May 19 update: All three bills passed out of appropriations committees. Another major legislative deadline is looming on May 18 as the fiscal committees in each house consider their suspense file: a list of bills with a price tag of over $150,000 that are considered […]
California teachers make more than national average, less than living rate, review finds
California has the third highest average salary for teachers and the fourth highest average starting salary for teachers in the country, according to the National Education Association’s (NEA) “The State of Educator Pay in America” 2023 review, published in late April. The average teacher salary […]
May Revision: What it means for K-12 education
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s May Budget Revision, released on May 12, reveals a budget shortfall that has grown by $9.5 billion from the Governor’s proposed January Budget to $31.5 billion. The Governor’s proposal attempts to insulate schools from the fallout by protecting recent investments and providing […]
California schools see reductions in fights, increasing sense of safety, in pre-pandemic study
Safety measures including school victimization, weapon involvement and school climate were tracked for nearly two decades for a recently released UCLA study. Published in the World Journal of Pediatrics in March, “An eighteen-year longitudinal examination of school victimization and weapon use in California secondary schools,” […]
2020–21 teacher supply report shows decrease in issued credentials
At its April 19-21 meeting, the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing approved sending the annual report on the number of teachers who received credentials, certificates, permits, and waivers to teach in California public schools to Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Legislature. Teacher Supply in California, […]
Legal update: Davis v. Fresno Unified School District ruling
On April 27, the California Supreme Court issued a unanimous decision in the case of Davis v. Fresno Unified School District. The case relates to a 2012 lease-leaseback construction agreement used by Fresno Unified School District to construct a new $36.7 million middle school. The […]
U.S. history and civics scores decline for eighth graders
By Jeremy Anderson The U.S. Department of Education released scores for the 2022 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) eighth-grade Civics and U.S. History exams on May 3. Last given in 2018, this is the first post-pandemic administration of these tests. The results largely mirror […]
School Boards in Action: 5 Questions with Linda Porras, Desert Sands USD
Linda Porras, board president, Desert Sands Unified School District in Riverside County With the school year well underway, what are some promising practices taking place in your district? The DSUSD Integrated School-Based Mental Health Wellness model prioritizes student mental health by embedding wellness practices in […]
Low cost, low effort COVID-mitigation strategies were more common in schools without nurses
Schools with a full-time nurse or school-based health center were more likely to use several COVID-19 prevention strategies early in the 2021–22 school year, according to new school analysis from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The study examined 21 school-level prevention strategies, including […]
Broadband access challenges in public housing
An April brief from Pew Charitable Trusts, “Broadband Challenges and Opportunities in Affordable Rental Housing,” shares insights from experts and internet service providers (ISPs) about the lack of adequate internet connections in federally subsidized multifamily housing and progress toward connecting these buildings affordably. “Many residents […]