Bill Lucia

November 22, 2019

California is poised to confront high proportions of underqualified teachers in low-income schools

Uncredentialed teachers are concentrated where students struggle academically; the State Board may soon have data to support a teacher equity index.

John Fensterwald

July 13, 2017

Author shelves teacher tenure bill; surprise alternative emerges

Both bills would add optional third year; school districts prefer one version, CTA the other.

John Fensterwald

January 11, 2016

Brown says it's time to abandon API to judge schools' performance

The state board is leaning toward a measurement "dashboard."

John Fensterwald

September 15, 2015

Test scores to be only one factor in measuring school progress

State board considers other measures of student engagement and achievement.

John Fensterwald

August 26, 2015

State removes 15 years of test results before releasing new scores

Officials say it will avoid confusion; critics say the data should be accessible.

John Fensterwald

July 16, 2015

Students Matter sues districts over teacher evaluations

Lawsuit says districts must include test scores to measure effectiveness

John Fensterwald

April 28, 2015

School boards and administrators oppose teacher evaluation bills

Teachers, districts disagree over who determines how teachers will be judged

John Fensterwald

January 8, 2015

Digital Library's use, usefulness questioned

Midway through the school year, about half the state’s teachers have access to a new "Digital Library" the state purchased to help them teach the Common Core State Standards, but it’s unclear how many teachers are actually using it and how useful it is.

John Fensterwald

September 5, 2014

State awards Common Core test contract

Updated with correction: With the State Board of Education’s approval, California became the eighth state Wednesday to award a contract to the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium for the standardized tests in the Common Core State Standards that students will take next spring.

John Fensterwald

July 21, 2014

Initiatives you won't see on November ballot

Earlier this year, the secretary of state’s office gave sponsors of six proposed education-related ballot measures the go-ahead to collect the 505,000 signatures each needed to appear on the November ballot. None qualified.

John Fensterwald

June 26, 2014

Bill simplifying teacher firings now law

Gov. Brown ended three years of high-decibel battles in the Legislature on Wednesday by signing a bill he helped shape that should make it quicker and easier to fire teachers accused of the most abhorrent forms of misconduct.

John Fensterwald

December 12, 2013

Ballot measure filed to speed up dismissals of teachers charged with sexual assault, abuse

John Fensterwald

September 9, 2013

Duncan threatens repercussions if California ends state tests for all students

John Fensterwald

August 1, 2013

California committed to move forward with Common Core tests as planned

John Fensterwald

June 18, 2013

Critical report on teacher preparation programs sparks debate

Jane Meredith Adams and Lillian Mongeau, Jane Meredith Adams and Lillian Mongeau, And Kathryn Baron