By Krystal Lomanto, San Benito County Superintendent of Schools
As a County Superintendent, I have learned that when districts face significant challenges, improvement happens most effectively when support is clear, coordinated, and focused on building capacity rather than assigning blame. At the heart of this work are students. Every decision we make about support, intervention, and accountability ultimately affects their opportunities, experiences, and outcomes.
Over the years, I have seen districts make progress when they receive the right support at the right time. I have also seen how uncertainty about roles, responsibilities, and decision-making can create confusion and delay action when urgency is needed most. When students are struggling academically, experiencing chronic absenteeism, or not receiving the services they need, we cannot afford a system that lacks clarity.
A System Built on Shared Responsibility
California’s Statewide System of Support was built on the principle of shared responsibility. County Offices of Education, Geographic Leads, the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence, the California Department of Education, and local districts all have important roles to play. For the system to function as intended, everyone must understand how decisions are made, when support should be intensified, and who is responsible for delivering that support.
Strengthening Support Before Challenges Escalate
Recent statewide investments in universal and targeted assistance have strengthened our ability to support districts earlier and more effectively. Counties now have additional opportunities to work alongside districts, using Dashboard data, local indicators, LCAP implementation, and whole-child strategies to identify challenges before they become a crisis.
Early support matters because the longer problems persist, the greater impact on students. Every year a student spends in an underperforming system is a year of opportunity that cannot be regained. This helps counties identify needs before challenges intensify and ensure escalation decisions are based on a clear record of support, engagement, and impact.
Flexibility with Accountability
In my experience, districts do not always enter improvement efforts through the same door. Some readily embrace additional support, while others engage more effectively through an existing planning process, peer network, or trusted regional partner. A strong county support structure can create multiple entry points for collaboration while still maintaining clear expectations for evidence, progress, and results.
Flexibility in approach should not mean ambiguity in accountability.
Clear Expectations and Transparent Decisions
To better serve students, California should establish clear statewide criteria for escalation, continuation, de-escalation, and reassignment of support responsibilities. This would help ensure consistency across California. Decisions that affect district governance or intervention levels should be grounded in documented evidence, including implementation progress, improvement planning efforts, support quality reviews, and the results of systemic reviews.
When expectations are clear and transparent, everyone can focus on the work of improvement rather than debating the process
Building Trust Through Transparency
Transparency is equally important for maintaining trust. District leaders should have clear avenues to raise concerns about support quality, decision-making processes, or the application of escalation criteria. That trust is critical because meaningful improvement requires strong partnerships among districts, counties, state agencies, families, and communities.
Formal review, complaint, and appeal processes can help ensure that decisions are not only fair, but also perceived as fair by the communities they affect.
Continuous Improvement for the System
At the same time, the system itself must be designed to learn and improve. Feedback from districts, County Offices of Education, and support providers can offer valuable insight into what is working, where barriers exist, and how assistance can be strengthened over time. Continuous improvement should apply not only to districts, but also to the support system itself.
Defining Success
For me, success is when district leaders understand who is responsible for providing support, when County Offices and state partners have clarity about their roles, and when districts can quickly access the expertise, resources, and coordination they need.
Most importantly, success will be reflected in a system where escalation decisions are viewed as transparent, evidence-based, and centered on improving outcomes for students, not as punitive actions or compliance exercises.
Looking Ahead
California’s Statewide System of Support was built on shared responsibility. Stronger county-led universal and targeted supports can help identify needs earlier, coordinate expertise more effectively, and provide a clearer continuum of assistance before more intensive intervention becomes necessary.
If we remain focused on transparency, collaboration, and continuous improvement, we can build a system that not only supports districts, but ultimately delivers better outcomes for students who depend on us every day.
