Assemblyman Patrick O&#8217;Donnell

January 13, 2021

To help get kids back in school, California should temporarily suspend local collective bargaining

Gov. Newsom should sit down with union leaders to negotiate a safe statewide reopening of all public schools for in-person instruction.

January 6, 2021

Ensuring equality: the struggle to reopen California’s public schools amid the pandemic

Legislators should provide clear directives to facilitate in-person instruction.

December 22, 2020

Teachers and school staff in California increasingly likely to get vaccine in next round

State and federal health officials say prioritizing teachers and school staff will allow schools to reopen sooner for in-person instruction.

March 16, 2020

California schools, child care centers to get $100 million to disinfect for coronavirus

Lawmakers approve full funding for school closures and lower attendance due to the coronavirus.

October 13, 2019

Gov. Newsom vetoes allowing districts to substitute SAT for 11th grade state test

In veto message, Newsom says giving districts the test option would widen inequities in college admission that the bill was intended to narrow.

October 7, 2019

$15 billion California school bond headed for March ballot with Newsom’s signature

Higher ed to get $6 billion and K-12 schools $9 billion, with most dollars earmarked for renovations; low-wealth, low-income districts would be favored.

October 3, 2019

New era for charter schools: Newsom signs bill after intensive negotiations

For the first time, school districts will be able to consider a proposed charter school’s financial impact.

September 11, 2019

Gov. Newsom, lawmakers strike deal on $15 billion education construction bond

The proposed bond on the March 2020 ballot will include money for K-12 districts, including preschool, community colleges, UC and CSU.

September 6, 2019

Gov. Newsom, lawmakers still negotiating K-14 construction bond

State officials have called for giving property-poor districts a bigger share of state funding.

August 9, 2019

Big bills in play when lawmakers go back to work

This week: We take a look at some of the key issues that California lawmakers will take up next week when they end their summer vacation.

July 25, 2019

Dissent within statewide task force adds tension to California’s charter school debate

There's full agreement on 4 proposals but anger among some task force members over 7 proposals passed by a narrow majority as a package.

July 12, 2019

Newsom administration seeks compromise in push to reform charter law

This week: We discuss the compromises that the Newsom administration proposed on Assembly Bill 1505, and hear testimony from San Diego Unified Superintendent Cindy Marten; and we talk with Todd Ziebarth of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, about how events in California fits in with what is happening around the country.

EdSource staff

Charter Schools

July 9, 2019

Governor's team jumps into fray over contested charter school bill

Senate hearing indicates that further changes will be needed to reach a deal on a bill charter school leaders fear would cripple growth.

John Fensterwald

Podcast

June 21, 2019

Teaching districts the ABCs of charter oversight; putting a school bond on 2020 ballot

This week: We interview the executive director of CARSNet, an organization run by the Alameda County Office of Education that offers bootcamps and tutorials in charter school responsibilities; and we talk with Kyla Johnson-Trammell, who has faced a teachers strike and possible insolvency during her first two years as Oakland Unified superintendent.