Charter Schools

California Capitol, home of the Assembly and Senate. Photo by Anne Wernikoff for CalMatters

Commentary

Eli Broad was a passionate school reformer

When Eli Broad died last week, Los Angeles lost a civic leader and California lost a passionate advocate for charter schools.

By

Dan Walters

• May 4, 2021

Mario Ramírez Garcia, 10, listen as his teacher addresses the class during distance learning in the bedroom he shares with his sister on April 23, 2021. According to their father, the internet connection at their Oakland home cuts out about twice a week, which is especially frustrating to the kids when they are taking tests. Photo by Anne Wernikoff, CalMatters

California Divide

The wires may be there, but the dollars aren’t: Analysis shows why millions of California students lack broadband

As millions of Californians finish a frustrating “virtual” school year plagued by tech glitches, a CalMatters data analysis exposes affordability as a key barrier to broadband access, for rural and urban students.

By

Jackie Botts

and

Ricardo Cano

• April 28, 2021

Dan Walters

Semi-secret ‘trailer bills’ pop up

The California Legislature's budget "trailer bills" have morphed into vehicles to make major policy decrees outside of the usual legislative process.

By

Dan Walters

• August 27, 2020

Commentary

Alternative schools provide lessons on reaching disconnected students for distance learning

Policymakers should look at how alternative schools, which specialize in serving disconnected students, can be models with valuable lessons.

By

Guest Commentary

• August 7, 2020

Commentary

California’s change in school funding will harm students and schools

California has based public school funding on a per pupil policy but a new law changes that and it will harm schools in growing communities.

By

Guest Commentary

• August 4, 2020

Commentary

A focus on injustice, inequity in public education must drive California’s budget priorities

In budget negotiations, legislators should keep in mind that students need equal access to Advanced Placement classes, sports, theater and STEM classes.

By

Guest Commentary

• July 20, 2020

WhatMatters

Newsom signs big charter school legislation in a Capitol kumbaya moment

Newsom signs charter school bill. Teen birth rates are a tale of two states. What role does 'toxic masculinity' play in mass shootings?

By

Dan Morain

• October 4, 2019

Gov. Gavin Newsom visits Nicole Etchison's second grade class at Paradise Ridge Elementary School, Aug. 21, 2019. Photo by Ricardo Cano/CalMatters.

K-12 Education

From more sleep to less lunch stress, what ‘Governor Dad’ did this year for CA kids

Gov. Gavin Newsom, a father of four, promised he'd put kids front and center in his first- year agenda — and the legislative year was good to K-12 Californians.

By

Ricardo Cano

• October 3, 2019

WhatMatters

Charter schools, gig workers, the Kochs, the streets of L.A., and a lobbyist who made a difference

Gig workers battle over future of work. Koch brothers machine takes on Kamala Harris donor-disclosure rule. Lawmakers try to remedy Section 8 shortage.

By

Dan Morain

and

Judy Lin

• August 29, 2019

OAKLAND, CA - FEBRUARY 21: Signs are photographed during a rally at Frank Ogawa Plaza during a teacher strike on Thursday, Feb. 21, 2019, in Oakland, Calif. (Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group)

K-12 Education

Charter schools, unions call a truce in an epic battle as Newsom brokers a deal

A long, deep-pocketed fight over California's public school system appears to have reached a detente, with stricter credentialing for charter school teachers, rules that make it easier for districts to reject new charter campuses and a 2-year moratorium on new online charter schools.

By

Ricardo Cano

• August 28, 2019