
Zaidee Stavely
Zaidee Stavely covers bilingual education, early education and immigration as it relates to schools and hosts EdSource’s Education Beat podcast. She is a bilingual print and radio reporter who has worked in Mexico and the U.S. She has covered education, immigration, environmental justice and traditional arts for KQED, Radio Bilingüe, and Public Radio International’s “The World,” among other outlets. Zaidee has won numerous awards for her journalism, including an Emmy, a Regional Edward R. Murrow Award, an Excellence in Journalism Award from SPJ Northern California, and the Rubén Salazar Award from CCCNMA: Latino Journalists of California. She grew up in rural Mendocino County, where both her parents taught in public one-room schoolhouses. She has a Master’s degree from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and a B.A. in Latin American and Latino Studies and Community Studies from UC Santa Cruz. She lives in Oakland with her husband and two children.
All articles by Zaidee Stavely
From English learner to National Bilingual Teacher of the Year
Sonia Águila didn't speak English fluently until high school. Now she's the National Bilingual Teacher of the Year.
Zaidee Stavely
May 11, 2023
California is offering free immigration legal services for community college students
Golden State invests $10 million yearly to help community college students renew DACA, apply for naturalization, and other immigration services.
Zaidee Stavely
April 25, 2023
How one school gets English learners to read by third grade
Led by a principal who was an English learner, Frank Sparkes Elementary in Winton emphasizes reading and writing with an approach tailored to English learners.
Zaidee Stavely
April 13, 2023
Q&A: What research says on teaching English learners to read
Tim Shanahan chaired the National Literacy Panel for Language Minority Children and Youth and co-edited the resulting 2006 report.
Zaidee Stavely
April 13, 2023
California districts vary enormously in reading achievement, report finds
A new study of low-income Latino students suggests that how they score in reading and writing stems more from how they are taught and less from their family income or English proficiency.
Zaidee Stavely
March 28, 2023
Can common ground be found on teaching reading in California?
A new paper aims to find consensus about literacy curriculum for English language learners and other students and early screeners for reading.
Zaidee Stavely
March 9, 2023
Family reunited after four years separated by Trump-era immigration policy
José Luis Ruiz Arévalos thought he would be in Mexico for six days. Instead, he was forced to stay out of the country for almost four years, disrupting his kids' education.
Zaidee Stavely
March 6, 2023
Bilingual students do better on tests than native English speakers. Why?
Some researchers say the bar to be considered proficient in English is so high that only students who perform well can be reclassified.
Zaidee Stavely
February 6, 2023
Education Beat in 2022: Our favorite podcast episodes of the year
As 2022 comes to a close, here are a few of our favorite podcast episodes from this year.
Zaidee Stavely
December 27, 2022
Governor vetoes full-day and mandatory kindergarten bills
California won’t be making kindergarten mandatory or extending the kindergarten school day any time soon.
Zaidee Stavely
September 26, 2022
Teachers and students both learned from this intensive summer English class
A course on plastic pollution was designed to both boost English learners' language skills and help teachers learn strategies to support these students.
Zaidee Stavely
September 13, 2022
Dual-immersion programs show promise in fighting enrollment declines
Some California school districts have stopped or reversed declining enrollment in a school by beginning dual-language immersion programs.
Zaidee Stavely
August 29, 2022
Frustration after bilingual education bill dies in State Assembly
The bill would have established a program to offer grants of up to $750,000 to expand or establish dual-language immersion programs.
Zaidee Stavely
August 22, 2022
California could paint a clearer picture of English learner achievement if new bill passes
The bill would require the state to separate out test scores in English language arts, math and science for subgroups of English learners.
Zaidee Stavely
August 1, 2022
How a journalism class in Compton boosts students’ English skills
Students learn listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills, by interviewing and writing articles, in this six-week summer class.