Solana Beach SD trustee Dr. Debra Schade ascends to CSBA presidency

Solana Beach SD trustee Dr. Debra Schade ascends to CSBA presidency<_sc3a_dot _xmlns3a_sc="http://www.sitecore.net/sc">

Executive Committee is rounded out by President-elect Sabrena Rodriguez, Vice President Jackie Thu-Huong Wong and Immediate Past President Dr. Bettye Lusk

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Jan. 13, 2026) - Solana Beach School District board member Dr. Debra Schade was chosen by the California School Boards Association's (CSBA) Delegate Assembly as the 2026 President. CSBA represents more than 1,000 California school districts and county offices of education and more than 5,000 school trustees.

Schade has served on the Solana Beach SD board for 23 years and was the 2025 CSBA President-elect. She previously held the role of vice president of the San Diego County School Boards Association, demonstrating her commitment to local and regional educational leadership. Her professional background is in research, technology and entrepreneurship, which fuels her advocacy for early computer science literacy. She also serves on the board of The League of Amazing Programmers, a nonprofit that provides underserved youth with programming instruction, engineering skills and career-focused development.

Schade attended public schools around the country and abroad, due to her father's career as a naval officer and pilot, experiencing different education systems firsthand and shaping her philosophy around the importance of a high-quality education and consistent standards for every student.

"It is an honor to be elected CSBA President, and I appreciate my colleagues' faith in me," Schade said. "As CSBA President, I'm committed to listening to our members and reminding us all that every decision we make shapes a child's future. This work may be hard, but it is filled with purpose and joy. Serving on a school board is not just governance - it is a promise to your community that you will help every student discover their potential.

"Across the state, local educational agencies are working tirelessly to accelerate learning through professional development, mentorship, tutoring, family engagement and other targeted strategies. But the data tells us the truth: incremental progress is not enough. When only 36 percent of our students are proficient in math, it means 64 percent are being left behind. That is a call to action we cannot ignore. That is why CSBA is urging the state to adopt a unified, focused state-level strategy to better support school districts and county offices of education in their work to close the achievement gap," Schade continued. "We need aligned funding, legislation, accountability and high expectations, all working toward the same goal. The timing is urgent because our students cannot wait. Closing the achievement gap is not just an education issue. It is a community issue. When students rise, California rises."

Schade received her Bachelor of Science degree from Auburn University, where she majored in business administration, obtained her Master of Science degree in exercise science from the University of Arizona, completed coursework in the Doctor of Education (EdD) program at Point Loma Nazarene University, and earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in public health from the University of Alabama.