Policy & Finance

Topic

State Education Policy

The coronavirus pandemic upended education in California, shifting the focus from a series of major reforms initiated by Gov. Jerry Brown in 2013 that changed how funding was allocated to schools and the accountability systems for schools and districts. Nonetheless, efforts to make California’s systems of education more equitable from cradle to career, continue.

In this section, you will find articles about the legislation and policies that affect California’s public schools and universities.

Commentary

May 17, 2023

Let's break the stigma around sexual health for young people

Teens shouldn’t have to make tradeoffs between their health and other essentials that they may have to for pay out-of-pocket.

Sen. Caroline Menjivar and Ria Babaria

Literacy

May 12, 2023

Mandatory dyslexia screening clears major hurdle in Newsom budget

English learner advocates and the teachers union had opposed universal dyslexia screening.

Carolyn Jones

Commentary

April 24, 2023

It's time to stop stalling action on the state math framework

The debates over math instruction have been mired in misinformation and marred by melodrama — moving the conversation further and further away from the students and educators who so clearly need updated, improved instructional strategies for math.

Rachel Ruffalo and Martha Hernandez

State Education Policy

April 19, 2023

Senate Education Committee supports bill setting deadline for release of statewide test results

Senate committee gives bipartisan support to bill requiring release of state test scores by Oct. 15.

John Fensterwald And Thomas Peele

Commentary

April 16, 2023

Don't wait for the state; districts can make reading a priority

Los Angeles, San Francisco and Palo Alto Unified school districts are showing how to improve early literacy, and the state should follow their example.

Todd Collins

Commentary

April 13, 2023

How our schools can address California’s youth mental health crisis — now

California's new investments in the long-term mental health of our children are laudable, but students need help today.

Cora Palma

Commentary

April 12, 2023

Why California schools shouldn’t keep secrets from parents

It is imperative that parents are alerted about any signs that their child is struggling. Schools have neither the expertise nor the mandate to manage dangerous mental health situations.

Erin Friday

Commentary

March 20, 2023

California has heavily invested in recruiting high-quality teachers; it can’t stop now

Now is the time to double down on the investments we’ve made since 2020 in shoring up our educator workforce and its pipeline.

Marvin Lopez

California's Reading Dilemma

March 9, 2023

Can common ground be found on teaching reading in California?

A new paper aims to find consensus about literacy curriculum for English language learners and other students and early screeners for reading.

Zaidee Stavely

Commentary

March 8, 2023

The Legislature can — and should — pull the plug on ethnic studies

California’s ethnic studies graduation law can be suspended without further legislative action under the bill’s own terms, which state the requirement becomes operative “only upon an appropriation of funds by the Legislature.”

Tammi Rossman-Benjamin

School Finance

March 2, 2023

Legislative analyst opposes Newsom’s plan for more funding to high-poverty schools

State auditor says the priority should be fixing funding formula to make spending in high-poverty schools more transparent, not adding $300 million with an “equity multiplier.”

John Fensterwald

Commentary

February 13, 2023

We need stronger accountability to fulfill the equity promise of California’s school funding system

Ten years into California's new Local Control Funding Formula, students are still not getting the resources and support promised by the law.

Guillermo Mayer and Christopher J. Nellum

English Learners

February 6, 2023

Bilingual students do better on tests than native English speakers. Why?

Some researchers say the bar to be considered proficient in English is so high that only students who perform well can be reclassified.

Zaidee Stavely

Legislation

February 1, 2023

California ends plans for kids’ Covid vaccine mandate

The end of the state's Covid-19 state of emergency this month effectively ends plans to require kids to be vaccinated against the virus.

Diana Lambert

Commentary

February 1, 2023

Why are new laws shrinking our community colleges?

The unintended consequences of oversimplified solutions to complex problems are harming California's community colleges; we need foundational and systemic shifts to fundamentally improve student success.