During a debate this month, the two candidates vying to become California’s Superintendent of Public Instruction exchanged barbs over every question that was posed: Their performance as school board members, parental rights, Title IX and college readiness.  But asked separately by The 74 about proposals to reform the state’s education funding formula, Democrat Richard Barrera...

Less than a year after dwindling enrollment forced the closure of three elementary schools, California’s Berryessa Union School District added small, child-sized sinks and toilets at one campus to serve 150 infants, toddlers and preschoolers. The district knew there was unmet need for affordable childcare in the community north of San Jose, as there is throughout...

On the brink of looming insolvency, Los Angeles Unified could have prevented its financial crisis by leaving vacated positions empty, making thousands of district employee layoffs unavoidable to address a $3.6 billion deficit, a top state fiscal watchdog said.  “They’re overstaffed significantly,” said Michel Fine, CEO of California’s Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team of...

Nazma Begum spoke very little English and had never been on a hike in the woods when she moved to Detroit from Bangladesh at the age of 13.  But when she saw an announcement at her high school for a camping trip in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, she was intrigued. “I couldn’t help but wonder why...

This story was originally published by EdSource. Sign up for their daily newsletter. Following allegations of rape and sexual abuse by the late California labor leader Cesar Chavez, more than 30 school districts across the state face questions about renaming elementary, middle and high schools, while at least one California State University reckons with its memorialization of...

On a chilly morning at Leonard Flynn Elementary School, first graders played with jump ropes and hula hoops outside while reading tutor Lillie Reynaga set up her materials at a table in the hallway nearby. One by one, kindergarteners came to her table and practiced blending sounds to make one-syllable words. “We’re going to make...

Only 25% of teacher preparation programs cover all the core elements of scientifically based reading instruction, and another quarter don’t cover any adequately, according to a report released earlier this month by the National Council on Teacher Quality. Evaluating 693 undergraduate and graduate teacher training programs, the council found that 40% of programs instruct aspiring educators...