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
UC considers imposing criteria for California’s high school ethnic studies classes
Requirements proposed by UC ethnic studies faculty revive teachings on race that the State Board of Education largely dismissed as biased and divisive.
John Fensterwald
April 12, 2022
California K-12 enrollment plunges again, falls below 6 million
Led by continued hemorrhaging of student enrollment in Los Angeles County and parts of the Bay Area, total public school enrollment in California dropped by 110,000 this year, the second year of big losses.
John Fensterwald And Daniel J. Willis
April 11, 2022
School choice backers fail to put measure on California's November ballot
The California School Choice Initiative needed 1 million voters' signatures to be placed on the election ballot; the campaign collected only 200,000.
John Fensterwald
April 10, 2022
Student math scores touch off ‘five-alarm fire’ in California
The pandemic compounded the challenge of teaching math at grade level when many California students may be three or four years behind.
John Fensterwald
April 5, 2022
California revises new math framework to keep backlash at bay
Drafters of revision tempered language, reiterated local control of 8th grade Algebra and reemphasized high-level math options are for all students.
John Fensterwald
March 18, 2022
Layoff notices are back in some California school districts in a year of plenty: How come?
For now, most California districts are flush with money. But those that aren't face a March 15 deadline to initiate layoffs they hope won't happen.
John Fensterwald
March 9, 2022
Interest in district-subsidized teacher housing in California intensifies
California school districts have thousands of properties on which to build apartments for teachers struggling to pay rent, a new report details.
John Fensterwald
February 23, 2022
California offers graduation honor to encourage active civic engagement
Students can earn a Seal of Civic Engagement if they learn how to research issues and effect change by getting involved in community issues.
John Fensterwald
February 8, 2022
The late state Sen. Gary Hart's legacy looms large on California education
Former state Sen. Gary Hart, who died last week at 78, authored bills allowing charter schools in California, creating a statewide student assessment and a minimum school year.
John Fensterwald
February 1, 2022
California ready to launch $3 billion, multiyear transition to community schools
Districts can soon apply for funding to transform schools by expanding services for the "whole child" and extensively involving parents.
John Fensterwald
January 31, 2022
Funding for schools, community colleges to break $100 billion in Gov. Newsom’s proposed budget
Newsom projects $24 billion in new spending on K-12 education; he'd speed up plans for a longer day for low-income kids and add nearly $1 billion for arts and music.
John Fensterwald, Ali Tadayon, Carolyn Jones, Diana Lambert, And Zaidee Stavely
January 10, 2022
What teachers want you to know about this year
Members of EdSource's Teachers Advisory Group share their experiences with returning to school after the pandemic lockdowns.
John Fensterwald
January 9, 2022
Standardized test scores in California fell during year in distance learning
Among the 24% of students who took the Smarter Balanced assessments in 2020-21, achievement gaps widened, and the youngest students struggled.
John Fensterwald And Daniel J. Willis
January 7, 2022
California education issues to watch in 2022 — and predictions of what will happen
Test scores will fall, chronic absences will rise, school funding will soar, with arguments over how to spend it. Bet your Fensters on that.
John Fensterwald And Yuxuan Xie
January 7, 2022
Kid cooks and tasty lunches: One elementary school's recipe for survival
No frozen pizza on the menu at Pacific Elementary in tiny coastal Davenport. The fifth and sixth grade chefs cook from scratch, luring families to enroll in their school.