EXPLORE: Podcast: Dual enrollment’s great promiseProposition 13, explained
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.
January 9, 2020

New efforts to make school spending in California more transparent 

State board makes it easier to follow the money; two bills would impose even stricter reporting requirements.

John Fensterwald
January 8, 2020

California’s effort to turn school staff into teachers starts to pay off

More than 2,000 bus drivers, clerks, custodians and teacher aides are earning bachelor’s degrees and teaching credentials. 

Diana Lambert
January 7, 2020

Big promises for little kids: Has California governor delivered on early education?

The early childhood workforce is one area where some experts believe Newsom and the Legislature have fallen short.

Zaidee Stavely
January 6, 2020

California governor keeps key higher education pledges but significant aid for non-tuition costs remains

Gov. Gavin Newsom expanded financial aid, but experts and activists hope for more progress in the coming year to help students cover non-tuition costs.

Michael Burke
January 5, 2020

California must invest in improving facilities for higher education

California’s public higher education system needs new investments to protect students’ health and safety.

Dick Ackerman and Mel Levine
January 3, 2020

Gavin Newsom's 1st-year K-12 scorecard: good grades on priorities and some incompletes

He forged a compromise to revise California's charter school law and gave districts unexpected help to pay employee pension obligations.

John Fensterwald
January 2, 2020

California education issues to watch in 2020 — and predictions of what will happen

Gov. Newsom will bring the school bond to victory but steer clear of the "split-roll" initiative. You can bet your Fensters on it.

John Fensterwald And Yuxuan Xie
December 19, 2019

Chris Steinhauser to retire after 18 years leading Long Beach Unified

He is one of the longest-serving urban superintendents, praised for his collaborative style and his role in improving student achievement.

John Fensterwald
December 17, 2019

As California launches preschool expansion, federal government seeks to limit data

It could soon get harder to find out how many preschoolers were suspended more than once or how many young children had access to preschool.

Zaidee Stavely
December 12, 2019

Some ratings rise in 3rd year of California School Dashboard

Fewer districts will require help from county offices, but colors tell a bigger story; disparities among student groups persist.

John Fensterwald
December 12, 2019

Search and compare data from the California School Dashboard, 2019

Search and compare all California public schools, districts, cities and counties for data from the state's school accountability dashboard.

Justin Allen, Daniel J. Willis, And Yuxuan Xie
December 10, 2019

Education groups renew call for Newsom to put tax for schools to voters in 2020

A coalition organized by Children Now wants the governor to negotiate with Prop. 13 reformers for one tax initiative on the November ballot.

John Fensterwald
December 5, 2019

California School Boards Association abandons plan to put $15 billion tax on 2020 ballot

To avoid competing tax initiatives benefiting education on the same statewide ballot, it eyes 2022 instead.

John Fensterwald
December 5, 2019

LA Unified releases new data measuring academic success of students over time

California’s largest school district published academic growth data, which measure how students improve from year to year.

Michael Burke
December 4, 2019

How California measures academic success is changing at some of the state’s largest districts

California’s CORE districts have the option of publishing growth data. Los Angeles will join Fresno, Long Beach and Oakland in doing so.

Michael Burke