K-12 Education

California’s public K-12 schools educate millions amid declining enrollment, teacher shortages and an achievement gap between wealthier and poorer students. We probe what’s working and what isn’t.

From left: Esther Honda at Willie L. Brown Jr. Middle School in San Francisco, Bridgette Donald-Blue at Coliseum Street Elementary in Los Angeles and Dawn Payne at Buttonwillow Union Elementary. Photos by Shelby Knowles and Pablo Unzueta for CalMatters and Larry Valenzuela, CalMatters/CatchLight Local