EdSource Comments Policy

EdSource seeks to facilitate thoughtful, civil conversation about news stories, commentaries and other editorial content published on our website both through our comments section and through social media networks (Twitter and Facebook) hosted by EdSource.

Commenters are welcome to voice their opinions regardless of their political or personal views. However, it is important that all our readers feel comfortable and all comments are moderated prior to posting. They may be edited for typos and to remove information that is inaccurate or violates our guidelines for civility.

Commenters to our site should:

  • Maintain a civil and respectful tone when commenting about other commenters and contributors, including EdSource staff.
  • Make the comment relevant to the subject of the article to which you’re responding.
  • Make assertions or claims based on fact or supported by evidence which you should cite in your comment.
  • Respect opinions of all people who comment. If you disagree with a comment, state your opinion without belittling or attacking the author of the other comment.
  • Be brief. Comments exceeding approximately 80 words will, by default, show only those first 80 words, with readers having the option to expand the comment in its entirety.
  • Do not try to take over a thread. We may limit the number of comments we publish from one individual to give others an opportunity to weigh in.
  • Use your real name. If you must use a pseudonym, please only use one. Please be sure to use your real email so we can reach you if necessary. Comments submitted under fake email address may not be published.
  • Avoid using chat shorthand (not everyone knows what 14AA41 and AFAIC mean).
  • Avoid writing letters in all caps.

The following types of comments will not be published:

  • Personal attacks, verbal harassment, or threats of violence against another commenter or group of people
  • Comments from the same person under multiple pseudonyms
  • Personal questions asking for information not directly related to the topic, for example, “How do I get my child into college” on a piece about the California State University System
  • Comments that seek to hijack an article or commentary to further an agenda or lay out concerns which are not directly related to the topic of the piece on which they are posting.
  • Spam
  • Comments that are potentially defamatory or libelous
  • Comments that in our view are uncivil, disrespectful or insulting, and contribute to creating an unwelcoming space for civil and respectful dialog

Commentators that violate these guidelines may be permanently excluded from commenting on the EdSource website.

We look forward to continuing a vibrant, constructive dialog on public education in California. Please feel free to send us any questions or comments about this policy or if you have any difficulty posting a comment on our site.