Public Schools

Lawmakers just passed a bill that would let the next governor pick the state's schools chief, in place of the state school leader voters elect.

School funding in California steers a lot to wealthy districts and to those with high-needs students. Those in the middle get a lot less.

A massive new study concludes the state's school performance "dashboard" and the many local improvement plans aren't enough to help schools markedly improve.

California schools' funding went from next-to-the-last to 13th highest while Gavin Newsom has been governor. But reading and math test scores didn't rise as high.

The four-bill plan calls for a "comprehensive statewide strategy with clear goals, measurable benchmarks and annual performance targets."

Some of the supporters of the phonics curriculum California adopted last year are now urging statewide math screening for young students.

A nonprofit created a reader-friendly explainer of California school district ratings, a decade after the state created its confusing data dashboard.

While the state borrows $5.6 billion from education, districts throughout the state are struggling to balance their own budgets this year.

Community schools are becoming neighborhood hubs by prioritizing academics, youth and family services, mental health and restorative justice.

One reason: Higher-income, high-achieving kids often aren't in the testing pool. They attend private schools or their parents opt them out of state tests.