California

News, analysis, and opinion about K-12 education in California
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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
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
Los Angeles District Superintendent Alberto Carvalho, at podium, holds a news conference as SEIU Local 99 Executive Director Max Arias, left, and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, right, listen, in Los Angeles City Hall, on March 24, 2023.
Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Alberto Carvalho holds a news conference at Los Angeles City Hall on March 24, 2023. The FBI searched the district leader's home and office last week, and LAUSD, the nation's second-largest school district, has placed him on paid leave.
Damian Dovarganes/AP
School & District Management Los Angeles School Superintendent Placed on Paid Leave During Federal Probe
Alberto Carvalho's home and office were searched by the FBI last week.
The Associated Press, March 2, 2026
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3 min read
Media stage outside the home of Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Alberto Carvalho on Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026, in San Pedro, Calif.
News media stage outside the home of Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Alberto Carvalho on Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026, in San Pedro, Calif. The FBI searched his house and LAUSD headquarters but has not detailed what prompted the search.
William Liang/AP
States FBI Searches Los Angeles District's Headquarters and Superintendent Alberto Carvalho's Home
The FBI would not comment on the nature of the investigation.
The Associated Press, February 25, 2026
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2 min read
Students play basketball at Parkway Sports & Health Science Academy on Feb. 21, 2025 in La Mesa, Calif.
Students playing basketball at Parkway Sports & Health Science Academy on Feb. 21, 2025, in La Mesa, Calif. Some schools are using sports as a way to help students develop social-emotional skills.
Ariana Drehsler for Education Week
Student Well-Being & Movement Want Kids to Have Better SEL Skills? Try Using Sports
In a panel discussion, district leaders and an expert discuss why sports is a great place to learn life skills.
Lauraine Langreo, February 19, 2026
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3 min read
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg arrives for a landmark trial over whether social media platforms deliberately addict and harm children, Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026, in Los Angeles.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg arrives at a federal courthouse in Los Angeles on Feb. 18, 2026. Zuckerberg was questioned about the features of his company's platform, Instagram, and about his previous congressional testimony.
Ryan Sun/AP
Law & Courts Mark Zuckerberg Quizzed on Kids' Instagram Use in Landmark Social Media Trial
The Meta chief testified in a court case examining whether the company's platforms are addictive and harmful.
The Associated Press, February 19, 2026
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5 min read
California Attorney General Rob Bonta speaks to reporters as Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, left, and Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield, right, listen outside the Supreme Court on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
California Attorney General Rob Bonta speaks to reporters outside the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington on Nov. 5, 2025, with Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes and Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield behind him. Bonta this week sued the U.S. Department of Education, asking a court to block the agency's finding that the state is violating FERPA by <ins data-user-label="Matt Stone" data-time="02/13/2026 4:22:45 PM" data-user-id="00000185-c5a3-d6ff-a38d-d7a32f6d0001" data-target-id="">not requiring schools to disclose</ins> students’ gender transitions <ins data-user-label="Matt Stone" data-time="02/13/2026 4:22:45 PM" data-user-id="00000185-c5a3-d6ff-a38d-d7a32f6d0001" data-target-id="">to</ins> parents.
Mark Schiefelbein/AP
Law & Courts California Sues Ed. Dept. in Clash Over Gender Disclosures to Parents
California challenges U.S. Department of Education findings on state policies over gender disclosure.
Mark Walsh, February 13, 2026
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4 min read
English teacher Tadd Scott plays the drum as teachers and SFUSD staff join a city-wide protest to demand a fair contract while at Mission High School , Monday, Feb. 9, 2026, in San Francisco.
English teacher Tadd Scott plays the drum as teachers and SFUSD staff join a city-wide protest to demand a fair contract while at Mission High School in San Francisco on Feb. 9, 2026.
Brontë Wittpenn/San Francisco Chronicle via AP
Teaching Profession San Francisco Teachers Strike Over Wages and Health Benefits
About 6,000 teachers in San Francisco went on strike, the city's first such walkout in nearly 50 years.
The Associated Press, February 10, 2026
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4 min read
In an aerial view, Waymo robotaxis sit parked at a Waymo facility on Dec. 8, 2025 , in San Francisco . Self-driving taxi company Waymo said it is voluntarily recalling software in its autonomous vehicles after Texas officials documented at least 19 incidents this school year in which the cars illegally passed stopped school buses, including while students were getting on or off.
Waymo self-driving taxis sit parked at a Waymo facility on Dec. 8, 2025, in San Francisco. Federal agencies are investigating after Austin, Texas, schools documented incidents in which the cars illegally passed stopped school buses. In a separate incident, a robotaxi struck a student at low speed as she ran across the street in front of her Santa Monica, Calif., elementary school.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images via TNS
School Climate & Safety Schools Flag Safety Incidents As Driverless Cars Enter More Cities
Agencies are examining reports of Waymos illegally passing buses; in another case, one struck a student.
Evie Blad, January 29, 2026
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5 min read
A group of California parents has asked the nation's highest court to reinstate a federal district court decision that said parents have a federal constitutional right to be informed by schools of any gender nonconformity and social transitions by their children. The Supreme Court building is seen on Jan. 13, 2026, in Washington.
A group of California parents has asked the nation's highest court, whose building is shown on Jan. 13, 2026, to reinstate a federal district court decision that said parents have a federal constitutional right to be informed by schools of any gender nonconformity or social transition by their children.
Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP
Law & Courts Parents Ask Supreme Court to Restore Ruling on Gender Disclosure
Parents asked the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene over school gender-identity policies in California.
Mark Walsh, January 14, 2026
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4 min read
Students carrying pride flags and transgender flags leave Great Oak High School on Sept. 22, 2023, in Temecula, Calif., after walking out of the school in protest of the Temecula school district policy requiring parents to be notified if their child identifies as transgender.
Students carrying pride flags and transgender flags leave Great Oak High School on Sept. 22, 2023, in Temecula, Calif., after walking out of the school in protest of the Temecula school district policy requiring parents to be notified if their child identifies as transgender. But many districts in California follow a state policy limiting when schools can inform parents about a student's gender identity without the student's consent.
Anjali Sharif-Paul/The Orange County Register via AP
Law & Courts Appeals Court Blocks Ruling Bolstering Parental Rights Over Gender Identity
A federal appeals court blocked a groundbreaking ruling over the disclosure of students' gender identities.
Mark Walsh, January 6, 2026
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4 min read
Students carrying pride and transgender flags leave Great Oak High School in Temecula, Calif., on Sept. 22, 2023, after walking out of the school in protest of the Temecula school district policy requiring parents to be notified if their child identifies as transgender.
Students carrying pride and transgender flags leave Great Oak High School in Temecula, Calif., on Sept. 22, 2023, after walking out of the school in protest of the Temecula school district policy requiring parents to be notified if their child identifies as transgender.
Anjali Sharif-Paul/The Orange County Register via AP
Law & Courts Appeals Court Halts Ruling Letting Teachers Disclose Students' Gender Identity
A federal appeals court has temporarily paused enforcement of the ruling but has not yet decided whether to grant a longer-term stay.
Kristen Taketa, The San Diego Union-Tribune, January 2, 2026
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3 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. 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 ruled against the district.
Charlie Neuman for The San Diego Union-Tribune/TNS
Law & Courts Schools Can’t Bar Teachers From Telling Parents If Kids Are Transgender, Judge Rules
The injunction bans any public school employee from misleading parents about their child’s gender presentation at school.
Kristen Taketa, The San Diego Union-Tribune, December 24, 2025
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5 min read
Signs along the hallway at Lake View Elementary say "Together, we are Lake View" in different languages.
Signs along the hallway at Lake View Elementary say "Together, we are Lake View" in different languages. The benefits of dual-language programs include desegregation and increased enrollment for schools, a study finds.
Narayan Mahon for Education Week
English Learners Q&A How One District's Dual-Language Program Helped to Desegregate Schools
A study about dual-language programs shows how they can increase equity and accessibility for all students.
Jennifer Vilcarino, December 15, 2025
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7 min read
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