K-12 education

People wearing black cap and gowns with red, green and white colored sashes stand in front of chairs during a graduation ceremony in font of attendees in an arena.

Commentary

New California school data project fulfills campaign promise Newsom made

The Cradle-to Career dashboard shows where high school students land after graduation. It could make schools more accountable to parents and taxpayers.

By

Dan Walters

• April 24, 2025

A child wearing a blue shirt and light blue jeans sits on a twin bed next to their mom, who wears a blue-striped blouse and blue jeans.

K-12 Education

Trump is dismantling the education department. How that might harm special education

Special education is shifting to a different federal agency. Advocates fear the loss of expertise will harm students.

By

Carolyn Jones

• April 21, 2025

The Campus Center of Bakersfield College on June 14, 2023. Photo by Larry Valenzuela, CalMatters/CatchLight Local

Higher Education

More high schoolers are taking college classes — but no surprise which students benefit most

Dual enrollment courses are growing on high school and college campuses but access gaps linger, particularly for students in rural areas of California as well as for Black and Hispanic male students.

By

Delilah Brumer

• April 16, 2025

A teacher sits at a table with a small group of students in a classroom, leading a discussion. A whiteboard behind them displays vocabulary words like “enough” and “jewelry.” The walls are covered with educational posters and a word wall. Empty desks and bins of supplies are visible in the foreground.

Commentary

Wide school disparities persist 54 years after California’s landmark funding decision

Several decades of fighting over how to "equalize" education funding have landed California back where it started, with an inequitable, taxpayer-funded public education system that can't close achievement gaps.

By

Dan Walters

• April 11, 2025

Painted letters and numbers on the asphalt of a school as the feet and shadows of young children can be seen in the background.

K-12 Education

Trump canceled millions in California school grants. The state is suing to reclaim the money

Schools had until March 2026 to spend remaining COVID relief money. The U.S. Department of Education cut those funds, amounting to about $200 million for California K-12 schools.

By

Carolyn Jones

• April 10, 2025

A teacher sits at a table with four students in front of a classroom "sound wall" decorated with phonics cards, each showing a mouth shape, letters, and example words. The cards are grouped by vowel and consonant sounds on colorful bulletin boards.

K-12 Education

Fight over phonics: Will California require the ‘science of reading’ in schools?

Nearly 60% of third graders aren’t reading at grade level. A new bill would require schools to use a phonics-based approach to teach students

By

Carolyn Jones

• April 4, 2025

A lively elementary school classroom is filled with students engaged in various activities. Two children sit across from each other, one reading aloud from a book while the other leans in, listening attentively with a smile. In the background, a teacher assists a student wearing a headscarf at a desk, while other students stand and interact. The walls are covered in colorful educational posters and student artwork, and the classroom is furnished with bookshelves, desks, and storage bins, creating a vibrant learning environment.

Commentary

The real crisis in California schools is low achievement, not cultural conflicts

As lawmakers debate whether transgender athletes can play sports, they're missing a more widespread education issue — low test scores, especially in reading.

By

Dan Walters

• March 27, 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