Topic

Policy & Finance

While California’s Local Control Funding Formula shifted control over budgeting and decision making from the state to local districts, the state and federal government still retain authority over setting broad education and school finance policies. In this section, find articles about pressing challenges to California’s education system, the state’s education reforms, how school districts are implementing them, and their impact.

English Learners

January 24, 2022

How Congress can help students learning English

Report says Congress should triple federal funding for English learners and increase grants for bilingual teacher training and preschool.

Zaidee Stavely

Commentary

January 23, 2022

Quarantines are costing our students financially

California schools must be allowed to follow state-mandated quarantine requirements without losing funding.

Mala Batra

Credentialing

January 21, 2022

How California districts seek to recruit, retain Black teachers amid shortage

California districts are using pathway programs to hire more Black teachers and taking other steps to retain them.

Ali Tadayon

Commentary

January 18, 2022

Funding change won't lead to public school reforms

Basing funding on enrollment instead of attendance only teaches public schools all the wrong lessons.

Lance Izumi

Commentary

January 13, 2022

The right priorities? Reactions to Gov. Newsom's 2022-23 early ed budget

Leaders representing all segments of California’s education system share their reactions to the governor’s May revision of the 2021-22 budget.

EdSource staff

Commentary

January 13, 2022

The right priorities? Reactions to Gov. Newsom's K-12 budget for 2022-23

Leaders representing all segments of California's education system share their reactions to the governor’s proposed 2022-23 budget for the state's K-12 public schools.

EdSource staff

Commentary

January 13, 2022

The right priorities? Reactions to Gov. Newsom's 2022-23 higher ed budget

Leaders representing all segments of California’s education system share their reactions to the governor’s 2022-23 January budget proposal.

EdSource staff

College & Careers

January 11, 2022

Newsom offers new money if California college systems meet equity goals

Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed $39.6 billion for California's three public higher education segments and the California Student Aid Commission.

Michael Burke And Ashley A. Smith

School Finance

January 10, 2022

Funding for schools, community colleges to break $100 billion in Gov. Newsom’s proposed budget

Newsom projects $24 billion in new spending on K-12 education; he'd speed up plans for a longer day for low-income kids and add nearly $1 billion for arts and music.

John Fensterwald, Ali Tadayon, Carolyn Jones, Diana Lambert, And Zaidee Stavely

Testing and Accountability

January 7, 2022

Standardized test scores in California fell during year in distance learning

Among the 24% of students who took the Smarter Balanced assessments in 2020-21, achievement gaps widened, and the youngest students struggled.

John Fensterwald And Daniel J. Willis

State Education Policy

January 7, 2022

California education issues to watch in 2022 — and predictions of what will happen

Test scores will fall, chronic absences will rise, school funding will soar, with arguments over how to spend it. Bet your Fensters on that.

John Fensterwald And Yuxuan Xie

Coping With Covid

January 7, 2022

High Covid rates, staff shortages and confusing legislation challenge schools' reopenings

School officials are struggling to keep schools open amid Covid outbreaks and staffing shortages. Conflicting messages from California state officials are making it even more difficult.

Diana Lambert, John Fensterwald, And Ali Tadayon

Quick Guides

January 5, 2022

New effort aims to count all California homeless students | Quick Guide

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed AB 27 into law recently after researchers estimated the number of homeless students in California has increased during the pandemic.

Betty Márquez Rosales

Coping With Covid

January 4, 2022

Hit hard by Covid, California high school seniors struggling toward graduation

California school districts are reducing the number of credits needed to graduate, changing school schedules and adding tutoring to help seniors earn their diplomas.

Diana Lambert

Q&A

January 3, 2022

California's Assembly Higher Education Committee chairman reflects on last term

California Assemblyman Jose Medina sat down with EdSource to reflect on his years as Higher Education Committee chairman and outline his priorities for his last year in office.