California

News, analysis, and opinion about K-12 education in California
HERMOSA BEACH, CA-NOVEMBER 10, 2023, 2023: People ride an e-bike on the Strand in Hermosa Beach. In Hermosa Beach, it's against city code to use electric power on the Strand, but many e-bike riders do so anyway.
People ride an e-bike in Hermosa Beach, Calif. School districts are developing new policies as students' use of e-bikes rise, as do related crashes and traffic problems.
Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
School & District Management More Kids Are Riding E-Bikes, Causing Headaches for Schools and Hospital Visits
Districts develop new policies as students' e-bike use spikes—alongside crashes and traffic problems.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, June 3, 2026
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5 min read
Thomas Chalmers Public School sign is seen outside of school in Chicago, Wednesday, July 13, 2022. America's big cities are seeing their schools shrink, with more and more of their schools serving small numbers of students. Those small schools are expensive to run and often still can't offer everything students need (now more than ever), like nurses and music programs. Chicago and New York City are among the places that have spent COVID relief money to keep schools open, prioritizing stability for students and families. But that has come with tradeoffs. And as federal funds dry up and enrollment falls, it may not be enough to prevent districts from closing schools.
Children are seen outside the Thomas Chalmers Public School in Chicago on July 13, 2022. Under the Trump administration, efforts to address deep-rooted inequities for students of color are being cast as discriminatory against white students. The administration withheld more than $20 million from Chicago schools when the district refused to end its Black Student Success Program.
Nam Y. Huh/AP
Federal Trump's Ed. Dept. Backs Away From Addressing Civil Rights for Black Students
Civil rights attorneys describe the administration’s actions as an inversion of legal history.
The Associated Press, June 3, 2026
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6 min read
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From left: Heather Johnson, Terri Daniels, and Tom Brenner.
From left: Heather Johnson, Terri Daniels, and Tom Brenner.
Gina Tomko/NASSP
School & District Management Q&A Three Retiring Principals on What’s Changed in Schools
These principals reflect on the rising challenges reshaping school leadership.
Olina Banerji, May 15, 2026
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4 min read
The Los Angeles Unified School District, LAUSD headquarters building is seen in Los Angeles, Sept. 9, 2021.
The Los Angeles Unified School District, LAUSD headquarters building is seen in Los Angeles, Sept. 9, 2021.
Damian Dovarganes/AP
School & District Management LAUSD Tries to Reclaim $22 Million After Alleged Money-Laundering Scheme
A district manager allegedly steered work to a company in exchange for kickbacks, a lawsuit claims.
Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, May 12, 2026
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6 min read
Cassatt mural on February 2026.
The reimagined “Modern Woman” mural, inspired by artist Mary Cassatt, is seen in February 2026 at Aveson’s temporary campus in Pasadena, Calif. Created by students displaced by the Eaton fire, the mural incorporates imagery from their former Altadena campus and serves as a symbol of healing, memory, and community after the wildfire.
Studio Tutto
Families & the Community Their School Burned Down. Then They Picked Up Their Paintbrushes
A group of 15 students in California used art to celebrate and grieve the school they lost to fire.
Olina Banerji, April 20, 2026
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4 min read
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Photo collage of two math worksheets on a dark blue background made of floating equations.
Photo illustration by Gina Tomko/Education Week + Canva; photos by Atticus Cuellar for Education Week
Mathematics A New Approach to Algebra in 8th Grade Seems to Produce Big Benefits
Middle schoolers who took grade-level math and Algebra 1 together benefited, a study finds.
Sarah Schwartz, April 1, 2026
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4 min read
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From left, Alicia Simba, a transitional kindergarten teacher; Eric Lewis, a science teacher; Vito Chiala, a principal; Chris Hoffman, a school superintendent; and moderator Diana Lambert of EdSource appear on a panel during the State of Teaching discussion in San Francisco on March 19, 2026. The administrators and classroom educators spoke of what it takes to boost teacher morale.
Andrew Reed/EdSource
Teaching Profession 'Treated as a Professional': How District and School Leaders Can Boost Teacher Morale
California educators talked about the support they need at an event hosted by Education Week and EdSource.
Ileana Najarro, March 20, 2026
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5 min read
Seen is the drawing made by Viejo Elementary School first-grader B.B. that was entered into evidence. B.B. gave the drawing to her classmate, M.C., who is African American. M.C. thanked B.B.
Pictured is a drawing by a 1st grader in California and given to a Black classmate that is at the center of a First Amendment legal challenge over the student's alleged punishment.
U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit
Law & Courts Appeals Court Revives Lawsuit Over 1st Grader’s Black Lives Matter Drawing
A court revived a 1st grader 's claim she was punished for giving a drawing to a Black classmate.
Mark Walsh, March 11, 2026
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4 min read
The Supreme Court is photographed, Friday, Feb. 27, 2026, in Washington.
The Supreme Court is photographed, Friday, Feb. 27, 2026, in Washington. The high court recently ruled that California policies that sometimes limit or discourage schools from disclosing information to parents about children’s gender transitions and expressions at school likely violate parents’ constitutional rights
Rahmat Gul/AP
Law & Courts Supreme Court’s Gender Identity Ruling Leaves Schools Seeking Clarity
Advocates say they would welcome more from the Supreme Court on gender-notification policies.
Mark Walsh, March 6, 2026
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7 min read
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Katrina Sacurom, a 5th grade teacher, huddles with the Shawnee Trail Elementary School journalism crew to go over how their projects are progressing on Feb. 3, 2026 in Frisco, Texas. She says she wants her students to learn to use technology thoughtfully and has looked for ways to tailor it to be meaningful, not mindless.
Kaylee Domzalski/Education Week
Teaching Profession Gen Z Teachers Grew Up With Tech. Now They're Seeking Better Boundaries for Students
Gen Z teachers grew up in an era of unbridled tech. It shapes how they approach classroom technology.
Sarah D. Sparks, March 4, 2026
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4 min read
(L-R) Coaching session between teacher development mentor, Elica Gutierrez, and mentee, Corrina Gonzalez, who teaches 3rd Grade Dual Immersion Spanish at John Burroughs Elementary on November 6, 2025 in Fresno, Calif.
Corrina González, right, was a paraeducator who built a permanent career as an immersion teacher in the Fresno, Calif., district through one of its many teacher pipelines. She got intensive support from her mentor, Elica Gutierrez, left. The women meet in a regular coaching session at John Burroughs Elementary on November 6, 2025.
Andri Tambunan for Education Week
Recruitment & Retention Dozens of Teacher Pathways Fuel This District’s Talent Pipeline
A California district's homegrown teacher pathways work to secure a stable, well-trained teaching force.
Sarah D. Sparks, March 4, 2026
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12 min read
Teacher’s aide Amelia Mester, wrapped in a Pride flag, urges Escondido Union High School District not to have employees notify parents if they believe a student may be transgender in November 2025. A policy on the issue in the city’s elementary school district is the subject of a federal class-action lawsuit in which a judge just sided against the district.
Teacher’s aide Amelia Mester, wrapped in a Pride flag, urges Escondido Union High School District not to have employees notify parents if they believe a student may be transgender at a meeting in November 2025. Two parents and two teachers from the district sued in 2023, challenging California state guidance concerning student gender transitions and parental notification. The U.S. Supreme Court has now reinstated a lower-court decision overturning those state policies.
Charlie Neuman for The San Diego Union-Tribune/TNS
Law & Courts Supreme Court Backs Parents in School Gender Disclosure Fight
The Supreme Court restored an injunction blocking California policies on student gender transitions
Mark Walsh, March 2, 2026
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8 min read