Education

A coalition is calling for the University of California to give disabled students more support and a say in pandemic-era learning plans.

Some parents are being forced to decide between risking sending their kids with disabilities to school and getting all their needs met or keeping them at home and forfeiting their special education services.

Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Legislature reached a deal that will provide $500 million toward affordable student housing this year and possibly up to $2 billion in future years. Experts say it's "a drop in the bucket" compared to what's needed.

While Los Angeles Unified became the first major district in the nation to issue a vaccine mandate for all eligible students, other school districts are in a holding pattern.

The state legislature proposed changes to the independent study laws that had been disrupting school reopenings across California. Educators say the revisions will help but don’t go far enough.

Bots are filling up community college classes in a likely attempt by scammers to fraudulently access COVID-19 relief grants and other financial aid. At least 10 districts or individual colleges told CalMatters they've been affected, and the community college system has announced new security measures to combat the scam.

Long underpaid and underappreciated, substitute teachers are key to keeping schools open this year. But a shortage of subs has created another layer of chaos to this pandemic school year.

California community college students often aim to transfer into a UC or a Cal State, but few actually make the jump — in part because of how complicated it is to do so. A proposed bill aims to make transfers easier — but faces fierce resistance from faculty, the UC and California community college leadership.

As classes resume, a new state law governing independent study is worsening staff shortages, threatening school budgets and forcing quarantined students to relive last year’s school shutdowns.

During the Covid emergency, the federal government has expanded food stamp eligibility for college students, who have typically had trouble accessing the aid even though many suffer from food insecurity. California colleges are stepping up their efforts to get students enrolled.