Karen D'Souza
Karen covers arts education, literacy, and early education. She is an award-winning writer who comes to EdSource after covering lifestyle, parenting, health, housing, education and the arts for the San Jose Mercury News. She is a four-time Pulitzer juror and her writing has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Miami Herald, San Francisco Chronicle and Seattle Times. She has an MA in journalism and a BA in political science and dramatic art from UC Berkeley.
All articles by Karen D'Souza
If you feel your child is not ready for first grade due to the pandemic
A new state law addresses the reality this fall for many families: Their child missed kindergarten because of the pandemic. Should they move on to first grade? Parents are entitled to information on the pros and cons.
Karen D'Souza
August 7, 2021
How California’s new universal transitional kindergarten program will be rolled out
Experts say making a year of pre-kindergarten available to all 4-year-olds is a watershed achievement in the early education space.
Karen D'Souza
July 12, 2021
Why some early childhood advocates want more transitional kindergarten choices
A California TK proposal would gradually open the program to all 4-year-olds amid evidence that early learning shapes the adult brain.
Karen D'Souza
June 17, 2021
More help for struggling California child care sector
In the wake of the pandemic, child care providers have emerged as the backbone of the state’s economic recovery.
Karen D'Souza
June 2, 2021
How parents can prepare kids for 1st grade post-pandemic
With distance learning struggles, it’s likely children might need to play catch-up this summer before heading into 1st grade in the fall.
Karen D'Souza
May 25, 2021
Should California offer transitional kindergarten to all 4-year-olds?
Expanding TK captures the spirit of the Master Plan for Early Learning and Care and aligns with Biden’s campaign for universal preschool.
Karen D'Souza
May 13, 2021
Biden's plan for families could bolster California's push for early education, care
This roughly $1.8 trillion package sets aside big money for key early childhood initiatives as part of its vast cradle-to-college agenda.
Karen D'Souza
April 28, 2021
What President Biden's recovery plan for families means for California's children
The proposed legislation to champion childhood comes at a time when the pandemic has widened the gap between the rich and the poor.
Karen D'Souza
April 27, 2021
Missing kindergartners drive largest drop in 20 years in California's K-12 enrollment
Causes for the slide in enrollment are myriad, complicated by existing trends including declining birthrates and people's continued exodus from the state, as well as the sudden economic chaos wrought by the pandemic.
Karen D'Souza, John Fensterwald, And Daniel J. Willis
April 22, 2021
Why does California disappoint in preschool access and quality?
The report arrives just as momentum builds to expand access to both transitional kindergarten and state-funded preschool.
Karen D'Souza
April 19, 2021
Amid pandemic, infants especially need quality child care, reformers say
Child care is far more than just babysitting, advocates say, it’s building the architecture of the brain at a pivotal stage in construction.
Karen D'Souza
April 2, 2021
What are California teachers seeing as the early grades go back to school?
After being apart from each other for so long, children may need to be retrained on how to socialize before they can be ready to learn.
Karen D'Souza
March 24, 2021
What the federal stimulus bill means to California's child care sector
California, with almost 3 million children under age 5, stands to receive about $3.8 billion in federal relief.
Karen D'Souza
March 11, 2021
Should kindergarten be mandatory in California?
Without kindergarten to help build critical skills in reading and math, some students may fall behind.
Karen D'Souza
March 3, 2021
Most California parents worry about their young children’s education amid pandemic
More than a third of parents surveyed said they have skipped meals or had to cut back on food for the children as a result of the pandemic.