K-12 education

A person walks alone across a cracked asphalt surface toward the charred remains of a burned-down structure. The debris is scattered, with only remnants of buildings and a green dumpster nearby. In the background, rugged mountains rise beneath a partly cloudy sky, with a few trees standing amid the destruction. The scene conveys a sense of loss and recovery.

Commentary

California leaders need to keep their promises to the schools affected by LA fires

More than 100 Pasadena teachers, many who lost their homes in the Eaton Fire, recently received layoff notices. A teacher reflects on promises by the state superintendent to ensure districts are "held harmless" after the fires.

By Manuel Rustin • March 19, 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 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

Students walk down a hallway at Fremont High School in Oakland on Oct. 10, 2023. Photo by Laure Andrillon for CalMatters

K-12 Education

Advice to California schools on Trump’s DEI crackdown: Do nothing — yet

After Trump issued an order for schools to shut down diversity programs, Attorney General Rob Bonta said DEI programs are legal and schools have a right to promote them.

By

Carolyn Jones

• February 26, 2025

A group of young students wearing sweaters and backpacks walk along the sidewalk as it rains on a college campus. The students walk in a line holding umbrellas to protect themselves from the rainfall.

Education

‘Break this cycle’: UC Riverside hopes early exposure to college boosts Inland Empire grad rates

The Inland Empire is falling behind in educating students for well-paid, professional jobs, limiting the economic prospects of the region’s youngest inhabitants. In an effort to raise that ceiling, educators are trying to get tweens to envision their potential for a college degree.

By

Deborah Brennan

• February 26, 2025

A view of two silhouettes of students walking through a dark hallway of a school with light shining through a doorway at the end of the hallway. One silhouette holds a lunch box and a water bottle in one hand.

K-12 Education

‘Afraid to go to school’: Immigrant families in the Salinas Valley are gripped by fear

Threats of deportation have caused anxiety among immigrants, but schools in the Salinas Valley are helping comfort children and easing parents’ fears.

By

Carolyn Jones

• February 20, 2025

Students collaborate on solving additional problems inside Bridgette Donald-Blue’s classroom at Coliseum Street Elementary in Los Angeles on Feb. 28, 2023. Photo byPablo Unzueta for CalMatters

K-12 Education

How Trump’s drastic K-12 plans will — and won’t — change California schools

Despite Trump’s plans, federal funding is a small part of California’s education budget and the state oversees curriculum.

By

Carolyn Jones

• February 14, 2025

A teacher, in glasses and a black and white jacket, points at a screen in front of a classroom of sitting students. The students are seated in groups of desks with laptops in front of them as they watch the teacher.

Commentary

California schools still fall behind despite big increases in spending

Many California students are still behind pre-pandemic progress in math and reading, a new study shows. But Compton students bucked the trend.

By

Dan Walters

• February 13, 2025

A person wearing a white face mask and with their back facing the camera looks to their right side as they stand in middle of charred remains and burnt building at a school. Two brick walls remain standing nearby.

K-12 Education

A beloved Altadena school, destroyed in the Eaton fire, looks to the future

School officials are scrambling to find an alternate site for its campus while trying to support families, nearly half of whom lost their homes in the fire.

By

Carolyn Jones

• January 27, 2025