PODCAST · news
Education Beat
by EdSource
A podcast that gets to the heart of schools in California and beyond, bringing you the personal stories behind the headlines, from preschool to college. Join the team at EdSource each week to hear the voices that are too often drowned out in the broader conversation: parents, teachers, and the students themselves.
Episodes
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Goodbye, Education Beat
Five years ago in 2021, EdSource launched Education Beat for the first time. Today, we say goodbye. This will be the final episode. Over the years, we've aimed to bring you personal stories of students, teachers, parents — regular people who bring EdSource stories alive by showing how education...
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The long road to college graduation for one immigrant family
On a sweltering hot day at UC Merced in May 2025, three siblings crossed the stage in blue gowns and caps, to receive their diplomas. Watching with pride from the audience were their mother, father and younger sister. This moment, with all of them celebrating together, was the culmination of…
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Kids and teens turn to AI for emotional support
Liliana Messinger was in fourth grade when she first turned to an AI chatbot for help with panic attacks. Over the years, she turned to AI again and again. For a growing number of teenagers, AI chatbots have become a first stop when things get tough, in part because of the shortage of mental…
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Play and potty training: The realities of California’s TK rollout (rebroadcast)
As teachers and students get ready to go back to school, Education Beat brings you this special repeat episode: With the expansion of transitional kindergarten to all 4-year-olds, California schools need smaller toilets, smaller sinks and a whole new understanding of the importance of play in the...
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Should the University of California bring back the SAT?
Thousands of UC STEM professors have signed an open letter calling on UC to again require the SAT or ACT for admissions. They say they are seeing more and more students arriving to college so poorly prepared that they can't solve middle-school math equations. But not all faculty agree that...
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What California can learn from Texas about bilingual education (rebroadcast)
Texas offers more bilingual education than California and backs it up with more funding. We visit an elementary school and a middle school in Austin, Texas, where students learn in Spanish and English. And we talk with a researcher about why Texas is so much farther ahead than California in...
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More than 400 California children deported by the Trump administration. Here’s how classmates grieved one
Under the current Trump administration, nearly 700 children in California have been detained and more than 400 deported, according to an EdSource analysis of Immigration and Customs Enforcement data obtained by the Deportation Data Project at UC Berkeley. One 9 year-old's deportation triggered a...
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California’s first transgender school board member is in a deeply red county
When Bobbie Simpson decided to run for her local school board in Gateway Unified School District, in the far northern county of Shasta, she knew it might be difficult to win as a transgender woman. More than half the voters in Shasta County are registered Republican. A conservative Christian…
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Inside a preschool where students with disabilities are fully included
Children with disabilities at Marie Bauer Early Education Center in Paso Robles are learning alongside peers who do not require special education services. That’s unusual in California, where only 1 in 3 students with disabilities receive their preschool education in classrooms with their peers....
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Childcare providers struggle as 4-year-olds enroll in TK
For 27 years, Yolanda Thomas has run a childcare business called Best Beginnings in her home in Contra Costa County. She usually has children start with her as babies and stay until they’re in kindergarten. But in recent years, many parents are choosing to unenroll when their children are four…
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What a California State University’s new polytechnic status means for its future
California State University Humboldt converted to a California State Polytechnic University in 2022, joining Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and Cal Poly Pomona. This episode dives into what this new status means — from new degrees offered to career possibilities for graduates — and why students are...
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Health insurance costs hit teachers and districts hard
Healthcare premiums have become one of the most contentious issues in labor negotiations for California teachers unions this year. Teachers say escalating costs are swallowing their raises, while district leaders say schools can’t shoulder the cost without having to cut elsewhere, especially as...
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Hot classrooms, leaky roofs — one student’s fight for better school facilities (Rebroadcast)
Miliani Rodriguez is a senior at Coachella Valley High School. The school buildings are old, she says, and they show it. The air conditioning often breaks in over 100-degree heat. When it rains, the ceilings leak. The sinks in her ceramics classroom broke and flooded the classroom. Miliani…
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How a father’s detention shaped his son’s educational career
Jair Solis became his family’s first-ever college graduate last weekend. It’s a milestone that had long felt out of reach because of the long-lasting fallout from his dad’s detention in an immigration facility. With the return of the federal administration that once detained Jair’s father, more...
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How Los Angeles Unified fire academies build leadership skills for any career
Students at four Los Angeles high schools are learning firefighting and emergency medical skills as part of the school district's career and technical education pathways. The students say they haven't just learned how to fight fires. They've also gained communication skills, leadership and...
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California high school student journalists face censorship, investigations
The high school student newspaper, the Redwood Bark, has served Redwood High School in Larkspur, a town a few miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge, since 1958. The reporters there frequently win national awards for their journalism. But this year, students began facing pushback and censorship…
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College students repackage dining hall food waste to feed hungry peers
Students at college campuses across California recover hundreds of pounds of unserved food from dining halls each week to serve to hungry classmates. The goal is twofold — reduce food waste on college campuses and food insecurity among college students. Guests: Casey Cabugao, president, UC Davis...
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Educators call for deeper reflection after Cesar Chavez allegations
Last month Fresno State University held a celebration for César Chávez with baile folklórico dances, speeches and flowers placed on his statue in the campus peace garden. Just a few days later, a bombshell New York Times investigation was published, exposing evidence that Chávez sexually abused...
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John Fensterwald on what’s at stake for California schools in the 2026 election
This is an interesting election season for California — and not just because of the competitive races for governor and superintendent of public instruction. The superintendent’s job description might dramatically change in the coming months before a new superintendent takes office. That's because...
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A University of California in the heart of farm country aims to attract more students
While other UC’s turn away tens of thousands of qualified students annually, UC Merced faces the opposite challenge. The campus struggles to find students willing to accept its location, surrounded by farmland and pastures where cows often graze. But some students are attracted to the small…
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School screen time is rising. California parents are asking where to draw the line
Julie Edwards' daughter brought home a Chromebook from school in second grade to do work in math and reading apps. But as soon as she cracked it open, she started watching Youtube videos and playing Minecraft. Soon, Julie realized she was spending a lot of time on screens in the classroom, too....
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Fresno Unified and teachers union join forces to put a roof over families’ heads
Fresno Unified School District and the local teachers union are paying for a program that has housed 20 families. The families are also offered classes and resources to help them get better jobs and more stability. The district says the program is boosting students' attendance, grades and overall...
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Student filmmakers chase career dreams at Hollywood High
Students from all over Los Angeles flock to Hollywood High School’s New Media Academy to learn video production and animation. They produce their own films, from horror-comedy about ghost hunting to documentaries about historical figures. At the same time, they get the opportunity to build...
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Los Angeles parents fight for and win intensive tutoring for kids hurt by Covid
When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, Judith Larson’s daughter was in sixth grade in Los Angeles Unified School District. The family waited months for a school computer and internet access, so that she could join classes online. As her daughter fell further and further behind, Judith decided to take...
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California teachers on the picket line amid shrinking school budgets
Teachers across California are going on strike or threatening to do so this school year, calling for better pay, benefits, smaller class sizes and better working conditions for special education. At the same time, school districts say their budgets are extremely tight this year and they’re...
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When teens counsel teens: Why peer support programs are growing
At Antioch High School in Contra Costa County, 80 students serve as peer advocates, mentoring freshmen during their transition to high school, meeting with students who have been found with alcohol or drugs, and facilitating mediation between students who are having conflicts. There's been a…
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Arizona State University fights for California financial aid
Arizona State University has been expanding its footprint in California for years and some students here say it offered programs they could not have found at California colleges. But the California Student Aid Commission has denied Arizona State's requests for Cal Grants, saying state law does…
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Sexual abuse claims threaten school district budgets, even when not accused
California's Assembly Bill 218 made it possible for childhood abuse victims to sue public agencies up to their 40th birthday or five years after discovering the abuse. Advocates say the law has allowed victims to find justice and peace after life-damaging assaults. The law sparked a flurry of...
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From housing to basketball, Fresno schools invest in the whole child
Fresno Unified invested $30 million in services for children and families that go beyond traditional academics, from housing assistance and food pantries to digital music production and lunchtime sports programs. Teachers say the programs are getting students excited about being at school, and...
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How a California professor once coded secrets in music (rebroadcast)
As a saxophonist in Boston’s Klezmer Conservatory Band in 1985, Merryl Goldberg traveled to the Soviet Union to meet up with another group of musicians, The Phantom Orchestra. The Phantom Orchestra would be sharing more than good tunes with Merryl. They’d also pass along information, including…
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From a juvenile facility to a college dorm room
Fausto Lopez was arrested at 16 years old and ordered to spend seven years in a juvenile facility. But before he had even finished half of that time, he finished high school, got an associate degree and applied to attend a four-year college. How did this young man find the drive and support to...
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This California Teacher of the Year embraces her dwarfism as a strength
Heather Povinelli, a second grade teacher in Monrovia Unified, was named one of five California Teachers of the Year for 2026. But in college, she almost gave up on her dream of becoming a teacher because she worried that her dwarfism would stop her. We visited Heather in her Monrovia classroom,...
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The John Fensterwald forecast: What’s coming for California schools in 2026
It’s time for a new calendar, new year’s resolutions and new predictions from John Fensterwald. John is a veteran reporter, with decades of experience reporting on education. At the turn of the year, we at EdSource turn to John to give us a sense of what we have to look forward to — or dread — in...
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How one student got her middle school to change its name (rebroadcast)
This week we are honoring the life of Betty Reid Soskin, who was the nation’s oldest national park ranger and a civil rights icon. She passed away on December 21st at 104 years old. To honor her, we are rebroadcasting an episode from 2021, about how a California school district came to rename a...
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How one bilingual educator’s childhood trauma fuels his fight for inclusion
In the bilingual education world, José Medina is a superstar. A former teacher turned principal turned researcher, he spreads his message of respecting students' languages on social media and in schools across the country with a sassy, no-nonsense style, telenovela-level energy and strong…
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How a small rural school district is setting an example for school counseling statewide
In California’s Central Valley, a small K–8 school district is getting big results. Livingston Union School District in Merced County was recently recognized by the UCLA Center for the Transformation of Schools for outperforming the state in key areas — reducing chronic absenteeism and…
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Learning to read while locked up
The vast majority of students who graduated high school while detained in California's juvenile facilities in a five-year span between 2018 and 2023 did not pass a 12th grade reading assessment. In fact, over a fifth of them were reading at lower elementary-school grade levels. Now California's...
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Kids enroll in this school just for the lunch (rebroadcast)
This week many listeners may be in their kitchens preparing a big meal for Thanksgiving, so we're rebroadcasting an episode from 2022, where we visit a kitchen in Davenport, California, a little seaside town, south of San Francisco, not far from Santa Cruz. The town is home to a tiny district…
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Some school lunches are getting a makeover. Will federal cuts set them back?
Over the last ten years, San Luis Coastal Unified School District has changed up its menu, replacing packaged pizza and chicken nuggets with freshly baked chicken drumsticks, sweet potato, black bean chimichurri bowls and plates of coconut rice with a red lentil dal. The district has done that in...
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A mentorship program fights for survival under the Trump administration
Improve Your Tomorrow provides mentorship services to about 1,000 students at Stockton Unified School District, transforming struggling students into leaders prepared for college. But funding is uncertain under the second Trump administration. Improve Your Tomorrow, like many mentoring and…
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California gears up for a big shift in how we teach kids to read
As a kindergarten teacher, a big part of Violet Nye’s job is teaching kids how to read. But the way she teaches her students is very different from how she learned as a kid. She remembers being taught to memorize whole words. Now, she's steeped in the practice of teaching kids how to sound out...
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Hot classrooms, leaky roofs — one student’s fight for better school facilities
Miliani Rodriguez is a senior at Coachella Valley High School. The school buildings are old, she says, and they show it. The air conditioning often breaks in over 100-degree heat. When it rains, the ceilings leak. The sinks in her ceramics classroom broke and flooded the classroom. Miliani…
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Trump’s cuts to Hispanic-Serving Institutions hit community college student programs hard
When Sarahi Sanchez Soto joined a dual-enrollment program at her high school in Dinuba, it allowed her to enroll in college-level computer science classes and jump-started her college career. But that program is now in peril, after the Trump administration announced it’s eliminating grant…
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After a classmate is deported
For Chelsea Duran, returning to Maywood Academy High School this fall for her senior year means feeling like she has to be on high alert, watching over her shoulder for immigration enforcement agents. Summer break started with the news that Chelsea's friend Johanna had been detained by…
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How one student became a powerful voice for others with disabilities
Saran Tugsjargal grew up with multiple disabilities. At school she received speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and help with learning to understand social cues. But the support often felt isolating. Making things even more difficult was the designation Saran received because…
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Rural schools lose a lifeline to mental health support after Trump cut funding
Schools across California could lose hundreds of social workers, school counselors, mental health clinicians, wellness coaches and graduate student interns, after the Trump administration cut federal grants for mental health support. In rural areas like Humboldt County, school districts have…
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California high schoolers get a crash course in finance
All high schools in California will be required to offer a semester of financial literacy to all students, beginning in the 2027-28 school year. The course will be required for graduation beginning with the class of 2031. Some high schools are already offering the course. Meet Allison Saiki…
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How a charter school serving adults became embroiled in scandal and sparked calls for reform
Highlands Community Charter and Technical Schools opened in Sacramento in 2014 with high ideals — to help adult students, many formerly incarcerated or new immigrants, to earn a diploma, improve English language skills, or learn a trade. Now, the school is an example lawmakers and advocates point...
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School leaders grapple with Supreme Court decision on religious rights
This June, the U.S. Supreme Court granted public school parents the right to withdraw their children from materials and discussions on LGBTQ issues and other subjects that conflict with their "sincerely held religious beliefs." The Mahmoud v. Taylor case involved storybooks with LGBTQ themes, but...
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Play and potty training: The realities of California’s TK rollout
With the expansion of transitional kindergarten to all 4-year-olds, California schools need smaller toilets, smaller sinks and a whole new understanding of the importance of play in the classroom. Think Play-Doh, finger painting, make-believe and dress-up. Some 4-year-olds also need help going to...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
A podcast that gets to the heart of schools in California and beyond, bringing you the personal stories behind the headlines, from preschool to college. Join the team at EdSource each week to hear the voices that are too often drowned out in the broader conversation: parents, teachers, and the students themselves.
HOSTED BY
EdSource
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Education Beat have?
Education Beat currently has 50 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Education Beat about?
A podcast that gets to the heart of schools in California and beyond, bringing you the personal stories behind the headlines, from preschool to college. Join the team at EdSource each week to hear the voices that are too often drowned out in the broader conversation: parents, teachers, and the...
How often does Education Beat release new episodes?
Education Beat has 50 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Education Beat?
You can listen to Education Beat on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Education Beat?
Education Beat is created and hosted by EdSource.
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