John Fensterwald
John Fensterwald, staff writer, joined EdSource in 2012. Before that, he was editor and co-writer for The Educated Guess website, a leading source of California education policy reporting and opinion, which he founded in 2009. For 11 years before then, John wrote editorials for the Mercury News in San Jose, with a focus on education. He worked as a reporter, news editor and opinion editor for three newspapers in New Hampshire before receiving a Knight Fellowship at Stanford University in 1997. His wife is a retired elementary school teacher, and his daughter is a neurology resident at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Medicine.
All articles by John Fensterwald
Study of Oakland Unified’s parent tutors finds exciting possibilities and challenges
Partnership between the district and the nonprofit Oakland REACH addresses a tutor shortage by training parents and neighbors in phonics and placing them in K-2 classrooms. Initial results are positive with lots of room for improvement.
John Fensterwald
December 21, 2023
A refresher on the California School Dashboard | Quick Guide
After a three-year hiatus, the color-coded accountability tool offers multiple measures of performance for all student groups in every school, district, and county office of education.
John Fensterwald
December 15, 2023
Advanced algebra, data science and more: UC rethinks contested issues of high school math
Two work groups of professors will weigh in on math requirements for admissions to UC and CSU. First up: Can bolstering Introduction to Data Science with math and statistics qualify for taking Algebra 2?
John Fensterwald
December 8, 2023
Legislative Analyst's Office forecasts $19 billion state budget deficit for schools and community colleges
The three-year shortfall starts in 2022-23 and is the largest since the Great Recession, but there is an $8.1 billion rainy day fund to soften the impact.
John Fensterwald
December 7, 2023
Districts groan as state board sets in motion Newsom’s big changes to funding formula
Gov. Gavin Newsom is requiring more focus and funding for the lowest scoring students in hundreds of schools. Superintendents complain strategic plans will become unreadable.
John Fensterwald
November 15, 2023
Flat test scores leave California far behind pre-Covid levels of achievement
California students are still lagging compared to pre-pandemic levels despite a full year of in-person instruction in the 2021-22 school year, according to state tests given in the spring of 2023.
John Fensterwald And Daniel J. Willis
October 18, 2023
A conversation with Martin Blank, national community schools leader, about California's big bet
California is making the nation's largest investment in community schools. Marty Blank says success should be measured by community relationships, not just new services.
John Fensterwald
October 16, 2023
School board opponents in Orange Unified turn in signatures for recall election
Parents angered by sudden firing of popular superintendent by a newly elected conservative majority in Orange County prepare for an expensive, closely watched election.
John Fensterwald
October 5, 2023
2024 state ballot battle to determine if voters can pass school parcel taxes by majority vote
A deft maneuver by Democrats could undermine an anti-tax initiative on 2024 state ballot that would require school parcel taxes to pass by a two-thirds majority, without exception.
John Fensterwald
September 22, 2023
How these bills before Gov. Gavin Newsom could change education in California
The bills include protections for LGBTQ students, actions to address the teacher shortage and curbs on suspending high school students and on banning textbooks.
EdSource staff
September 18, 2023
A learning recovery that wasn’t – missed opportunities and the ongoing costs of Covid
The Center on Reinventing Public Education presents disturbing data on America’s students, yet leaders haven’t sounded an alarm, and most parents assume their children are back on track.
John Fensterwald
September 13, 2023
Gov. Newsom poised to sign legislation to counter book bans and school boards’ censorship
Assembly Bill 1078 was written in response to anticipated book banning and tactics of conservative boards, but parents with different politics will be able to file complaints, too.
John Fensterwald
September 8, 2023
Research finds California's funding overhaul worked as designed for those getting the most money
U.C. professor Rucker Johnson concluded equity-based funding caused big jumps in student performance in the highest-poverty school districts.
John Fensterwald
September 1, 2023
The case of Cayla J: Judge to decide if California failed low-income students during Covid
Lawsuit filed in late 2020 charges California education leaders failed to protect Black, Latino and low-income children from disproportionate and enduring impacts of the pandemic.
John Fensterwald
August 22, 2023
California Ed Department backs down on punishing education researchers who testify against it
Facing withering criticism, the California Department of Education eliminated a clause in research agreements that banned researchers from testifying in lawsuits against it, as a condition to getting access to non-public data.