School Safety

January 31, 2022

What are the best masks for children to wear at school during the omicron surge? | Quick Guide

Due to the omicron variant's higher transmissibility, medical experts are recommending avoiding cloth masks and surgical masks in favor of higher-quality KN95 or KF94 masks.

January 20, 2022

Parents scramble for higher-quality masks for children amid nationwide shortage

Though experts say higher-quality masks are crucial to preventing the spread of the Omicron variant, few districts are providing those masks to students leaving parents looking for them.

November 16, 2021

A Bay Area school district's plan to reduce violence through nonviolent means

West Contra Costa Unified is prioritizing teaching students the social and emotional skills they need to avoid violence.

September 21, 2021

Lessons from Oakland’s move to police-free schools

The story of Oakland’s efforts to eliminate school policing highlights four important lessons about what it truly takes to stop the criminalization of young people and their families.

September 15, 2021

West Contra Costa Unified and Oakland Unified poised to be first Northern California districts to mandate student vaccinations

West Contra Costa and Oakland Unified will follow Culver City Unified, L.A. Unified in requiring students 12 and up to get vaccinated to attend in person.

July 23, 2021

California K-12 Covid safety practices for the new school year | Q&A

K-12 districts have guidance on how to safely reopen campuses when California schools resume in the fall. Here's what you need to know.

December 18, 2020

School districts balk at California’s new Covid worker safety regulations

Cal/OSHA emergency regulations went into effect Nov. 30 for all employers. School officials argue compliance will be burdensome.

October 23, 2020

Virus outbreaks unavoidable as school campuses reopen, experts warn

Safety measures can help lower, but not eliminate, the risk of virus transmission.

September 10, 2020

The next big hurdle: California schools grapple with how, when or if to reopen campuses

Safety protocols, potential lawsuits, input from parents and teachers are among the factors districts must weigh.

June 8, 2020

Educators must address the trauma students have endured these past weeks

As schools prepare for the upcoming academic year, mental health must be a primary planning focus.

June 1, 2020

Oakland students organize protest of George Floyd death, pleading to be heard

Community members handed out free water, snacks and hand sanitizer as students and families marched down Broadway.

March 24, 2020

Rural California district stays open despite statewide stay-at-home order

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond is urging the small district in Tulare County to close.

March 10, 2019

Many California schools have police but no counselors, ACLU report finds

The report used federal data to make the argument that schoolchildren in America are over-policed and under-supported by health and mental health professionals.

December 19, 2018

Trump administration’s school safety report met with harsh criticism in California

The report strongly recommended rescinding the Obama policies that both emphasized alternatives to suspensions and expulsions and highlighted data showing that students of color and those with disabilities were more likely than white students to face these punishments.

David Washburn

Legislation

October 5, 2018

With bill signings, Gov. Brown makes his final mark on California education

A rundown of the governor’s decisions on some of the most-watched education legislation that crossed his desk this year.