education

A person stands in front of a lectern while speaking into a microphone. A tall velvet curtain can be seen behind them. The lectern includes a sign on the front that includes the words "#CaliforniaForAll" and "College Corps." The person wears a black suit with a light purple shirt and a yellow and blue striped tie.

Politics

California’s schools chief has a $200,000 salary and a side gig

Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond has regularly worked side jobs at Bay Area nonprofits to earn extra income because he says the state pay is insufficient.

By

Alexei Koseff

• April 2, 2025

A student walks across campus at Chico State University on February 12, 2020. Photo by Anne Wernikoff for CalMatters

Higher Education

No need to apply: Cal State is automatically admitting high school students with good grades

Riverside County high school students who meet requirements are guaranteed admission to one of 10 Cal State campuses.

By

Mikhail Zinshteyn

• March 28, 2025

Students walk across a sunny campus courtyard in front of a modern white building with large glass windows and curved architectural elements. Trees and orange banners displaying “Summer” and “Online” line the walkway, and a few students are gathered near a ladder at the building’s entrance.

Education

The US Education Department investigates Cal State San Bernardino as Trump dismantles the agency

Cal State San Bernardino is among several dozen universities under federal scrutiny for programs that have targeted disadvantaged groups of students.

By

Deborah Brennan

• March 26, 2025

K-12 Education

Rural California schools and roads lose millions in federal funding after latest cuts

For the last century, the money has gone to counties with large amounts of federal land that can’t be taxed. Congress failed to include it in the upcoming budget.

By

Carolyn Jones

• March 25, 2025

A teacher points at a book while a child sitting at their desk looks at it. Other students are visible in the frame. The setting is a classroom.

Education

Parents can’t figure out how California schools are doing. Newsom’s plan to fix that stalls

In 2019, his first year in office, Gov. Gavin Newsom launched the Cradle-to-Career Data System, a new state entity that aims to track students’ progress from preschool through employment. The data system was supposed to release its first public dashboard last spring.

By

Adam Echelman

• March 21, 2025

A person stands and writes on a whiteboard in front of a group of children sitting at desks inside a classroom with brightly colored decorations. The person uses a marker to write math equations as the students watch and learn. One child can be seen with their arm raised to ask a question.

K-12 Education

Schools in this California town won acclaim for their pandemic comeback. How they did it

In the early days of the pandemic, Delano school officials quickly provided the tools needed for remote learning and made sure students stayed engaged.

By

Carolyn Jones

• March 20, 2025

A row of children's books in Spanish and English lined up on a shelf on the classroom wall.

K-12 Education

California wants more kids in bilingual classes — but won’t spend enough to expand them

Just one bill invests in bilingual education programs and its focus on instructional materials is a far cry from the systemic change advocates have called for.

By

Tara García Mathewson

• March 17, 2025

Education

California, other states sue to halt massive layoffs at U.S. Department of Education

Under Trump’s directive the Department of Education laid off half its staff. The lawsuit argues Trump has no authority to make such drastic changes.

By

Carolyn Jones

and

Mikhail Zinshteyn

• March 13, 2025

A poster with information for students on using ChatGPT, an AI platform, in English teacher Jen Roberts' class at Point Loma High School in San Diego on May 3, 2024. Photo by Adriana Heldiz, CalMatters

Commentary

Instead of policing student use of AI, California teachers need to reinvent homework

A striking gulf exists between how teachers, professors and administrators think students use generative AI in written work and how we actually use it, says a Bay Area high schooler.

By William Liang • March 5, 2025

A pixelated 8-bit style illustration in purple, pink and yellow tones that shows a student using a laptop with several icons — a medical bag, a graduation cap, an art color palette and brush, music notes, science testing tubes and a book — around her that represent different careers. Several tex bubbles can also be seen throughout the illustration. Faced with a shortage of counselors, California schools are offering AI chatbots to more students. They're offering advice on college and career options. Illustration by Adriana Heldiz, CalMatters; iStock

K-12 Education

AI chatbots can cushion the high school counselor shortage — but are they bad for students?

The more students turn to chatbots, the fewer chances they have to develop real-life relationships that can lead to jobs and later success.

By

Tara García Mathewson

• March 4, 2025