Thanks to a surprisingly strong state budget and a $15 billion infusion courtesy of the federal government, school districts across California are now flush with cash. But if district leaders aren’t careful now, they could trigger a round of painful cuts in the very near future. Consider the case of San Diego Unified (SDU). Student...

After seven months serving as the newest member of the LA Unified Board of Education, I see an incredibly simple but difficult opportunity before the second-largest school district in the country: defining one word — “equity.” It’s a word we see everywhere in education these days — in news articles discussing the academic and social-emotional...

It’s no secret that homelessness has reached devastating levels in Los Angeles. The L.A. Times editorial board called the situation “a national disgrace” — and that was three years before COVID  and the economic downturn exacerbated the emergency even further. But what some people don’t know or forget is that the crisis goes beyond public health,...

“Never in my lifetime have so many parents been so eager for so much education change.” So said longtime pollster Frank Luntz after surveying 1,000 public and private school parents on how the pandemic affected their view of schools. COVID-19 forced schools to change from being buildings where teaching, learning and programs were bundled together...

Every year, as much as one-third of college-bound high school graduates never show up to their first day of class. It’s all too easy for students to miss important deadlines, forget about necessary paperwork or get lost in the byzantine financial aid process. Known as summer melt, this phenomenon has long plagued high schools and...

Here’s the paradox about remote learning: During the pandemic it has not gone particularly well. And an increasing number of states such as New Jersey and school districts like New York City are prohibiting public schools from offering a remote option next year. And yet, according to our new surveys, roughly one-third of schools are keeping it...

I remember my shock the first time I was working with one of my fourth-grade students who spent most days working asynchronously — on his own — at home during the pandemic. He had completed all the online lessons assigned to him and came to school to take a multiplication test in person. Of the...

This essay originally appeared on the GreatSchools blog, part of its Crisis Innovations series. Littered with overhyped claims, corporate corruption scandals and abandoned pilot projects that teachers never quite embraced, the history of ed tech is a messy one. But in recent years, valuable classroom tools have been gaining traction with schools and teachers with both the access...

When Nevada’s school buildings closed in March 2020, the state’s 17 districts had varying abilities to support distance learning. A couple were well on their way, with quality instructional materials, access to devices and connectivity for students. But an overwhelming number of districts, including the largest one, Clark County School District, just didn’t have the...

COVID-19 disruptions gave parents and families unprecedented views into their children’s schools, classes and teachers, and deepened insights into their children’s learning styles, interests and challenges. Whatever they thought of their schools before, many parents now have strong opinions about what they want them to provide. They are looking beyond fall reopenings to rethink schooling,...