2016

Education

Education fight ‘over shades of Democrat’

A group that lobbies to change public education is pouring money into a handful of Northern California legislative races ahead of the June 7 election, aiming to influence the kind of Democrats who hold power in the state Capitol. Democrats make up a solid majority of the Legislature, but they do not agree on everything. […]

By Laurel Rosenhall • May 18, 2016

Politics

Prop 50: The weirdest measure on the ballot this year

In their own words “You can’t do that, man, you go to jail for that.” – Sen. Leland Yee on June 20, 2013, talking to an undercover FBI agent who offered him a bribe “What has happened to me could happen to anyone in public office.” – Sen. Ron Calderon on Nov. 13, 2013, after […]

By Laurel Rosenhall • May 11, 2016

Education

What happens when you look past school test scores?

This week California’s State Board of Education will consider what measures beyond test scores should be included in the state’s new accountability system for public schools. In a shift away from the state’s exclusive reliance on standardized tests, the board is mulling the incorporation of multiple metrics such as suspension and graduation rates in determining […]

By Matt Levin • May 10, 2016

Education

Brown: What makes you think Legislature can fix it?

Our Partners Budgeting from the Blacktop – KQED A Day With a Sixth Grader – KQED One School’s Unique Program Faces Uncertainty – KQED Is Extra Funding Helping English Learners? – KQED Listen: CALmatters reporter Judy Lin – KQED Who should decide how to fix schools that need help? In this video taken by CALmatters at the Berggruen […]

By Judy Lin • May 5, 2016

Economy

Hello, White House, how about Obamacare for California’s undocumented?

As the presidential election generates a heated national debate about immigration, California is ploughing ahead with policies to integrate undocumented immigrants, most recently, by expanding healthcare access. “It’s one of the most dramatic turnarounds in California political history,” said Daniel Zingale, senior vice president of the California Endowment, a nonprofit health foundation, about undocumented kids […]

By Pauline Bartolone • May 4, 2016

Climate Change

California ponders expanding cap and trade to Brazil

With feathers adorning his head and red paint decorating his face, Haru Kuntanawa hardly looked like a potential business partner for California’s oil industry when he addressed the crowd gathered last week in a Sacramento conference room. But under a plan state air regulators are considering, industries that emit greenhouse gas pollution in California could […]

By Laurel Rosenhall • May 4, 2016

Education

Reminding Jerry Brown of Jerry Brown

Our Partners Budgeting from the Blacktop – KQED A Day With a Sixth Grader – KQED One School’s Unique Program Faces Uncertainty – KQED Is Extra Funding Helping English Learners? – KQED Listen: CALmatters reporter Judy Lin – KQED More than 50 civil rights and education reform groups are using Jerry Brown to remind Jerry Brown of his […]

By Judy Lin • May 3, 2016

Environment

San Francisco’s ‘benchmarking’ was first in California; state will follow

SAN FRANCISCO—Barry Hooper’s co-workers can be forgiven if they try to avoid him in the office. No one wants to be fingered as an energy hog. Hooper manages San Francisco’s five-year-old building-efficiency ordinance, created to measure wasted energy in the city’s largest structures, give them a score the public can see and prod owners to […]

By Julie Cart • April 30, 2016

Environment

A ‘zero net energy’ vision for California homes doesn’t mean going off the grid

Regulators say the state building code will be the key to achieving the goal, at least in the short term.

By Julie Cart • April 30, 2016

Environment

Buildings must improve their energy use; here’s what that means for you

The efficiency mandate, intended to reduce the need for carbon-spewing power plants, is part of California’s mission to address climate change.

By Julie Cart • April 30, 2016