California Department of Education

June 1, 2020

Emotional schools chief Tony Thurmond vows to address racism in public education

It’s time to address racism and implicit bias in education and its impact on black and brown students, the Superintendent of Public Instruction said.

May 22, 2020

Students speak out: ‘Distance learning has challenged me incredibly’

State hosts first panel for students to talk about their concerns about online classes and their mental health.

May 14, 2020

Oakland eases graduation requirements to address student challenges during crisis

Oakland Unified school board temporarily waives its 2.0 GPA and senior project grad requirements during emergencies such as school closures.

April 17, 2020

California should push harder for special education during school closures, disability rights groups say

The California Department of Education has provided guidance for districts, schools, teachers and parents of students in special education.

March 18, 2020

California school districts learn more about what state expects during a long shutdown

During a webinar viewed by 7,000 people, state officials encourage innovation to provide service and promise cooperation in weeks ahead.

December 11, 2019

California parents, preschool teachers learn to teach math through children’s books

A series of activities designed to teach math concepts inspired by children’s books is being piloted as part of a statewide early math initiative.

November 27, 2019

Schools fail to identify thousands of homeless children, state audit finds

California schools must do a better job of counting and providing services to homeless students, audit says.

November 5, 2019

California schools closed for unprecedented number of days due to fire, power outages

Hundreds of schools were closed for multiple days in October, leaving school districts worried about losing instruction days and state funds.

October 11, 2019

Push to increase the number of teachers of color in California classrooms gains momentum

Increasing the number of teachers of color in California classrooms is a top priority for California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond.

September 19, 2019

California needs time to get ethnic studies curriculum right

The debate over whether ethnic studies is an appropriate and valuable course for high school students was settled long ago.

September 16, 2019

California’s widely criticized ethnic studies plan to be revised

Critics said the original proposal was politically biased and omitted the American experiences of some ethnic and religious groups.

May 20, 2019

Lawsuit challenges use of restraint, seclusion in California special education school

The guardians of four special education students claim their children were illegally put in restraint holds and secluded.

May 6, 2019

Conservative religious groups targeting California’s sex education guidance

With the State Board of Education set to vote on new teaching guidelines, groups have launched an aggressive effort to remove recommendations focused on LGBTQ inclusiveness and others they deem too explicit for young students.

David Washburn

March 19, 2019

New training for California preschool teachers to help bilingual children prepare for kindergarten

The trainings teach preschool teachers how to help children learn English and keep their home languages, so they can be more successful in kindergarten and beyond.

Zaidee Stavely

February 10, 2019

Kamala Harris’s stance on truancy resurfaces as she launches presidential campaign

A 2010 video clip of California senator and presidential hopeful Kamala Harris advocating the prosecution of parents for their children's truancy has re-ignited controversy as schools statewide face greater scrutiny for their rates of chronic absenteeism.