Topic

Early Learning

Quality early care and education are critical to prepare California children for school and their lives in general. But a large percentage of children do not have access to high quality early childhood education programs. The coronavirus pandemic has caused financial strife for early learning programs trying to meet health and safety guidelines and keep staff and children safe. But the public health crisis has also illuminated the essential nature of the early learning and care field and reinvigorated hopes to expand preschool access to more children.

Teacher Voices

November 23, 2022

Why I teach despite profession's modest compensation

Today, teaching is more than just a job; it’s my passion.

Margi Bhansali

Commentary

November 14, 2022

Transitional kindergarten expansion needs wraparound programs to ensure access, quality

Studies show that low-quality care for children under 5 is detrimental to learning outcomes for years following that experience.

Ryan Hazelton and Savitha Moorthy

Child Care

November 7, 2022

Inflation Reduction Act left children and families behind

Rising costs, the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic and demand that exceeds supply have frayed an already fragile child care sector.

Ruth Fernández and Savitha Moorthy

California's Reading Dilemma

November 2, 2022

How badly did the pandemic deepen California's early reading crisis?

The scores may be grim, some say, but they're far from shocking. Some experts warn that cratering test scores warn of a system that was broken long before the pandemic.

Karen D'Souza

Commentary

October 14, 2022

Let's design early education facilities now to meet the challenge of climate change

Children aren't responsible for climate change, but they'll experience the worst of it unless we make sure the places they'll spend growing and learning are prepared to protect them.

Angie Garling, Jeff Vincent, Isabelle Donohoe, and Joe Fretwell

California's Reading Dilemma

October 6, 2022

How a California school is embracing the science of reading and phonics | Video

Watch how one school embraces the science of reading and phonics to teach children to read.

Jennifer Molina

Commentary

September 30, 2022

Let's nurture multilingualism in our youngest learners

Early childhood educators should support and celebrate the cultures, languages and circumstances of the children in their care.

Jonathan Nomachi

California's Reading Dilemma

September 29, 2022

The Right To Read: It took a lawsuit against California

California settled a lawsuit over literacy by giving 70 schools with the lowest 2019 test scores extra funding to teach children to read. Less than half of all third graders in the state scored at grade level in reading.

Karen D'Souza

Early Learning

September 26, 2022

Governor vetoes full-day and mandatory kindergarten bills

California won’t be making kindergarten mandatory or extending the kindergarten school day any time soon.

Zaidee Stavely

Commentary

September 13, 2022

Opportunity begins in kindergarten

Attendance in kindergarten should not be optional, and voluntary participation results in too many parents delaying their child’s entrance into school until first grade.

Alberto M. Carvalho and Pedro Noguera

Legislation

September 6, 2022

Dozens of community colleges offer remedial classes; bill to ban them awaits Newsom’s signature

Five years after California adopted a law transforming remedial education, some colleges still have remedial classes. New legislation would make it difficult to keep them.

Michael Burke

Commentary

August 18, 2022

What it will take to ensure literacy for all California students

After decades of underfunding its public schools, California's investments in equity and literacy are showing progress.

Linda Darling-Hammond

California's Reading Dilemma

August 17, 2022

A movement rises to change the teaching of reading

Scientists, teachers, and parents battle over the best way to teach reading amid a literacy crisis.

Karen D'Souza

Transitional Kindergarten

August 15, 2022

What parents should know about getting kids ready for transitional kindergarten

This year even more than usual, teachers say, parents might want to help their children prepare for TK.

Karen D'Souza

Student Well-Being

August 10, 2022

What’s new this school year? Changing Covid protocols, universal TK, later start times and more

California's school year will begin with fewer Covid protocols, universal transitional kindergarten, more afterschool programs and community schools, and later start times for older students.