Student Health

Mental health is key to getting students back in class

September 19, 2024

University of Southern California researchers found that students who are chronically absent from school are much more likely to struggle with mental health challenges.

Zaidee Stavely

California passes bill to limit student cellphone use on K-12 campuses

August 29, 2024

The Phone-Free School Act requires school districts and charter schools to develop a policy limiting the use of smartphones by July 1, 2026. 

Diana Lambert

How parents can limit children's harmful cellphone use at home

August 27, 2024

How much screen time is too much has been an ongoing debate for years. But the issue has gained urgency since the Covid-19 pandemic closed schools in 2020 and made young people more reliant on cell phones and other devices. 

Diana Lambert

Cellphone bans becoming more common in California schools

August 21, 2024

California school districts are enacting cellphone bans to reduce distractions in K-12 classrooms and to combat addiction to the devices.

Diana Lambert, Mallika Seshadri, And Lasherica Thornton

Biden immigration order could help thousands of California children

July 25, 2024

Advocates said a new path to citizenship for spouses of U.S. citizens will improve children’s physical and mental health and help them stay focused in school.

Zaidee Stavely

Short of signatures for fall, organizers target California's 2026 ballot for tightening transgender rights

May 30, 2024

Protect Kids California's initiative would have banned transgender health care for minors, required schools to notify parents if a child changes gender identification.

John Fensterwald

Survey: Californians are worried about student health, lukewarm toward a state school bond

April 10, 2024

The annual Public Policy Institute of California survey on education issues found wide support for universal TK and teaching about slavery but divisions on transgender issues.

John Fensterwald

Commentary

Students need more time for lunch

April 10, 2024

Lack of time to sit down and eat undermines California's progress in making school meals available to all students.

Julia Ransom

570 California schools targeted for low vaccination rates

September 7, 2023

State funding reductions are possible if students are improperly allowed to attend classes despite not having all their required immunizations.

Diana Lambert, Daniel J. Willis, And Yuxuan Xie

Interactive map: California schools on state audit list for low vaccination rates

September 7, 2023

See the California schools where at least 10% of kindergartners were not fully vaccinated in 2022-23 with EdSource's interactive map.

Yuxuan Xie

Commentary

A new resource provides trauma-informed training for educators

August 28, 2023

The Office of the California Surgeon General has launched free, self-paced training to help educators, school personnel and child care providers understand and respond to trauma and stress in children.

Diana Ramos and Linda Darling-Hammond

Can teachers be legally liable if district policy requires they break the law?

August 15, 2023

Because of policies being enacted by conservative school boards across the state, teachers are having to choose between violating district policy and risk losing their job, or disobeying federal and state laws and ending up in court.

Diana Lambert

Commentary

Don't compromise student mental health to address other pressing problems

August 10, 2023

The governor's proposal to radically revise the Mental Health Services Act, a proposal that will have a dramatic impact on our youth, potentially reducing funding for mental health services for youth by millions of dollars.

Edgar Zazueta

Commentary

American Sign Language for all students? Hear me out

August 7, 2023

For the benefit of the Deaf community as well as the hearing, schools should teach ASL to all students.

Rachel Zemach

Commentary

Two bills would sharpen and streamline California's school-based mental health efforts

June 14, 2023

Two legislative proposals would give youth a direct voice in existing mental health spending in school-based behavioral health centers, reduce red tape and make it easier for school districts to draw down federal funding already set aside for this purpose.

Debra Schade and Travis Hodges