K-12 education

Gavin Newsom’s boast about per-pupil spending in a recent speech exemplifies the Capitol’s focus on money in its education debates, rather than results.

UC-San Diego reports declines in freshman math skills despite rising grades in K-12 schools. Teachers say they're pressured to inflate grades.

Newsom proposed shifting oversight of the Department of Education from the superintendent to the State Board of Education. The move would concentrate more power over K-12 schools with the governor, who appoints the school board.

The move is intended to simplify California’s convoluted education governance, which policy analysts have said can be inefficient, redundant and sometimes at cross purposes.

By basing funding on enrollment, not attendance numbers, schools would lose the incentive to get students to show up every day, a new report finds.

California is one of 32 states that doesn’t require 5-year-olds to attend school.

California schools are likely to face continuing threats of funding cuts and more uncertainty.

The law creates an array of measures to educate school staff, beef up reporting requirements and stop teachers credibly accused of abuse from getting jobs at other districts.

The Trump administration is now requiring new H-1B visa applicants to pay $100,000. School districts that depend on hiring foreign workers to fill teacher jobs, especially in special education and bilingual education, say they can’t afford the new fee.

A century-old program pays for schools, roads and other services in 39 California counties.