This story was originally published on LAist. The backstory: According to Los Angeles Unified Superintendent Alberto Carvalho, Department of Homeland Security agents entered Russell Elementary and Lillian Street Elementary — both in South L.A.’s Florence-Firestone area — on April 7 and asked to speak with a total of five students. The principals denied those agents entry when they...

L.A. early education classrooms are returning to nature.   Motivated by research showing how the outdoors can aid in learning, the Los Angeles Unified School District is investing over $100 million dollars to transform heat-absorbing asphalt at every Los Angeles early education center into outdoor classrooms that reconnect students with nature.  The district has completed 23...

This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. The Trump administration overstepped its authority when it cut short pandemic relief grants for K-12 schools, a move that cost them hundreds of millions of dollars, according to a lawsuit filed today by California and a dozen other states. The suit, filed against...

Federal agents who were denied entrance to two Los Angeles elementary schools this week were seeking “access” to five young students attending those schools, Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said Thursday.   News of U.S. Department of Homeland Security agents showing up at Lillian Street Elementary School and Russell Elementary School in South Los Angeles’...

Few observers were probably surprised when Asian students outscored other students on test scores released by California state this fall. Statewide, and here in Los Angeles, Asian students who completed California’s 2024 assessments showed higher levels of proficiency in reading and math, compared to other racial groups.  Asian kids’ dominance of California’s state tests echoes...

This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. $390,000 to Jaylon Tyson, a former basketball guard at UC Berkeley, from a group of private donors. $3,000 to Jordan Chiles, a UCLA gymnast and Olympic gold-medal winner, from Grammarly, an AI writing company. $390 to Mekhi Mays, a former Cal State Long...

When Los Angeles sophomore Marco Sanchez quit Chatsworth Charter High School’s baseball team, he needed to find a new outlet to build on the teamwork skills he left behind. He said his parents were worried too, wondering “what is Marco going to do now?” The 16-year-old started to consider the school’s Esports program at the...

“I see dual language immersion almost like language reparations,” said José Miguel Kubes. “There was harm done during those 18 years of English-only, and it’s our jobs as educators to do something about it.” Kubes is the superintendent of Delhi Unified, a small district of five schools nestled in California’s Central Valley. Over 90% of...

This story was originally published on CalMatters.org. More than 17,400 high school seniors last fall got the sweetest news any anxious student can get: Congratulations, because of your high school GPA, you’re automatically admitted to one of 10 California State University campuses of your choice — and they’re all relatively affordable. Even with less than...

Like many education leaders, I’m alarmed by the youth mental health crisis. However, I’m also surprised by the limited solutions offered to solve such a dilemma. In a 2022 CDC survey, 15.3% of youth aged 12-to-17 had current diagnoses of anxiety, and 7.5% of the same age group had current depression diagnoses. These numbers are...