Behind the Bills is your go-to podcast for the latest updates on access, policy, and political work affecting education in California. Iván Carrillo will provide insider insights from Sacramento, including the daily efforts of ACSA's governmental relations team, legislative policy committee, and key stakeholders as they work to influence policy and budget decisions. Stay informed on the issues that impact your job and the students you serve, with behind-the-scenes looks at the inner workings of ACSA.
Episode 15: Expanding Pathways for California's Future School Leaders
Host Naj Alikhan interviews ACSA legislative advocate Serette Kaminski about creating new pathways for California's future school leaders to earn administrative credentials.
24 Jun 2026TRANSCRIPT
Episode 14: SB 330 and the Risks of Shortening School District Budget Forecasts
Host Naj Alikhan interviews Michael Fine, executive director of the Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team, about how Senate Bill 330's shortened budget forecasts risk weakening early-warning systems for California school districts.
20 Apr 2026
Episode 13: HR 87 and Rethinking How School Reporting Requirements Get Made
Host Naj Alikhan explains how Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi's HR 87 rethinks California school reporting requirements by focusing on purpose, value, and feasibility to prevent unnecessary burdens.
2 Mar 2026TRANSCRIPT
Episode 12: Reducing Reporting Burdens for California School Districts
Naj Alikhan discusses ACSA-sponsored measures to reduce reporting burdens for California school districts, offering insights into streamlining accountability for better student focus.
23 Jan 2026TRANSCRIPT
Episode 11: What’s in the Governor Newsom's Budget Proposal and What Comes Next
Naj Alikhan analyzes Governor Newsom's 2026-27 budget proposal, focusing on its impact on public education, Proposition 98 funding, and investments in community schools, revealing the state's priorities for students and families; this is an analysis episode.
5 Aug 2025TRANSCRIPT
Episode 10: Federal Funds, Curriculum Controversies, and the Road Ahead
On episode 10 of Behind the Bills, Naj Alikhan recaps California’s latest legislative updates and highlights ACSA’s successful advocacy to release $7 billion in delayed federal education funding. Get updates on key co-sponsored bills still moving through the Legislature, including those focused on substitute flexibility, credentialing, and school safety. Plus, hear how a recent Supreme Court ruling on curriculum opt-outs is reshaping local school district policies across the state.
28 May 2025TRANSCRIPT
Episode 9: May Budget Revision
Naj Alikhan analyzes Governor Newsom's May Budget Revision, which proposes underfunding Prop 98 and using deferrals to address California's $12 billion deficit, impacting education funding.
23 Jan 2025TRANSCRIPT
Episode 8: Immigration, LGBTQ+ Rights & CA Budget Update
On Episode 8 of Behind the Bills, Iván Carrillo breaks down a busy start to the new year in the political world. A second Trump term has resulted in dozens of executive orders impacting immigration and LGBTQ+ rights. Iván shares his thoughts on how these actions by President Trump could have long term effects on the safety and wellbeing of California's 6 million public school students (00:50). Later in the show, California state senator John Laird joins Iván for a wide-ranging interview about the Trump presidency and what he makes of Governor Gavin Newsom's strategy for Prop 98 dollars in this year's proposed budget (05:27).
21 Nov 2024TRANSCRIPT
Episode 7: The Future of the Department of Education & Dr. Shirley Weber
Iván Carrillo analyzes the future of the U.S. Department of Education and its implications for California schools, in an exclusive interview with California Secretary of State Dr. Shirley Weber.
25 Oct 2024
Episode 6: Election 2024 – What to Expect on November 5th
On episode 6 of Behind the Bills, Iván Carrillo tells you everything you need to know for the upcoming November election. He'll bring you the latest from a recent state assembly hearing on the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) and what it could mean for California schools (00:42). Later, political polling expert Paul Mitchell joins Iván to break down election trends, voter dynamics, and potential surprises on November 5th (03:18). Don’t miss this essential Election Day preview!
4 Oct 2024TRANSCRIPT
Episode 5: Gov. Newsom Signs & Vetos Legislation
On episode 5 of Behind the Bills, Iván Carrillo breaks down a few of the key pieces of legislation Gov. Gavin Newsom signed and vetoed as the 2-year session came to a close on September 30th (00:38). He also provides a quick update on the $10 billion school facilities bond, Proposition 2 (05:47). Finally, Iván talks with California State assembly candidate...and former ACSA member...Robert Garcia about his time in public education and his potential plans in Sacramento (07:10).
21 Aug 2024TRANSCRIPT
Episode 4: Legislative Session Crunch Time
On episode 4 of Behind the Bills, Iván Carrillo brings you the very latest on the legislative session and where things stand with key educational bills (00:35). Plus, he shares his thoughts on Gov. Gavin Newsom's letter to school leaders about cell phone use on campuses (04:04). And finally, Capitol Advisors partner Barrett Snider joins the show to talk about potential changes in the California legislature and what bills he thinks the Governor plans to sign this fall (06:35).
5 Aug 2024TRANSCRIPT
Episode 3: Endorsements & Political Action Committees
On episode 3 of Behind the Bills, Iván Carrillo looks at some of the upcoming races in the California state legislature and explains how ACSA endorses political candidates (00:44). Plus, he has a quick update on Proposition 2, a $10 billion school facilities bond that would have a wide-ranging impact on California public schools (07:44). Finally, Iván chats with legislative advocate Dorothy Johnson about where things stand in the final weeks of the legislative session (08:15).
9 Jul 2024TRANSCRIPT
Episode 2: A Signed State Budget & New School Facilities Bond
On episode 2 of Behind the Bills, Iván Carrillo breaks down the final budget signed by Governor Gavin Newsom and what impact it has on public education (00:51). He also discusses a new $10 billion school facilities bond, Proposition 3, on the November ballot (04:03). Finally, Iván is joined by legislative advocate Megan Baier for a conversation about the importance of relationships when working with lawmakers at the State Capitol (07:15).
On episode 1 of Behind the Bills, Iván Carrillo gets you caught up on the latest policy updates impacting California public education. He takes a look at the upcoming June 15th budget deadline for the state legislature (01:38), the emergency school closures proposal (05:08), and the electric school buses initiative (07:22). Then, Iván is joined by Naj Alikhan for a wide-ranging discussion on the Legislative Policy Committee (09:09).
Inside a recent episode
Episode 15: Expanding Pathways for California's Future School Leaders
Published 27 Jul 2026 · Transcript excerpt
[…] The second piece is that it's completely in line with our One Voice platform. So that's a policy document that the governmental relations team uses to just help us with our work and how we do our business. This is seeking multiple methods to demonstrate professional competency. You know, it helps reduce barriers to recruitment and career advancement. It also would support an affordable and expedited credential program. So then the next thing is also looking at the stats, right? What's the scope of the actual problem? So who operates a preliminary administrative credential? I found that out of 57 total approved institutions, 18 are LEAs, but they're predominantly county offices of ed. […]
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