Education

A last-minute bill would have forced Cal State to give non-faculty staff raises, costing the system almost $900 million over ten years — money the system says it doesn’t have.

California colleges are applying lessons learned from COVID-19 as they attempt to keep monkeypox from spreading on campuses. Experts say the disease poses a lower health risk than COVID but could keep students from their studies for longer periods.

California’s education department updated its statewide data system in the spring but the rollout resulted in thousands of errors. Key information about special education students and other high-needs groups was missing or miscalculated.

A one-time state program worth $500 million has opened up from its pilot program to support displaced workers who want to acquire new job skills. Unlike other student aid, this grant can support programs shorter than three months. Recipients cannot have been enrolled in a training program when they lost their jobs.

Free college isn’t a new idea in California. But some community colleges, facing declining enrollment, are waiving fees for more students than ever, and adding on perks like free textbooks, meals and transportation.

The Cal State system graduates Black students at lower rates than other groups. Students, scholars and advocates say the reasons are myriad.

Some parents who have been outspoken in their criticism of local school districts are finding allies in community members opposed to COVID safety protocols and other education policies. Buoyed by that support, they are now running to become school board members.

Shut out from winning statewide offices, the state GOP is seeking to capitalize on parents' anger to win local school board races in 2022 and motivate Republican voters. The party's "Parent Revolt" program is its most ambitious school board candidate recruitment and training program ever.

A persistent teacher shortage has forced many California school districts to hire teachers who aren’t fully credentialed or are teaching out of their subject areas. More of those teachers are teaching classes at schools with high percentages of low-income students, undermining efforts to achieve academic parity with more affluent schools.

University of California and Cal State campuses will all start providing medication abortion beginning Jan. 1 under a new state law. In the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v. Wade, opening up abortion appointments on university campuses could ease pressure on local clinics, which will likely see an influx of out-of-state patients.