Lee Romney
Lee Romney was a contributing writer at EdSource until 2019. After receiving her masters degree from the UC Berkeley School of Journalism in 1992, she spent 23 years as a reporter for the Los Angeles Times, covering the U.S.-Mexico border, immigration, county politics, law enforcement, and Los Angeles County’s minority small business community. She became a roving state reporter in 2001 and two years later joined the paper’s San Francisco bureau. She currently covers education for KALW Radio’s news report, Crosscurrents.
All articles by Lee Romney
California’s student suspension rates are far higher in rural schools
Behind the high suspension rates in rural areas are family struggles with poverty, mental illness, addiction and parental incarceration, a dearth of resources to address those needs and underfunded schools.
Lee Romney And Daniel J. Willis
January 17, 2019
California rural education network launches to help isolated teachers share resources
Many school officials say they feel overlooked, under-resourced and overwhelmed by the needs of their students and families.
Lee Romney
October 7, 2018
African-American students with disabilities suspended at disproportionately high rates
Report finds those students lose substantially more instruction time due to discipline than their white counterparts.
Lee Romney
May 3, 2018
Oakland Unified initiative for African-American girls follows years of focus on the boys
Like the boys’ initiative, the goal is to boost cultural pride and academic performance, lower suspension and dropout rates and create greater understanding of the students’ singular experiences and needs.
Lee Romney
March 15, 2018
Suspension rates for black male students in California higher for foster youth, rural students
Study finds African-American students make up just over 5 percent of California’s public school enrollment, but account for nearly 18 percent of suspensions, with black boys and young men accounting for most of those.
Lee Romney
February 20, 2018
System of positive rewards to reduce student discipline takes off in California
An estimated 1 in 4 schools in the state are implementing the approach.
Lee Romney
January 31, 2018
Student social, emotional and academic development becoming more intertwined in K-12 classrooms
Commission is studying how to make social, emotional, and academic development "part of the fabric of every school."
Lee Romney
January 24, 2018
California school district targets underlying issues to combat chronic absenteeism
One Bay Area school district uses early intervention and outreach to combat chronic absenteeism.
Lee Romney
December 18, 2017
More than 1 in 10 California students are 'chronically absent'
For the first time, California releases data for every school on students who were chronically absent last year -- defined as those who miss 10 percent or more of instructional days during the school year.
Lee Romney And Daniel J. Willis
December 5, 2017
California moves to curtail expelling children from preschool — yes, preschool
California is part of a national effort to restrict pushing children out of preschool for disruptive behavior.