Dan Walters

Students listen during their first grade class as teacher Caroline Archibald teaches their social emotinal learning lesson for the day at Redwood Shores Elementary School in Redwood City, Calif., on Thursday, Sept. 3, 2015. (John Green/Bay Area News Group)

Commentary

Why is our ‘achievement gap’ so stubborn?

California's "achievement gap" in its K-12 schools has persisted, despite spending many billions of dollars to close it. Two new proposals, a state audit and a system to track students' achievement, may tell us why the gap has been so stubbornly wide.

By

Dan Walters

• April 21, 2019

Commentary

Weekly Walters 04/19/2019

A collection of commentaries by Dan Walters over the past week.

By

Dan Walters

• April 19, 2019

Income taxes are 70 percent of California's general-fund revenue. Image via Flickr

Commentary

Battles over local tax measures heat up

As Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislators consider state tax increases, local government ballots are being loaded up with tax proposals and the jousting over them is becoming heated.

By

Dan Walters

• April 18, 2019

Commentary

How budget ‘trailer bills’ are misused

Senate Bill 861 is a prime example of how budget "trailer bills" are misused to bypass the usual legislative process.

By

Dan Walters

• April 17, 2019

Commentary

DMV crisis could make or break Newsom

While Gov. Gavin Newsom claims a global role in the immigration crisis, how he handles a more prosaic crisis in the Department of Motor Vehicles could have a greater effect on his political career.

By

Dan Walters

• April 15, 2019

Commentary

Bond issue transparency still under assault

Local officials still don't like having to tell voters how proposed bond issues will affect their property taxes and may seek relief from the Legislature.

By

Dan Walters

• April 14, 2019

Commentary

Weekly Walters 04/12/2019

A collection of commentaries by Dan Walters over the past week.

By

Dan Walters

• April 12, 2019

Commentary

Community colleges wracked by data dispute

California community colleges are under pressure to improve outcomes for their students but college officials complain that the data being used to measure progress are faulty.

By

Dan Walters

• April 11, 2019

Commentary

‘Job killer’ bills may be more difficult to kill

The California Chamber of Commerce has been remarkably successful for two decades in defeating or neutralizing bills it places on its annual list of "job killers," but the Capitol's ambiance is changing and continuing that record may be more difficult.

By

Dan Walters

• April 10, 2019

Commentary

Big issue: Who’s an employee and who’s not?

A state Supreme Court decision tightening the definition of an employee has become a big legislative issue, putting Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez in the spotlight.

By

Dan Walters

• April 8, 2019