Under normal circumstances, Isai Perez’s achievements would be considered laudable. This year, he graduated a valedictorian from Sunnyside High School in Fresno Unified School District with a 4.22 GPA as well as the State Seal of Biliteracy. Perez, like all students, also dealt with the […]
Author: Alisha Kirby
New taskforce aims to address diversity in curriculum and more
Representatives from four textbook publishers committed June 21 before the special Taskforce on Inclusive Education to protect and provide student access to information free from discrimination and inclusive of the diverse narratives that reflect the student body of California. The new taskforce was convened following […]
Excessive amounts of lead found in water of California child care centers
Results of lead tests released in May by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) show one in four California child care centers have alarming levels of lead in drinking water, putting children at risk for serious long-term complications that could impact their education and health outcomes. […]
Community buy-in necessary for learning recovery efforts to work
Where children lived during the pandemic mattered more to their academic progress than their family background, income or internet speed, according to The Education Recovery Scorecard, released in May by the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University (CEPR) and Stanford University’s Educational Opportunity […]
Schools can be affirming, safe places for LGBTQ youth amid book ban disputes
Public, sometimes vitriolic, debate surrounding student access to books that positively portray lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer/questioning (LGBTQ) characters can have negative impacts on children’s mental health and well-being, even if they don’t attend schools in districts where these conversations are taking place. “Even […]
California must incentivize and support further efforts to expand TK programming
In an effort to expand transitional kindergarten to all 4-year-old children in California by 2025–26, local educational agencies have focused their efforts on developing facilities and ensuring suitable staffing, but state leaders must turn their attention to promoting high-quality teaching and learning if universal TK […]
California leads the way in electric school buses
More California schools are switching to electric-powered school buses than any other state, according to a new report from CALSTART, a nonprofit consortium that advocates for efficient and clean high-tech transportation. A combination of federal, state and local funding opportunities has led to a significant […]
Governor, AG and SPI weigh in on book bans with a joint letter
On June 1, 2023, Gov. Gavin Newsom, Attorney General Rob Bonta and Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond sent a joint letter to California superintendents and school principals under the heading, “Educational Rights and Requests to Remove Instructional Materials Statewide.” The joint letter advised county and […]
New report recommends state and federal spending changes to better support homeless youth
Identifying and supporting homeless youth can be as difficult as it is crucial to ensuring equitable outcomes among some of a local educational agency’s most vulnerable students. Approximately 1.3 million students in the United States were identified as experiencing some form of homelessness in 2019–20 […]
Career tech can play a role in boosting diversity in media
Despite the widespread success and acclaim of films and television shows such as “Everything Everywhere All At Once,” “Beef,” “Squid Game,” “The Summer I Turned Pretty” and more in recent years, Asian Americans and Pacific Islander (AAPI) representation both in front of and behind the […]











