Policy & Finance

What schools should know about the insurance crisis in foster care

October 21, 2024

The company that insures 90% of foster family agencies in California issued letters of non-renewals in August. Some agencies have shuttered and others are scrambling to find coverage to prevent up to 9,000 foster youth from being displaced.

Betty Márquez Rosales

Commentary

Nonprofits should help improve student voter turnout

October 18, 2024

Increasing voter turnout in the short run is essential to establish regular voting habits in the long run.

Robb Smith and Henry A.J. Ramos

Can Prop 2 fix California's most neglected school buildings?

October 17, 2024

Many school buildings in California are in dilapidated conditions, with leaky roofs, broken concrete, moldy walls or faulty air conditioning.

Zaidee Stavely

Commentary

Cellphone bans don't solve the real problem -- addictive social media

October 14, 2024

Habit-forming games and apps should be prohibited or reined in before we ban devices that are actually pretty useful tools.

Oliver Sicat

Grant rollout fiasco: CDE announces $470 million in Golden State Pathways awards for a third time

October 11, 2024

The California Department of Education said the agency temporarily removed the last announcement of grant results after school districts “questioned the funding results."

Emma Gallegos

Statewide test scores improved in 2024, but achievement still not back to pre-Covid levels

October 10, 2024

English and math scores improved from 2023 to 2024, but still have not caught up to results from prior to the pandemic.

Diana Lambert, John Fensterwald, Zaidee Stavely, Lasherica Thornton, Mallika Seshadri, And Monica Velez

Commentary

Understanding California’s test scores could hold the key to student improvement

October 10, 2024

California's standardized tests are more rigorous than those of most other states, and the results reveal more about how each student is doing.

Linda Darling-Hammond

Commentary

New math placement rules undermine preparation of community college STEM majors

October 8, 2024

To avoid a STEM preparation meltdown, community colleges must make mid-course corrections on implementation of AB 1705, scheduled to take full effect by fall 2025.

Richard Ford

Central Valley schools juggle extensive building needs with limited funds to fix them

October 8, 2024

Fresno and Central Unified worry that property-wealthy districts, which can raise more taxes and can qualify for more matching state funding, will leave them behind in the competition for Proposition 2 dollars.

Lasherica Thornton And John Fensterwald

252 districts place bonds on the ballot; here’s how two would spend the money

October 7, 2024

San Juan Unified and Wasco Union High school districts face a common challenge: aging buildings in disrepair. Will a proposed $10 billion state construction bond help defray upgrade costs?

Emma Gallegos, Diana Lambert, And John Fensterwald

A guide to what a $10 billion construction bond on the ballot could mean for your school

October 4, 2024

Under Proposition 2, the state would pay a portion of school districts' renovations and new buildings, while ensuring small districts get a share.

John Fensterwald

How school closures provide an opportunity to create better high schools

October 2, 2024

New analysis encourages California high schools to pursue partnerships, flexible schedules, new options in anticipation of school closings.

John Fensterwald

What you need to know to become a teacher in California | Quick Guide

September 30, 2024

The teacher shortage prompted California lawmakers to ease testing requirements, waive exam fees and begin new programs to recruit and retain teachers.

Diana Lambert

School boards association lawsuit claims provision in California budget deal is unconstitutional

September 26, 2024

It argues that wording in this year's budget bill would illegally allow governors to lower funding for schools in certain instances in future years.

John Fensterwald

California acts to protect children from 'addictive' social media

September 23, 2024

The bill, signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, is part of a wider effort to restrict the impact of digital technology on kids.

Louis Freedberg