Budget battles hit schools as Oakland Unified teachers go on strike

Oakland Unified School District teachers walked out of their classes Thursday, Feb. 21. As part of the strike, the Oakland Education Association, a union representing teachers, is asking for a 12 percent raise over three years, smaller class sizes and the hiring of more counselors […]

Charter school transparency bill passes Senate, on fast track to Gov. Newsom’s desk

UPDATE: Charter school transparency bill SB 126 passes Senate 34-2, sent to Assembly Senate Bill 126, a charter school transparency measure, passed the Senate Floor today (Thurs., Feb. 21) with a 34-2 vote after passing the Senate Education Committee in a unanimous 7-0 vote on […]

Report: K-12 cybersecurity incidents, risks growing across the country

K-12 local educational agencies nationwide experienced both more frequent and more significant cybersecurity incidents in 2018, according to a new report from The K-12 Cybersecurity Resource Center. Data suggests the incidents did not discriminate by district type, location or size. There were 122 publicly reported […]

Dollars for scholars: Awards available for school district programs

With school districts statewide cutting budgets due to rising expenses, funding to pay for public school equipment and programs essential to a well-rounded education can often be in short supply. To help offset some of these expenses, the Scholar Dollars program is awarding more than […]

Hard-hit educators testify on wildfire response and recovery at state hearing

Educators from across California provided emotional testimony at a Feb. 6 hearing about the impact of recent wildfires on schools and communities. In what several speakers called the “new normal” due to climate change and a now year-round fire season, firestorms have caused unprecedented damage […]

Chronic absenteeism, stakeholder engagement practices shared at PACE conference

Two timely and important issues facing districts and school boards, chronic absenteeism and stakeholder engagement, shared the spotlight at this year’s Policy Analysis for California Education annual conference. The Feb. 1 event in downtown Sacramento, with a theme of “Putting Evidence into Action to Advance […]

Toolkit offers guidance and resources for English learner, immigrant parents

The U.S. Department of Education has released a new guide to help schools better support English learner students, immigrant students and their families. Dubbed The English Learner Family Toolkit, the publication should be of particular interest in California, home to more than 1.3 million English […]