should be a last resort, CDPH stated that “disease management strategies in K-12 schools are guided by the principle that safe, in-person learning is critical to student well-being and development.”

The guidance and suggested precautions come as a new wave of infections emerges and omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5 have become increasingly dominant.

Schools should consider using antigen tests for detecting COVID-19 instead of primarily relying on PCR tests, the agency said. Additionally, students and staff should get tested before they return to school after major vacation breaks.

If a student is diagnosed with COVID-19, they should stay home for at least five days and wear a well-fitting mask for 10 days around others, especially in indoor spaces, according to CDPH. But overall, temporary school or classroom closures due to a COVID-19 outbreak “should remain a last resort and considered only after all available resources have been exhausted, and only after conferring with local health officials.”

CDPH encouraged K-12 leaders to review statutory requirements on vaccinations for entry into schools. In addition, it recommended that everyone eligible get vaccinated against COVID-19 and stay up to date on those shots.

Leaders should also look at ways to improve indoor air quality through effective ventilation and filtration, which can help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

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SCHOOLbusiness news REPORT DISCLOSES COST, STATISTICS ON SCHOOL RANSOMWARE ATTACKS CBO / RISK MANAGEMENT / TECHNOLOGY

a report from Comparitech.

$3.56 billion: That’s what ransomware attacks cost U.S. schools and colleges in downtime alone in 2021. Administrators also faced additional recovery costs to restore computers, recover data and fortify their systems against future attacks, according to

In 2021, 67 individual ransomware attacks — that essentially take a computer network hostage and can bring operations to a screeching halt for days — hit 954 schools and colleges that served more than 950,000 students. The good news: the attacks and the downtime they cause declined in 2021.

Still, these attacks are deeply disruptive. For example, some districts faced “double-extortion” attempts where hackers locked down computer systems and stole data that they threatened to post online. Hackers demanded $40 million from Broward County Public Schools, which offered to pay $500,000. The hackers reduced their ransom to $10 million before posting 25,971 of the Florida district’s files online. Hackers also posted thousands of files online when Clover Park School District in Washington and the Logansport Community School Corporation in Indiana did not pay ransoms in separate attacks, the report says.

Sometimes, the recovery costs far exceeded the ransom demand. Buffalo Public Schools in New York refused to pay a $100,000 to $300,000 ransom but spent an estimated $10 million on recovery costs. Judson Independent School District in Texas, however, paid $547,000 to prevent the release of sensitive data and regain control of its phone and email systems, according to the report.

Measuring the full impact of these cyber-crimes on education is difficult because some schools and colleges do not report the attacks publicly, particularly when a ransom has been paid. Administrators are forced to disclose the incidents when student data is compromised or systems are significantly disrupted. Administrators are also more likely to publicize an attack when a ransom isn’t paid.

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July 26, 2022 Here are some of the report’s key figures: 19% decrease: In the number of attacks on schools and colleges in 2021 compared to 2020.

46% decrease: In the number of schools and colleges targeted in 2021 compared to 2020. $100,000 to $40 million: The range of ransoms demanded.

4 days: The average downtime caused by cyberattacks.

1 month: The average time it takes to recover from an attack. $547,000:The ransom hackers were paid in one attack.

6: The number of incidents reported in New York, the state with the most attacks.

So far this year, ransomware attacks and downtimes have been lower across K-12. However, districts often don’t disclose the attacks until after they’ve happened. “We are seeing a promising trend of reduced downtime and attacks,” the report says. “While hackers may be becoming more targeted in their approach, the lower downtime figures suggest schools are more prepared for these attacks and are better able to restore their systems from backups or mitigate the effects of the attacks.”

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CASBOinsights CASBO PROFESSIONAL ROUNDTABLES ARE HEATING UP! PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OFFERING We pride ourselves on offering many different ways in which you can develop your professional skills to ensure you are always operating at the top of your game and moving both your career and your local education agency forward.

Our Professional Roundtables are a recent addition to our lineup that not only give you that extra edge in navigating your daily challenges, but also offer you a companionable network within which to learn and share ideas and experiences.

Many of you have already been participating in our CBO Morning Roundtable, held the first and third Fridays of each month; and our Women in Leadership Morning Roundtable, held the second Friday of each month. Now, we’ve got two new additions to the group!

Accounting Morning Roundtable If you’re looking for a congenial space to gather together with your professional colleagues working in school business accounting, this new session should fit the bill! Here, you can bounce ideas off each other, get new perspectives, and learn about new policies and procedures — anything that will help you as you go through the challenges of working in your local education agency’s accounting department.

These sessions are open to CASBO organizational subscriber employee members working in the accounting discipline. Our first session will be held Tuesday, August 23, 2022, from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. Join us that day and every fourth Tuesday of each month to connect!

Human Resources Morning Roundtable Today’s human resources professionals work in a complex world of personnel issues. Getting just the right person for the job is not as easy as it used to be, nor is it as simple to keep them on the payroll. Add to that the challenges of managing benefits, employment agreements, conflict negotiations, and evaluation and performance duties (just to name a few!), and you’ve got one of the most demanding jobs there is in school business — and we’ve got just the solution to help you through it!

Our HR Roundtable sessions are open to CASBO organizational subscriber employee members working in the human resources discipline. Our first session will be held Thursday, August 18, 2022, from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m., and thereafter each second Thursday at that time. Join your peers to share the burdens and celebrate the achievements!

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July 26, 2022 APPLICATION PERIOD ENDS THIS WEEK FOR EASTERN SECTION BOARD SERVICE SECTION LEADERSHIP DEADLINE If you’ve been thinking about throwing your hat in the ring to serve on the CASBO Eastern Section Board this year, your window to apply is closing!

We're seeking CASBO Eastern Section members who are interested in becoming more involved in section leadership to serve in the open position of Director IV this year. Act now before the deadline expires this weekend!

Joining your section as a board member is not only personally fulfilling, it can also benefit your career by improving your leadership skills and widening your network of colleagues and business connections.

To learn more about the responsibilities involved in serving as a section board director, please consult CASBO’s Eastern Section Bylaws, or contact a member who served in 2021-22. Both of these resources can help you learn more about the role, as well as the benefits that leadership service can provide you and your local education agency.

Current individual members* in these categories who are located within the Eastern Section are eligible to apply and serve: Organizational Subscriber Employee Members Honorary Life Members Retiree Members If you’re an eligible member and this opportunity appeals to you, please complete the application and send it to Eastern Section President Mary Jeannette Sanchez no later than July 31, 2022, at mary.sanchez@sausd.us. (And if you’re not eligible but know someone who is, please feel free to forward this announcement to them!)

Thank you for considering becoming a CASBO member-leader this year. Our association counts on professionals like you to make us strong! *Not a CASBO member? Join or renew today!

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LEADERSHIPtrends DEMONSTRATE YOUR LEADERSHIP CAPABILITY, NO MATTER YOUR ROLE CAREER GROWTH Just because you don’t have a certain title doesn’t mean you’re not a leader, according to David Burkus, Ph.D., as part of TED’s “How to Be a Better Human” series.

Burkus shares ways to demonstrate leadership at work so you can recognize those moments, act on them and use them to make the argument on why you’re the leader that your organization needs: Take responsibility. Take initiative when new assignments appear, and be the first to volunteer for new tasks that are applicable to your skill set. Note: You don’t need to volunteer for everything and you shouldn’t — just the ones that offer a real chance to either use or further develop your skills.

Include other people. Every organization wants leaders who believe that the success of the team outweighs the success of any individual. The best way to demonstrate that is by making sure others are included in meetings, brainstorming sessions and key decisions.

Speak up. Be willing to share your ideas in meetings, be willing to offer feedback to colleagues and your supervisor and be willing to champion ideas (yours or others) in meetings when decisions are being made.

Ask questions. Asking questions isn’t just a way to speak up when you don’t have an idea to offer — although that can be the reason and it does work. Asking questions during team meetings or conversations with colleagues helps people think through their ideas and find improvements.

Deliver. Always deliver what you promise. Get your work done on time and to the standard that is expected. When you volunteer for new assignments, make sure you can deliver on them as well.

Most often in organizations, the people who get fast-tracked for leadership roles are the ones seen as high performers. It’s important to be a team player, to speak up and to ask questions.

But if you’re doing all of that yet failing at your assigned tasks, then you may not keep your existing role for long — let alone be considered for leadership roles.

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The First Annual CASBO PC Summit will bring our members new opportunities for Education, Advocacy and Networking, and a refreshed PC structure that will inspire growth and leadership.

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LEADERSHIPtrends NINE HABITS TO EMPLOY TO INCREASE YOUR ENERGY THIS WEEK’S LIST Running out of energy too quickly? Try one (or all) of these tricks to boost it back up and get more out of your day, according to author and podcast host Scott Young.

Habit #1: Go to sleep early Sleep is the foundation of your energy. If you don’t get enough sleep, you’ll start to underperform. Seven to eight hours are pretty much mandatory if you’re going to stay cognitively sharp in the long run.

Try this: Go to bed by 10 p.m. every night, including weekends, for the next 30 days.

Habit #2: Exercise every day Exercise is a long-term investment in your energy levels. It’s easy to cut out in the short term, but if you commit, then over time you’ll reduce your overall fitness, making it harder to think straight and stay alert throughout the day.

Try this: Do at least 10 burpees every day from your home.

Habit #3: 20-minute naps Napping may feel lazy, but there’s research showing it has a range of cognitive benefits. This is particularly true if you’re doing a lot of learning, since the short burst of sleep can help with memory.

Try this: Insert a 20-minute nap after you eat lunch to recuperate your energy for the afternoon.

Habit #4: Do your hard work in the morning The benefits to your energy here are mostly psychological. Energy levels depend a lot on mood.

If you’ve gotten some important work done, your mood is usually better and you’ll feel more productive.

Try this: Make the first four hours of your morning a quiet, deep work zone.

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July 26, 2022 Habit #5: Set your intention the day before Energy is often about momentum. Start working hard and you’ll overcome procrastination and keep going throughout the day.

Try this: Before you go to bed, write down your plan for the next day and visualize it.

Habit #6: Sell yourself on your goals The truth is you need to become the salesperson for your own goals. Not for other people, but for yourself.

Try this: Set aside 10 minutes every day to think about what today’s actions are helping you build toward.

Habit #7: Get better friends You may not be able to choose your parents, colleagues or your boss. But you do have some control over the friends in your life.

Try this: Set a time limit on friends who leave you feeling drained.

Habit #8: Read better books One of the great benefits of reading books isn’t simply to give you ideas and information.

Rather, it’s to reinforce a mentality that often occurs at a subconscious level. The best books aren’t those that teach you facts, but those that subtly change your entire thinking patterns.

Try this: Always have an audio book that motivates you to work on your goals.

Habit #9: Align your life The last habit isn’t a one-time process, but an ongoing effort to bring the different elements of your life out of conflict and into alignment with one another.

Try this: Sit down for an hour and brainstorm all the things that assist your goals and all the things which hold you back. How could you resolve those tensions?

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July 26, 2022

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CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER TATIA DAVENPORT

Previous Issues EDITOR-IN-CHIEF JOYCE TRIBBEY

FEATURES EDITOR JULIE PHILLIPS RANDLES

DESIGNER CHRISTINA NORDIN

CONTRIBUTOR JENNIFER SNELLING

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