EXPLORE: Coronavirus updatesCollege and Covid: Freshman Year DisruptedQuick Guides
Topic

Commentary

Commentaries published in this section and on EdSource more generally represent the opinions of the authors, who in turn are reflective of EdSource’s broad audience. As an independent, non-partisan organization, EdSource does not take a position on legislation or policy. We welcome guest commentaries representing diverse points of view. If you would like to submit a commentary, please review our commentary guidelines, and contact us.
Commentary
January 19, 2021

It’s time to reimagine the school campus as a community center

The pandemic has created an opening to reexamine how schools operate and rethink how space is allocated.

Kate Mraw
Commentary
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.

Carl Cohn
Commentary
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.

Mark Brilliant
Commentary
January 4, 2021

Stipends, jobs for student teachers needed to diversify California’s teaching force

Taking a year off of work is a barrier for potential teachers, especially teachers of color, wanting to enter the teaching profession.

Jarod Kawasaki
Commentary
December 22, 2020

Educators are frontline workers who should receive the vaccine as soon as possible

To open schools, Oakland Unified Superintendent Kyla Johnson-Trammell argues that school staff be included in Phase 1b of vaccine distribution.

Kyla Johnson-Trammell
Commentary
December 17, 2020

It’s time we gave women and young children their due

California’s Master Plan for Early Learning and Care is a template for a better life, not only for our youngest children, but for women as well.

Liz Simons
Commentary
December 16, 2020

Students remain in distance learning because we lack school-specific Covid-19 data

Schools need a comprehensive statewide dashboard like the one used to track student achievement so administrators and teachers can understand the relative risks and make informed decisions.

Paul Keefer
Commentary
December 11, 2020

Leaders in Sacramento and Washington must walk the talk to support afterschool programs

Tighter budgets have created greater competition for finite resources. As a result, we have seen funding for quality afterschool programming fall behind.

Anne Marie Schubert and Jody Breckenridge
Commentary
December 8, 2020

New Master Plan for Early Learning and Care points way to California for all

When children have access to quality care and learning, parents also have the ability to seek more education, participate in the workforce, earn more and invest more in their children.

Linda Darling-Hammond and Kim Johnson
Commentary
December 4, 2020

California must ‘flip the script’ and reopen schools first

Education is a sector of our economy that can and should reopen safely with restrictions.

Alex Cherniss
Teacher Voices
November 19, 2020

Struggling with your college essay? Beware of these common pitfalls

Knowing how to write effectively is a necessary skill for a student’s success.

Meredith Joelle Charlson
Commentary
November 13, 2020

From LH to BH: Think positive

It is time to focus on building a foundation of trust and civil discourse.

Michael Feuer
Teacher Voices
November 11, 2020

What we can do to keep our students engaged in learning

The classroom shouldn’t be isolated from what happens in the real world; it should be an extension of students’ lives.

Kandy Galvez
Commentary
November 10, 2020

Looking beyond STEM to prepare for meaningful human work

Skills and knowledge matter, but workers must be able to apply them to solve problems in rapidly shifting work environments.

Jamie Merisotis
Commentary
November 5, 2020

Ensure equitable broadband access to secure California’s future

When the delivery of high-quality instruction depends on reliable, high-speed broadband connections for every student anyone lacking these resources gets left behind.

Su Jin Gatlin Jez and Peter J. Taylor