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News, analysis, and opinion about K-12 education in California
Tue., June 23, 2026, 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET
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Los Angeles Schools Federal Raid 26059057494102
Alberto Carvalho speaks about Los Angeles students' improved scores before Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation related to student literacy in Los Angeles on Oct. 9, 2025. The Los Angeles Unified superintendent, facing an FBI investigation, resigned June 21.
Damian Dovarganes/AP Photo
School & District Management Carvalho Resigns as L.A. Unified Superintendent Amid Federal Investigation
Alberto Carvalho has been under FBI investigation for four months after a failed AI chatbot venture.
Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, June 22, 2026
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6 min read
As districts nationwide experiment with strategic staffing—an attempt to use teachers’ time in different ways to free up collaboration and reduce class size. Strategic staffing—in which schools give schedule flexibility and sometimes differentiated pay for teams of classroom educators—has gained ground in many states as a way to provide more professional development for young teachers and retain educators longer. PICTURED, Students at Whittier Elementary School work in groups and independently, Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2022 in Mesa, Ariz.
Strategic staffing—in which schools give schedule flexibility and sometimes differentiated pay for teams of classroom educators—has gained ground in many states as a way to provide more professional development for young teachers and retain educators longer. Students and teachers at Whittier Elementary School in Mesa, Ariz., work in groups and independently, Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2022.
Matt York/AP
Teaching Profession How These Schools Use Teams to Cut Teacher Workloads
California teachers in the co-teaching pilot are reporting higher morale.
Sarah D. Sparks, June 17, 2026
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4 min read
This is an aerial shot of a large public high school complex shot on a Sunday with nobody around. This image features multiple buildings, a running track, football fields, baseball diamonds, tennis courts parking lots and a residential neighborhood surrounding the image. Shot from the open window of a small plane.
Illustration by Education Week + Getty
School & District Management Closing a School? Don't Expect to Save Money, a New Study Warns
The hope is that closing schools can reduce fixed costs. A new study looks into whether that happens.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, June 11, 2026
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5 min read
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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This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
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From left: Heather Johnson, Terri Daniels, and Tom Brenner.
From left: Heather Johnson, Terri Daniels, and Tom Brenner.
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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
Wed., April 01, 2026, 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET
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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