John Fensterwald
Follow @jfenster EmailJohn 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 fixes funding problem for growing districts and some charter schools
Districts and charter schools that can prove they planned to grow will get additional funding in 2020-21 but the deal leaves out online charter schools.
John Fensterwald
September 2, 2020
School districts worry that legislators failed to protect them from Covid-19 lawsuits
A bill that would have shielded districts that follow safety and health precautions from being sued failed to move forward.
John Fensterwald
September 1, 2020
California to require ethnic studies to graduate high school under bill headed to Gov. Newsom
Assembly Bill 331 would take effect with the class of 2030; author Jose Medina accepts several amendments proposed by critics.
John Fensterwald
September 1, 2020
California issues rules for opening schools to high-needs students
Special education, homeless and foster students are priority groups that can return in separate cohorts with up to 14 children and two adults.
John Fensterwald
August 26, 2020
California schools allowed to open for small groups with ’acute’ needs under new guidance
Forthcoming guidance permitting limited openings will apply to districts in counties on the coronavirus watch list, where schools are shut down.
John Fensterwald
August 14, 2020
Ethnic studies mandate for California K-12 students gaining momentum in Legislature
The debate continues on what should be in an ethnics studies curriculum; legislators must decide whether to be the first state to require it.
John Fensterwald
August 14, 2020
Some California districts, teachers struggle to agree on distance learning
The Legislature set minimum hours but left it to districts and unions to define instruction, engagement and set the length of a school day.
John Fensterwald
August 11, 2020
California health officials list conditions for an elementary school waiver
School districts, charter and private schools would have to meet safety requirements. Counties could limit the number of approvals.
John Fensterwald
August 4, 2020
New draft ethnic studies curriculum for California students issued after a year of study
The revision stresses inclusion but keeps focus on four ethnic/racial groups: African Americans, Latinos, Asian Americans and Native Americans.
John Fensterwald
August 1, 2020
California court gives school districts, local governments limited win in ruling on pensions
The court upheld a provision of the pension reform law but didn’t determine whether pension obligations to current public employees can be changed.
John Fensterwald
July 31, 2020
California charter schools sue state for not funding additional students this year
School funding is based on last year’s student enrollments but that eliminates money for charter schools that already had planned to expand.
John Fensterwald
July 29, 2020
California districts can seek waiver for elementary schools from ban on in-school instruction
County health directors would decide whether to allow small groups of students into schools or open up districts in remote corners of counties.
John Fensterwald
July 21, 2020
Parents must have a say in districts’ distance learning plans under new California law
The Legislature has set minimum standards for distance learning; parents and students can demand a more extensive approach.
John Fensterwald
July 16, 2020
Gov. Newsom names three members to California’s State Board of Education
Riverside administrator Cynthia Glover Woods, Yurok Tribe leader James McQuillen and bilingual high school teacher Haydee Rodriguez join the board.
John Fensterwald
July 9, 2020
California sues Betsy DeVos over rule steering coronavirus aid to private schools
Attorney General Becerra charges education secretary exceeded her authority, diverted money from low-income public schools.