March 21, 2023

Are kids collateral damage in California culture wars?

Political polarization is negatively impacting school staff, undermining school management and heightening anxiety and hostility among students, according to a survey of 150 school principals.

Diana Lambert

October 18, 2022

Restorative practices create belonging and trust for teachers as well as students

A punitive approach to students' missteps does nothing to show them that adults care about them.

Louise Williamson

September 26, 2022

We need to fix professional development for teachers

Instead of long, arduous training about content they are already experts in, schools should offer training that is engaging and focused on content enrichment.

Kati Begen

August 19, 2022

Hope, relief and lessons learned: Teachers anticipate a smoother school year 

EdSource roundtable put a spotlight on teachers' challenges and expectations for the year.

Carolyn Jones

July 13, 2022

California teachers share their challenges and worries: Teaching during Covid

The nonprofit Inverness Institute interviewed veteran teachers about life in the classroom during another difficult year impacted by a pandemic; two principals involved with the study sum up the findings in an interview with EdSource's John Fensterwald.

John Fensterwald

April 24, 2022

Old-school discipline doesn't work any more – and shouldn't

Schools that continue to dole out punishment for minor “infractions” end up producing the very thing they wanted to attack: more bad behavior.

Martin Blythe

November 1, 2021

Fighting for the education of Black students in California

A Sacramento organization is suing the state, alleging officials knew about discriminatory disciplinary practices for years and did nothing.

Diana Lambert

October 1, 2021

Anticipating an increase in student misbehavior, California releases new discipline guidelines

Fewer suspensions, more counseling for students should be the focus for schools, state advises in new discipline guidelines.

Carolyn Jones

September 21, 2021

Lessons from Oakland’s move to police-free schools

The story of Oakland’s efforts to eliminate school policing highlights four important lessons about what it truly takes to stop the criminalization of young people and their families. 

Jasmine Williams

September 14, 2021

ACLU sues Bay Area school district over ‘separate, unequal and illegal’ special education program

Lawsuit: Black students and English learners in Pittsburg Unified are disproportionately shunted into special education and subject to harsh discipline.

Carolyn Jones

December 23, 2020

New California absenteeism data shows big discrepancies between white, Black students

Black students far more likely to face disciplinary measures for missing school, statewide data shows.

Carolyn Jones And Daniel J. Willis

November 17, 2020

How school discipline — and student misbehavior — has changed during the pandemic

Suspending students when they're not attending class in person can be a complicated process.

Carolyn Jones

July 24, 2020

School police give way to more counselors in California districts as demands grow for reform

Demands for police reforms include increasing mental health services which are seen as key to helping young people, especially Black students, succeed studies say.

Carolyn Jones

June 30, 2020

Benefits, harm of school police the focus of state task force hearing

As districts disband or reform their police units, policymakers consider how to improve campus safety statewide.

Carolyn Jones

June 25, 2020

Oakland school board unanimously agrees to eliminate its police force

Board agreed to disband entire internal police department by end of the year and form a committee to come up with an alternative safety plan.

Theresa Harrington