State launches new teacher recruitment initiative with press conference and summit

Like most states in the nation, California is experiencing a teacher shortage. Teacher recruitment has largely been led by the 1,000 individual school districts in the state, and the California Department of Education historically has not engaged in direct teacher recruitment or support. That is […]

Preparing for ethnic studies implementation

The California Department of Education held a webinar, “Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum Train the Trainer Certification,” on Aug. 2 to review the Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum (ESMC), district implementation guidance, instructional guidance, sample lessons and topics, and resources developed by local educational agencies. Assembly Bill […]

Schools play an important role in immunization awareness

National Immunization Awareness Month provides the opportunity to review student vaccination records at “check point” grades According to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), reported kindergarten and first grade immunization rates in 2021–22 decreased slightly from before the pandemic. The proportion of kindergarten students […]

Safe and supportive school climates can save the lives of LGBTQ youth

The research is clear — much of the nation’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning (LGBTQ) youth are in trouble, struggling with suicidal thoughts, low self-esteem and a lack of social-emotional support. According to The Trevor Project, suicide is the second leading cause of […]

CDE webinar highlights school programs attracting enrollment

School districts across the state are experiencing a high level of declining enrollment, as evidenced by California Department of Education data released in April. Even before the pandemic, many California communities were observing population drops and corresponding enrollment declines in K-12. The pandemic exacerbated declines […]

Testing result disparities spark intense discussion in Commission on Teacher Credentialing meeting

In the June 15-16 meeting of the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, the commission approved the transmittal of the second annual report to the Legislature on implementation on Senate Bill 488, which eliminates the Reading Competence Instruction Assessment (RICA), and had an impassioned discussion on […]