On California
This blog was written by Charles Taylor Kerchner, a professor and research scholar at Claremont Graduate University. He’s a veteran policy researcher and has written extensively about education reform and teacher unions. His writing of this blog was supported by a grant to CGU from the Stuart Foundation, which did not exert editorial control or approval. This blog is no longer being updated, but you can continue to explore these issues on edweek.org by visiting our related topic pages: California.
Education
Opinion
Is California Exceptional, Progressive, or Just Weird?
I've written about California's exceptional education politics for years. Given the results of Tuesday's election, I've concluded that it's not only in education that the state is headed in a different direction than the rest of the country.
Education
Opinion
Vote; Make A Plan, Do It!
You'd think that people who read EdWeek wouldn't need a reminder to vote. But busy people often fail to vote because they didn't plan their day around this consequential duty.
School & District Management
Opinion
Calif. CORE Districts Pilot Accountability Measures
New research from California's CORE data partnership illustrates the possibilities and the implementation challenges in multiple measure accountability.
Equity & Diversity
Opinion
Latino Vote Implications for Trump, the GOP, and Bilingual Education
Californians are expected to reinstate bilingual education. The vote is likely to be a milestone in the rise of Latino voting power. Bad news for Donald Trump; worse news for the GOP.
Teacher Preparation
Opinion
We Know What to Do About Teacher Shortages
A new Learning Policy Institute Report tells us what we knew along. Supporting teachers and making their jobs decent will solve both the teacher shortage and teacher quality problems, writes Kristoffer Kohl.
English Learners
Opinion
How to Bring L.A.'s Schooling Into the 21st Century
Almost all the education wars are being fought on a very small battlefield. There's real carnage, but no winners. We should switch the reform fight to building a new learning system: Learning 2.0.
Standards & Accountability
Opinion
New California Accountability System Signals Progress
It's good to count parent engagement and school climate, says Sonya Heisters. So, California has taken a step in the right direction with its new accountability system.
Standards & Accountability
Opinion
L.A. Magnets Outscore Charters on 2016 Tests
Alan Warhaftig writes that this year's Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium tests show Los Angeles Unified School District magnet schools outscoring charters. Charters did better with English Learners.
Equity & Diversity
Opinion
Why Calif. Local Funding Requires State Leadership
California's Local Control Funding Formula was announced under the banner of subsidiarity, but Arun Ramanathan argues that local control also means state responsibility.
Federal
Opinion
There's Already a Wall for U.S.-Mexico Students
The U. S. and Mexico share hundreds of thousands of students, but the barriers to educating them well are high, and the students are often unwelcomed in either country, writes John McDonald..
School Choice & Charters
Opinion
My Design Specifications for 21st-Century LA Schools
Los Angeles is locked in controversy about charter schools: more, fewer, none. That's the wrong discussion. Instead, we should be designing a truly 21st Century school system. Here are some design ideas.
Standards & Accountability
Opinion
Poll Shows Parents Not Engaged in Calif. Local Control
A new poll from Policy Analysis for California and the University of Southern California shows that the state has a long way to go to keep its promise to engage local stakeholders in the state's historic education finance reforms, writes Daisy Gonzales.
School & District Management
Opinion
Multiple Indicators Work Only When Schools Can Learn From Them
The California State Board of Education is poised to adopt a multiple indicator accountability system to replace the state's discredited single number score. Good! But it will work only if schools learn from using it.
School Choice & Charters
Opinion
Some Bright Spots for Teacher Unions
It's traditional on Labor Day to assess the dismal state of unionism. But I find some bright spots for teacher unions in California, and the possibility of a brighter future.