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
Legislature disagrees with Newsom on how to spend additional billions for education
California legislative leaders would add $4.5 billion above the governor's proposal for the Local Control Funding Formula, and drop $700 million for early literacy and $1.5 billion for community schools.
John Fensterwald
June 3, 2022
State superintendent of public instruction candidates differ on how California should solve its early literacy crisis
Office that runs the state's Department of Education is on June 7 primary ballot.
John Fensterwald And Ali Tadayon
June 3, 2022
Debate turns hot over UC proposal to set criteria for high school ethnic studies
UC board that sets high school admissions requirements rejects draft ethnic studies guidelines viewed as ideological and divisive; drafters vow to fight on.
John Fensterwald
June 1, 2022
Updated state computer system frustrates districts during student testing period
Rollout of CALPADS update with glitches coincides with Smarter Balanced testing, compounding problems; state Department of Education promises fixes.
John Fensterwald
May 19, 2022
Billions more for California schools, colleges under Newsom's revised budget
One-time and ongoing Proposition 98 funding would be an unprecedented $35 million more than the Legislature appropriated a year ago.
John Fensterwald, Karen D'Souza, Ali Tadayon, Michael Burke, And Ashley A. Smith
May 13, 2022
California set to launch hundreds of community schools with $635 million in grants
The state's "whole child" model stresses collaborating with parents, teachers and community organizations; 265 districts are to receive initial funding.
John Fensterwald
May 12, 2022
Senate, Assembly agree California schools should receive billions more in unrestricted funding
Districts complain COLA isn't enough to cover their costs and needs; Gov. Newsom to release revised budget, revenue projections by May 15.
John Fensterwald
April 29, 2022
A new chapter for charter schools in California as enrollment drops for first time in 3 decades
With California charter school enrollment declining for the first time in three decades, operators and funders look to new areas of the state for future growth.
John Fensterwald
April 25, 2022
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.