California

News, analysis, and opinion about K-12 education in California
Principal Bilma Bermudez looks at the virtual reality scene 8th grade student Miguel Rios created at Jefferson Elementary School in Compton, Calif., on Jan. 19, 2024.
Principal Bilma Bermudez looks at the virtual reality scene 8th grade student Miguel Rios designed at Jefferson Elementary School in Compton, Calif., on Jan. 19, 2024.
Lauren Justice for Education Week
Equity & Diversity Suburban Schools Reborn: Compton, Calif., Is Charting a Hopeful Path
An exclusive excerpt from a new book about America's fast-changing suburban schools by former Education Week Staff Writer Benjamin Herold.
Benjamin Herold, January 23, 2024
•
7 min read
Female teacher reads to multi-cultural elementary school students sitting on floor in class at school
iStock/Getty
Teacher Preparation What Will It Take to Align Teacher Prep to the Science of Reading? California Offers Clues
The Golden State is revamping credentials for teaching reading. But some advocates worry it won't go far enough.
Sarah Schwartz, January 23, 2024
•
7 min read
Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court William O. Douglas is shown in an undated photo.
U.S. Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas, shown in an undated photo, wrote the opinion in <i>Lau</i> v. <i>Nichols</i>, the 1974 decision holding that the San Francisco school system had denied Chinese-speaking schoolchildren a meaningful opportunity to participate in their education.
AP
Law & Courts In 1974, the Supreme Court Recognized English Learners' Rights. The Story Behind That Case
The Lau v. Nichols ruling said students have a right to a "meaningful opportunity" to participate in school, but its legacy is complex.
Mark Walsh, January 19, 2024
•
12 min read
Matsuda2 FCG
Canva
Student Well-Being Opinion What Schools Can Do About Chronic Absenteeism, Mental Health, and Learning Loss
The drivers of change can have a positive impact on education's biggest issues. Here's how.
Michael Fullan & Michael Matsuda, January 10, 2024
•
4 min read
Lisa Raskin, who is a teacher at Jefferson Union High School District, talks about living on her own at the district's new housing complex in Daly City, Calif., on July 8, 2022. The school district in San Mateo County is among just a handful of places in the country with educator housing. But with a national teacher shortage and rapidly rising rents, the working class district could serve as a harbinger as schools across the U.S. seek to attract and retain educators.
Lisa Raskin, who is a teacher at the Jefferson Union high school district, talks about living on her own at the district's new housing complex in Daly City, Calif., on July 8, 2022. Only a handful of places in the country have educator housing, but teacher shortages and rapidly rising rents are making more districts take note.
Godofredo A. Vásquez/AP
Recruitment & Retention 'Lesson Planning in the Laundry Room': What Housing for Teachers Looks Like
From converted schools and tiny houses, to shiny new complexes, districts have tackled new ideas to make sure their teachers can live nearby.
Madeline Will, December 4, 2023
•
7 min read
Image of an adult working with students in the library.
E+
Reading & Literacy 'Science of Reading' Reforms Show Student Gains in California, Study Finds
The research provides some of the first evidence that efforts to bring reading teaching in line with research have raised achievement.
Sarah Schwartz, December 4, 2023
•
6 min read
A student listens to instruction during an 8th grade science class at Aptos Middle School on January 27, 2020 in San Francisco.
A student listens to instruction during an 8th grade science class at Aptos Middle School on January 27, 2020 in San Francisco. Scholars and legal experts are still debating whether the Proposition 209 era in California offers lessons for the nation in the wake of the Supreme Court ending affirmative action in college admissions.
Lea Suzuki/San Francisco Chronicle via AP
Equity & Diversity Will the Ban on Affirmative Action Hurt Diversity? Look to California
Proposition 209 prohibited the use of race in education. Its effects were debated before the U.S. Supreme Court this year.
Mark Walsh, December 4, 2023
•
11 min read
Left: California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks at a press conference in Beijing on Oct. 25, 2023. Right: Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis speaks at a Town Hall event at Tempesta's in Keene, N.H., on Nov. 21, 2023.
Left: California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks at a press conference in Beijing on Oct. 25, 2023. Right: Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis speaks at a Town Hall event at Tempesta's in Keene, N.H., on Nov. 21, 2023.
Left: Ng Han Guan/AP; Right: Kristopher Radder/The Brattleboro Reformer via AP
States DeSantis vs. Newsom: How K-12 Schools Fared in the 'Red vs. Blue State Debate'
The Florida and California governors sparred over book bans, school closures, and parental rights during their Fox News debate.
Libby Stanford, December 1, 2023
•
5 min read
A tele-therapy session at Kershaw County School District in Kershaw County, South Carolina.
A teletherapy session at the Kershaw County school district in South Carolina.
Courtesy of Presence
Student Well-Being Teletherapy Challenges: Schools Share How to Navigate Mental Health Support
Schools need to invest in the right ingredients to make their teletherapy sessions useful for students.
Olina Banerji, November 29, 2023
•
7 min read
Jefferson Union High School District's new housing complex for teachers and education staff is shown in Daly City, Calif., on July 8, 2022. The school district in San Mateo County is among just a handful of places in the country with educator housing. But with a national teacher shortage and rapidly rising rents, the working class district could serve as a harbinger as schools across the U.S. seek to attract and retain educators.
Jefferson Union High School District's new housing complex for teachers and education staff is shown in Daly City, Calif., on July 8, 2022. It's among just a handful of places in the country with educator housing, a perk being considered by districts to attract and retain educators.
Godofredo A. Vásquez/AP
Recruitment & Retention More Districts Are Building Housing for Teachers. Here's What to Know
The recruitment and retention strategy is gaining in popularity, but districts must consider financing, time, and affordability.
Madeline Will, November 22, 2023
•
6 min read
Up close photo of report card grades.
E+ / Getty
College & Workforce Readiness What the Research Says Beyond the Carnegie Unit: Schools Are Already Testing Ways to Measure 'Durable' Skills
If you want students to learn to collaborate, organize, be creative, and communicate, you have to measure it.
Sarah D. Sparks, November 21, 2023
•
6 min read
Photo of child practicing cursive writing.
iStock / Getty Images Plus
Curriculum More States Require Schools to Teach Cursive Writing. Why?
Technological advances notwithstanding, advocates give a long list of reasons for teaching students cursive.
Elizabeth Heubeck, November 16, 2023
•
5 min read
Mat-Su school board student representative Ben Kolendo listens to public testimony during the school board meeting in Palmer on Sept. 6, 2023.
Matanuska-Susitna<ins data-user-label="Stephen Sawchuk" data-time="11/14/2023 3:05:14 PM" data-user-id="00000175-2524-d387-a175-673d43580000" data-target-id=""> Borough</ins> school board student representative Ben Kolendo listens to public testimony during a meeting in Palmer, Alaska on Sept. 6, 2023.
Bill Roth/Anchorage Daily News
School & District Management Student School Board Members Want a Seat at the Table, Not Just a Pat on the Back
Former student school board members have formed an organization to support peers who serve in the tricky role.
Evie Blad, November 15, 2023
•
7 min read
A voter, left, carries her ballot to the counting machine after voting at a polling station on Nov. 7, 2023, in Richmond, Va.
A voter, left, carries her ballot to the counting machine after voting at a polling station on Nov. 7, 2023, in Richmond, Va. A new study explores what happens with student achievement, local charter schools, and teacher pay when educators win school board seats.
Steve Helber/AP
School & District Management What Happens When Educators Win School Board Seats, According to New Research
A new study explores what happens with student achievement, local charter schools, and teacher pay when educators win school board seats.
Caitlynn Peetz, November 7, 2023
•
5 min read
Load More ▼