This Week in California Education

COMING SOON: Education Beat, a new podcast from EdSource, will debut August 5. Join host Zaidee Stavely each week as she explores everything from preschool to college, bringing you the personal stories behind the headlines.

New Executive Director Anne Vasquez reflects on her childhood as the daughter of immigrants and outlines her vision for EdSource.

John Fensterwald interviews his co-host, Louis Freedberg, who is stepping down as head of EdSource, about growing up in South Africa and getting kids excited about learning in the United States.

Research shows that teaching controversial issues leads to students' increased political knowledge, interest and engagement, but for a range of reasons educators often avoid it.

This week we discuss the merits of creating a $500 college savings account for all low-income public school students, and pose this question to Christopher Edley, Jr., the incoming dean of UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Education: why this job now?

This week: School districts are getting billions in federal and state Covid aid. How will the public know if it will be spent effectively?

Surprise change in leadership at L.A. Unified, we discuss what's behind it. Missing kindergartners account for the biggest state enrollment drop in 20 years; we ask what's next.

We explore Gov. Newsom's pronouncement that K-12 and community colleges should open fully after June 15. What will it take to make it happen?

This week: Summer programs can provide a transition to post-Covid school reopening; students' needs are great and districts have funding.

Disagreements over ethnic studies now shift to districts; guided by new state guidelines, they must decide how a course will be taught.

This week: innovative ideas emerging from the governor's office for ensuring that more students make it to college; the multiple challenges facing school superintendents during the pandemic; Mills College in Oakland is closing its doors.

This week, learning hubs. Robin Lake of Center on Reinventing Public Education, tells how they're innovating. Lakisha Young, a learning hub pioneer in Oakland, updates us.

Views are split on whether a $2 billion plan to coax schools to reopen will work. Fresno Supt. Bob Nelson says yes to an extent. A Carlsbad activist says it'll fall flat.

Gov. Newsom moves up some teachers for Covid shots; Alameda Supt. L.K. Monroe explains the policy. State Board ED Brooks Allen sums up the status of standardized tests.

EdSource reporters share insights on grading students, measuring English learner progress and new California State University chancellor Joe Castro's priorities.

San Francisco Supt. Vincent Matthews fires back at a city lawsuit to reopen schools; CTA's E. Toby Boyd insists vaccinations are critical for a safe return.

Divisions among parents and teachers form as pressure mounts in California to bring back elementary school students to school for in-person instruction.

Linda Darling-Hammond, who led President Biden's transition team on education, and Ted Mitchell, president of the American Council on Education, detail Biden's immediate and post-pandemic plans for schools and colleges.

Fresno Supt. Bob Nelson explains urban districts' opposition to Gov. Newsom's reopening plan while Dr. Jeanne Noble of UCSF says it's safe to return to schools by Feb. 1

This week, John and Ryan Smith, external officer for the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools, reflect on the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol and its impact on students watching the event, and they share 2021 predictions of education in California.

Leilani Aguinaldo of School Services explains new federal Covid aid for K-12; Teacher Stories website founder Ken Futernick tells how to express gratitude to teachers.

With the pandemic decimating family incomes, some students go to work instead of college; CSU counsels freshmen to stay in school, take a full course load.

We explore the ambitious goals of California's Master Plan for Early Learning and Care to expand preschool, child care and opportunities for dual-language learners.

An attorney suing the state explains why distance learning is violating Black and Latino students' constitutional rights; departing CSU Chancellor Tim White looks back and ahead.

Listen to high school students read gratitude notes to classmates; meet Alejandro Mayorkas, Joe Biden's nominee to run Homeland Security; he crafted the DACA program.

LAO's deputy analyst on why K-14 schools can expect a big surplus, not cuts, next year. Plus, a study confirms schools minimize civics ed – at their peril.

This week: Martha Kanter, the former undersecretary of education, discusses Joe Biden's higher ed goals. Elk Grove Supt. Elk Grove sees "purple" further delaying school reopening.

This week, we delve into results of Props 15 & 16 and speculate on a Biden presidency with USC's Pedro Noguerra, union President Jeff Freitas, LA Partnership's Ryan Smith.

This week: Distance learning compounds challenges of teaching a divisive presidential race. Also, how the children returned in Capistrano.

This week, we explore implications of Prop. 16, rescinding the ban on affirmative action, on funding, hiring, and diversity for K-12 and CSU.

An Orange County principal explains how his high school met multiple challenges to reopen; UCLA Prof. John Rogers on principals' unheralded responses to Covid-19.

This week: EdSource's poll on distance learning (low marks from parents); excerpts from a frazzled mom's diary and a teacher's techniques to motivate kids.

This week: opposite views on Prop. 15, an initiative to raise commercial property taxes, and a look at wildfires' lingering trauma on kids.

Teachers union insists Covid-19 protections must be in place; leader of state's largest community college hopes students can rebound in the spring.

Humberto Hernandez, a psychologist at Cerritos College, explains how that college is expanding teletherapy to help students deal with financial, academic and life challenges; Camille Horrigan-Slajus, a psychology major at Santa Monica College, tells how Active Minds, a national organization that focuses on young people’s wellbeing, is encouraging students to seek services that are available.

Chico State President Gayle Hutchinson discusses a doomed effort to reopen amid Covid-19; Assemblywoman Shirley Weber celebrates the passage of ethnic studies.

We explore: Should teachers require kids to keep Zoom cameras on? Also, two county superintendents on opposite ends of the Covid watch list.

Don Shalvey of San Joaquin A+ talks about how to increase college attainment, and Brian Biedermann, the new superintendent of Stockton Unified, says distance learning is going well, but 8 to 10 percent of students not accounted for on online rolls.

How San Juan Unified and its teachers reached a deal on distance learning and how Ed 100 is inspiring student leaders.

Sal Khan, creator of the free online learning site that bears his name, offers advice on what effective and engaging distance learning should look like when schools reopen this month.

Worried about distance learning, families set up "learning pods." UC Prof. Janelle Scott discusses them. Lakisha Young describes a "hub" for Black and Latino families in Oakland.

This week: West Contra Costa & Palo Alto superintendents address learning loss. Teach Plus' Sarah Lillis urges parents to speak out for quality distance learning.

We explore what districts can do to protect against coronavirus lawsuits and discuss UC's new president, Michael Drake.

Linda Darling-Hammond outlines new requirements for distance learning; reporter Zaidee Stavely discusses parents' worries about returning to schools.

Fresno Unified's superintendent sizes up the new state budget; departing UC President Napolitano discusses reopening campuses and repealing Prop. 209.

This week: the PTA president who led the effort to rename a school after Michelle Obama; Maria Blanco of the UC Immigrant Legal Services Center on the unexpected court ruling preserving DACA.

This week, Community Colleges Chancellor Eloy Oakley calls for a reexamination of training programs for police in the wake of the killing of George Floyd.

This week: Two views of local control during COVID-19 – Palos Verdes Supt. Alex Cherniss: fewer safety restrictions; Heather Hough of PACE : stronger state expectations for learning.

This week: UC regents decide to abandon the SAT and ACT exams. Plus, how districts are reaching homeless students and what more they could do.

This week: Chancellor Tim White explains why the CSU's 23 campuses will be all online this fall ,and EdSource reporters review education cuts in Gov. Gavin Newsom's bad news budget.