California education news: What’s the latest? (2024)

Gen Z students gave their schools a C-plus on teaching relevant skills and career readiness in a new poll, The 74 reported.

In a survey conducted by Gallup and the Walton Family Foundation, more than 2,000 students, ages 12 to 19, gave their schools an overall grade of B-minus overall, but lower-income students had a less rosy view than higher-income students.

“At a time where we need an education experience to be anything but average, we continue to see students give their schools neutral scores on the metrics that matter most,” said Stephanie Marken, Gallup senior partner for research, adding that such remarks, particularly from lower income students, are a cause for concern, The 74 reported.

—Karen D'Souza

The federal government gave schools $190 billion in the Covid-era, largely to help students recover from the pandemic. Now, two new studies suggest that this historic federal investment in schools has only modestly boosted test scores, The New York Times reported.

“The money did contribute to the recovery,” said Thomas J. Kane, an economist at Harvard University, who helped lead one of the studies. “Could the money have had a bigger impact? Yes.”

The results prompt concerns about whether the money came with enough oversight. Congress put scant restrictions on the bulk of the funding. Districts were required to spend only 20% of $122 billion, which came in 2021, on academic recovery, which many education experts have characterized as too little.

“Had there been more pressure around academic achievement, and using the money for that purpose and more guide rails, I think it’s possible the money could have made a much bigger difference,” said Dan Goldhaber, a vice president with the American Institutes for Research who helped author one of the studies, The New York Times reported.

—Karen D'Souza

Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders are continuing negotiations for a school construction bond, assuming the secretary of state will grant a waiver for a few more days to develop language for the statewide ballot. The deadline for the Legislature’s approval technically expired on Monday, 130 days before the Nov. 5 election.

A person familiar with the discussions said that talks are focusing on a $10 billion bond for TK-12 and community colleges. That would be smaller than a $14 billion bond that has been proposed, and it won’t include money for CSU and UC facilities — the main sticking point until now. It will likely include money specifically for adding and renovating classrooms for transitional kindergarten since Newsom and the Legislature pulled funding for that purpose from the state budget, assuming that money would then be in a bond.

Still to be resolved is the split between funding for new construction and renovations and whether to reform the formula for distributing state funding to districts. The current allocation system of matching grants, with the state contributing 60% of the cost for qualifying school modernization projects, favors property-wealthy, larger districts that can raise more money that draws a bigger state match. The public interest law firm Public Advocates, which is threatening a lawsuit over the issue, has proposed a sliding scale formula, providing a bigger match for low-property wealthy districts, with a smaller state match for their wealthy neighbors, like Santa Monica and Mountain View.

—John Fensterwald

California State University Maritime Academy should become part of California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, according to a recommendation from CSU officials.

The maritime academy, which has had a precipitous fall in enrollment in recent years, would continue to offer its specialized degree programs, three of which lead to a merchant marine license issued by the U.S. Coast Guard, at its Vallejo campus, according to California State University. The academy’s students will become part of the Cal Poly student body.

The maritime academy has seen student enrollment fall by 31% over the last seven years. Last school year, there were just over 750 students enrolled on the campus. The enrollment declines have caused growing financial challenges, according to the university.

Steve Relyea, CSU executive vice chancellor and chief financial officer, and Nathan Evans, deputy vice chancellor of academic and student affairs and chief academic officer, made the recommendation to Chancellor Mildred García, according to the university.

The integration of the two campuses is a necessary strategy that benefits the entire university system, the state and the nation, García said.

“It provides a long-term solution to Cal Maritime’s untenable fiscal circ*mstances, preserves its licensure-granting academic programs, so key to the maritime industry and our state’s and nation’s economy and security, and leverages academic and operational synergies between the two universities that will benefit California’s diverse students, families and communities for generations,” ​she said.

The plan requires the approval of the CSU board of trustees, which is expected to act on the recommendation at the November meeting following information sessions in July and September.

If approved, the campuses are expected to be merged by the start of the 2026-27 academic year, according to the university.

—Diana Lambert

Teachers at Citizens of the World charter schools have unionized under United Teachers of Los Angeles.

This is the first time in five years teachers at an independent charter school chain in Los Angeles have successfully unionized, according to a UTLA media release.

“Citizens of the World Educators United seeks to grow our organization in a positive way,” said Nicole Barraza, a fourth-grade teacher in a statement to the media. “We desire nothing more than to work in partnership with our regional support office and family communities to make our schools stronger. We believe there is another way to operate — a way that includes knowledgeable teachers’ voices, for the betterment of our community and organization.”

Ninety percent of the teachers at the charter’s six schools voted to unionize earlier this month, according to UTLA. The new chapter filed its unionization petition on June 7.

—Diana Lambert

The state’s Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) has ordered the disbandment of Clovis Unified’s faculty senate, following an appeal to a December finding that Clovis Unified violated state law and employees’ rights to unionize, according to a media release from the Association of Clovis Educators (ACE).

The faculty senate is the teachers’ group that has operated instead of a formal union in Clovis Unified for decades.

ACE, the group behind the most recent effort to unionize teachers in the school district, filed an unfair labor practice complaint against the district in July 2021. According to The Fresno Bee, the complaint alleged that Clovis Unified stifled the union from organizing by supporting the faculty senate for decades — despite a 1980s ruling that found the district’s stance violated state law.

Upholding the 1984 decision, the Dec. 7 PERB ruling ordered the district to cease providing preferential treatment, financial support and other assistance to the senate, according to a 151-page decision.

ACE appealed the December decision, which did not order the relationship between the district and faculty senate to end, according to a media release from ACE.

Last week, PERB ruled in favor of ACE in the appeal.

Clovis Unified is California’s largest school district without a teacher’s union. But the late June ruling to disband the faculty senate will “allow educators to choose representation they believe is in their best interests and that of the 43,000 students they serve,” ACE said in its statement.

“Today’s decision gives Clovis educators space to choose their own organization to have a strong and independent voice in CUSD,” the statement said.

Clovis Unified will analyze and consider the changes it is being ordered to comply with before deciding whether to appeal the ruling, The Fresno Bee reported.

—Lasherica Thornton

Napa Valley Unified School District decided Thursday night to let community members vote on a $230 million bond, mostly for repairs to aging school buildings that are over 60 years old, The Press Democrat reported.

In 2022, according to The (Santa Rosa) Press Democrat, voters approved a bond measure for American Canyon schools in the district but not for Napa schools. The bond measure for Napa schools failed by half a percentage point from the 55% majority.

A consultant firm recommended the measure go before voters in November, The Press Democrat reported. Two polls conducted by the firm show approval hovering near the needed majority. And higher voter turnout is expected because of the presidential election, giving Napa Valley Unified its best chance of getting the bond measure passed, according to the firm.

Voters would include individuals who are younger, more progressive and tax-friendly, said Jeremy Hauser, a consultant working with the firm.

—Lasherica Thornton

Los Angeles Unified officials have beefed up elementary school budgets by $30 million in the wake of allegations from former Supt. Austin Beutner, parents, teachers and union leaders that the district violated the rules of Proposition 28, which mandates increased arts education in California schools, the Los Angeles Times reported.

District leadership, including Supt. Carvalho, has denied wrongdoing, saying that the boost in arts education funding next year aims to avoid further contention. The shift would restore arts education programs paid for by the school district to 2022-23 funding levels, according to officials. This benchmark is key because schools aren’t supposed to receive extra arts funding from Proposition 28 unless they also maintain their own ongoing spending.

Some parents, teachers, and arts education advocates have alleged that the district used the new arts money to pay for existing programs, which is not allowed. Other areas of dispute include whether field trips to the zoo or sports events qualify as arts education.For the record, Proposition 28 was designed to help schools hire arts teachers and most schools are required to use 80% of funds on staffing.

LAUSD officials have offered various explanations, suggesting that expiring arts grants and declining enrollment might explain some of the funding discrepancies, the Los Angeles Times reported. Officials also said some shifts were motivated by equity, providing more to students with greater needs. But no examples have yet been provided, the Times noted.

Deputy Supt. Pedro Salcido argued that what matters now is the positive outcome.

“I think the important piece is … the additional $30 million — that is included in the ‘24-’25 budget,” Salcido said during a Board of Education meeting, the Los Angeles Times reported. “The intent is to kind of do right from the perspective of level setting with the community and how we’re making investments around the arts…We want to make sure that as we move forward this is not a place of contention, controversy or questioning.”

—Karen D'Souza

A new feature on the parent portal at the Lodi Unified School District will enable parents to decide which books are appropriate for their children, The Stockton Record reported.

The feature was introduced after teachers and parents sounded alarms over a new book review committee and allegations that the body banned two books from district libraries, including “This Is Kind of an Epic Love Story” and “Tricks.”

The district’s superintendent, Neil Young, however, told The Stockton Record that books were not being removed from shelves — and claimed he has not been involved with the committee’s formation.

“Nowhere gives anyone but the board of education the final authority on instructional resources,” Young told The Stockton Record. “I do not have more authority than the board, nor do I believe that it is appropriate for a superintendent to have greater authority than the board of education.”

The committee has eight members, including school teachers, administrators and parents.

He added that “if you look at the committee makeup, I will say it was in alignment with the board’s rule and it was not a deviation from that.”

This fall, the district will unveil the new feature on the parent portal, which will allow families to opt their child out of reading certain materials.

“Student access to the entire high school library collection of young adult (14+) and adult level books that may contain mature topics, graphic violence, vulgar language, and/or sexual content. Allow/deny,” the portal will read, according to The Stockton Record.

Librarians, along with school principals and area directors, helped develop the features, district officials told The Stockton Record.

“We understand and respect that we have families with diverse thoughts and come from diverse backgrounds, and we respect everyone,” Young told The Stockton Record. “The purpose of our data confirmation process is to give parents a voice for their own children, but not to weigh in to whether or not someone else’s parents are responsible for their children.”

—Mallika Seshadri

Teachers who teach seventh to 12th graders will be expected to complete at least 60 minutes of LGBTQ+ cultural competency training, as part of requirements set forth by AB 5, LAist reported.

Tonya Moore, a coordinator at the Los Angeles County Office of Education, has been at the forefront of the effort, and the online training is in the process of being developed.

“That truly makes the instructional environment safe and supportive because it’s not just targeting our queer students,” Moore told LAist. “It’s targeting the cisgender, heterosexual person that their best friend is queer, or their parents, or their auntie or uncle or whatever it may be.”

The program will also include anti-bullying techniques, lessons on building inclusive environments and an overview of LGBTQ+ culture. The courses will be available to the public by June 30, 2025.

“We’re making history,” Moore told LAist. “I truly believe this is going to have a huge impact on California, but also other states are going to look at what we’re doing.”

—Mallika Seshadri

A California Supreme Court decision this week has lifted a cloud over the ability of school district voters to pass a parcel tax by a majority vote in some instances instead of by the standard two-thirds supermajority.

The court on Tuesday voted unanimously to remove a significant anti-tax initiative from the Nov. 5 statewide ballot as unconstitutional. The “Taxpayer Protection and Government Accountability Initiative,” which the California Business Roundtable and the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association qualified for the ballot, would have redefined state and local government fees as taxes requiring taxpayer approval and would have required a statewide tax increase, which already requires a two-thirds vote of the Legislature, to also require a majority approval of California voters.

By requiring that all special taxes, including parcel taxes, pass with a two-thirds majority of voters, the initiative would have overruled a July 2021 ruling by the Court of Appeal in San Francisco. The court said that the two-thirds majority for passing a parcel tax, imposed by the passage of Proposition 13 in 1978, did not apply to citizen-initiated parcel taxes. The implication was that teachers, the PTA, or groups of concerned citizens could pursue the majority threshold, as long as a parcel tax proposal wasn’t government-initiated.

The case involved a $298 parcel tax organized by voters in San Francisco Unified in 2018. In August 2021, the state Supreme Court declined to hear the case, meaning that, for now, the appellate court decision holds sway.

The case was not widely publicized, and then the Howard Jarvis Association made it clear that relying on the appeals court ruling would be risky since approval of its initiative would overrule the appeals court.

Business groups said the initiative would have given voters another check on taxation and eliminated the ability of local and state leaders to subvert taxation restrictions by calling them fees and then approving them administratively.

Gov. Gavin Newson and legislative leaders, who asked the Supreme Court to rule whether the initiative was constitutional, countered that it would have hindered leaders’ ability to raise additional funding for programs. It also would have interfered with their ability to respond to budget deficits amid an economic crisis without eviscerating spending priorities.

Writing for the court, Justice Goodwin Liu wrote that the initiative’s changes amounted to a revision of the state’s constitution that can be changed through a constitutional convention or by a legislative initiative – but not by a voter initiative. Taxation is an “indispensable power” of the Legislature, Liu wrote.

Rob Lapsley, president of the California Business Roundtable attacked the decision at a press conference. Noting that six of the seven Supreme Court justices were appointed by Democratic governors, he said, “Clearly, the state Supreme Court has now sent a signal that they are part of the progressive agenda in California, that we are a one-party state in California and there is no independent judiciary in California anymore.”

—John Fensterwald

While the vast majority of American students attend public schools, that number is falling. One reason for declining enrollment, The New York Times reported, is that in many states parents can use public money to educate their kids at home, online or through private schools.

This year, roughly a million students used some sort of private education voucher, more than double the number from four years earlier, according to research from EdChoice, a group that tracks the sector.

Among the key factors driving this shift is the lasting impact of Covid disruptions. The pandemic caused many families to reassess how children learn. Some Republican lawmakers have embraced school choice as part of a broader push for parental rights. Many teachers are also reporting burnout, with some educators leaving public schools to open microschools instead, The New York Times reported.

—Karen D'Souza

A coalition of teacher unions, parents and former Los Angeles Superintendent Austin Beutner has accused LAUSD of violating the rules of Proposition 28, a statewide mandate to increase spending for arts education, the Los Angeles Times reported. The group is urging the Board of Education to reject an internal report sanctioning the district’s handling of the funds.

In a letter sent to the Board of Education today, the alliance, which includes United Teachers Los Angeles and Local 99 of the Service Employees International Union, documented alleged misspending at 14 schools and suggested this is characteristic of what they describe as widespread misuse of arts funding.

The district has received $77 million in state funds due to Proposition 28, which requires schools to use the money to increase arts instruction. The group argues that the district is using the new money to replace funding for existing arts education offerings to save money for other purposes. That skirts the law, which Beutner authored, because it does not increase overall arts education.

“L.A. Unified has chosen to violate both the letter and spirit of the law and students are suffering as a result,” according to this report, which found that only three of the schools sampled showed an increase in arts instruction, the Times reported. “Knowingly violating the law is wrong. Beyond that, it’s morally bankrupt for District Leadership to tell some families in effect, ‘Yes, Prop. 28 gives us the money to provide your child with an arts education, but we are not going to do so.’”

District officials have denied any wrongdoing, maintaining that overall arts education spending has increased beyond the Proposition 28 allotment. They disagree with Beutner on how to interpret the law. Beutner says arts education spending must increase at every school in the district. The district says its compliance with the law is based on higher spending on the arts across the system. What qualifies as arts education is also in dispute.

“While school-level funding may vary, on average, our schools saw an $82,000 increase in their total arts budget since the previous school year,” according to a staff report. “Proposition 28 stipulates that funds be used to increase funding of arts education programs within school districts. While this may differ school-to-school, the law assesses the overall expenditures and investments at the District level.”

One key area of disagreement is whether field trips, part of the “Cultural Arts Passport” program, are legitimate uses for Prop. 28 funding, given that some trips involve the zoo and sports events, which while beneficial to students, don’t constitute arts education.

—Karen D'Souza

Cellphones and social media will be off limits to students in the Los Angeles Unified School District by the second semester of the 2024-25 academic year, the school board voted 5-2 on Tuesday.

The resolution specifically calls on the district to update its cellphone and social media policies within 120 days.

It also cited a 2023 Common Sense Media study that found that 97% of students between the ages of 11 and 17 used their cellphones during school hours. It also notes that cellphone use is harmful to students’ academic performance and exacerbates their mental health.

A CDC report from 2021 also found that 16% of students in American high schools have experienced bullying over either text or social media, the resolution states.

“Students are glued to their cellphones, not unlike adults. They are surreptitiously scrolling during school, during class time. They have their head in their hand walking down the hallways,” said school board member Nick Melvoin, who authored the resolution, during Tuesday’s meeting. “They’re not talking to each other or playing at lunch.”

Schools that have banned cellphones have seen positive results, he added: “Kids are happier, they’re talking to one another, their academics are up.”

Following warnings from the Biden administration about social media’s negative impact on children, Gov. Gavin Newsom also promised on Tuesday that he would limit smartphone use at schools, POLITICO reported.

“Social media is harming the mental health of our youth,” Newsom told POLITICO. “Building on legislation I signed in 2019, I look forward to working with the Legislature to restrict the use of smartphones during the school day. When children and teens are in school, they should be focused on their studies — not their screens.”

This story has been updated to include information that was not available at the time of publication.

—Mallika Seshadri

Teachers work more hours with a lower average base pay than other working Americans with similar vocations, according to a nationalRand survey released today.

Teachers who took part in the annual Rand State of the Teacher survey reported working an average of 53 hours per week. The average similar worker logged 44 hours a week, according to the nonprofit research organization.

The teacher data was compared with the 2024 American Life Panel companion survey, a national survey of working adults.

Teachers ranked managing student behavior, low salaries and administrative work outside of teaching as the top sources of stress in their jobs. Teachers who consider themselves underpaid said they would need a $16,000 annual pay increase to be adequately compensated, according to the survey.

Black teachers who were surveyed reported working more hours and being paid less than their peers. They also were more likely to say they have considered leaving their jobs.

Female teachers overall report higher levels of stress and burnout, and lower pay than their male counterparts.

“This is Rand’s fourth consecutive year collecting data that raise concerns about high stress and low pay in the teacher workforce,” said Sy Doan, lead author of the report and a policy researcher at the organization. “Although teacher well-being seems to have stabilized at pre-pandemic levels, our data raise questions about the sustainability of the profession for Black teachers and female teachers in particular.”

—Diana Lambert

The Los Angeles Unified School Board will consider a resolution today to ban cell phones during the school day.

School officials want students more engaged with their classmates and teachers, and less distracted by social media, reported the Los Angeles Times. But some parents want their children to have cell phones for communication and safety reasons

If passed, the resolution would direct district staff to develop a policy to prohibit student use of cellphones and social media during the school day, according to the article. The district could provide cell phone lockers or pouches to lock up the devices. Officials also could block access to social media platforms.

If approved the policy will go into effect no later than the second semester of the 2024-25 school year, according to the district agenda.

—Diana Lambert

Thousands of young students have come into Sacramento schools to attend transitional kindergarten, but enrollment in the region is still trailing other urban areas, The Sacramento Bee reported.

During the 2023-24 academic year, transitional kindergarten students in Sacramento County made up roughly 20 for every 1,000 public school students. But statewide, they accounted for about 26 of every 1,000 students.

The county’s TK enrollment increased from about 2,000 to about 5,000 students between the 2021-22 and 2023-24 academic years. While the increase was quicker than the state’s growth rate, the TK enrollment lag behind the rest of California was so significant the gap could not be closed, according to the Bee.

Currently, among the 20 counties with the highest number of public school students, Sacramento County has the smallest proportion of TK students enrolled.

Leaders at several local school districts, however, maintain that transitional kindergarten enrollment is not of concern and that they are meeting their own measures of success, including the ability to fill and staff TK classrooms, the Bee reported.

Al Goldberg, a Sacramento City Unified spokesperson, told the Bee that the district has added TK to 33 campuses this past academic year and that capacity was largely reached.

—Mallika Seshadri

Roughly 500 Stanford students walked out of the university’s commencement ceremony to protest the Israel-Hamas war, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

Stanford Against Apartheid in Palestine encouraged students to walk out and then attend a “People’s Commencement.”

“We invite graduates, friends, and family to walk out of the commencement into our alternative ceremony next to the stadium, to show support for divestment and honor Palestine this graduation weekend,” the group posted on Instagram, according to the Chronicle. “The ceremony will include a poetic grounding, speeches from faculty and students, and a cap toss.”

Tickets were required for attendees at the regular commencement ceremony, where security was also heightened. Roughly 29,000 tickets were requested for the celebration, the Chronicle reported.

“While the university supports and respects the peaceful expression of diverse viewpoints, we also have made clear throughout this winter and spring that there are time, place, and manner restrictions on speech,” the university said in preparation for commencement, according to the Chronicle.

—Mallika Seshadri

The 35,000-student Poway Unified fired its former superintendent Marian Kim Phelps for allegedly interfering in an investigation involving her daughter, according to newly disclosed records reported on by The San Diego Union-Tribune.

Based on its own investigation, the school district said Phelps used her position as superintendent to initiate and influence an investigation into a student accused of bullying her daughter, The San Diego Union-Tribune reported.

The district fired Phelps at the end of April, but the reasons for her termination had been unclear. Those details were released as part of a claim Phelps filed against the district this week — the second legal filing in two weeks, the Union-Tribune reported. Phelps also asked a judge to rescind her firing.

The former superintendent’s alleged conduct, according to the Union-Tribune, include: threatening a student, a softball player who bullied and harassed her daughter and persuaded other players not to clap for her during an awards banquet; launching an investigation into the student; and suggesting disciplinary action, among other claims. Phelps has denied the allegations, the Union-Tribune reported.

“You leveraged your position as superintendent to interfere with (Del Norte High’s) investigation from inception and until the conclusion,” school board President Michelle O’Connor-Ratcliff wrote in a letter explaining the termination, the Union-Tribune reported. “To avoid any conflict of interest … you must maintain the line between your superintendent role and your parent role, and you are prohibited from crossing that line and abusing your role and authority as the superintendent in matters related only to your role as a parent.”

—Lasherica Thornton

The California Legislature passed a bill exempting transitional kindergartners from taking an exam to test their English proficiency.

The initial English Language Proficiency Assessment for California is used to determine whether new students will be designated English learners. The test is given to all students whose parents speak another language at home within the first 30 days of enrollment in kindergarten through 12th grade.

School district staff, advocates for English learners and young children argued the test was not designed for 4-year-olds and misidentified children as English learners when they are simply too young to answer questions correctly.

The bill includes an “urgency clause,” meaning it will go into effect as soon as it is signed by the governor.

—Zaidee Stavely

Amid tension caused by protests and the university’s response, commencement ceremonies for over 15,000 UCLA graduates will continue as planned Friday and this weekend, with campus officials prepared for possible disruptions, the Los Angeles Times reported.

About 26,000 people are expected to attend the ceremonies, which started Thursday, the Times reported.

UCLA said in a statement that it was “putting in place additional security measures to ensure commencement ceremonies proceed.”

The Times reported that only clear bags will be allowed at commencement activities, a policy normally used for sporting events. Banners, signs and flags are banned, a measure first introduced last year.

One campus building that was the site of protests is not a graduation location this year even though it has been in the past, the Times also reported.

UCLA is one of seven University of California campuses holding commencement between now and Tuesday, according to the Times. UC San Diego will also implement a clear-bag policy. For the first time, UC Santa Barbara will require tickets and security screenings for its ceremonies. The Santa Barbara campus and other schools also expanded their list of prohibited items.

“In the event of any significant interruptions, we will take appropriate action to de-escalate the situation to protect the safety of all attendees and allow the event to move forward,” UCLA said in its statement.

This semester, the campus has been in the national spotlight because of its pro-Palestinian protests and resulting violence, arrests of hundreds, dozens of student suspensions as well as strikes and lawsuits in response.

More than 200 demonstrators were arrested on May 1 after mob violence against the protesters. Academic workers at UCLA joined a rolling strike with other UC campuses in late May because of how the UC system handled pro-Palestinian protests across the system. In early June, three Jewish students filed a federal lawsuit against the UC regents and several university officials, alleging anti-Israel protesters blocked them from accessing campus facilities.

—Lasherica Thornton

A group of pro-Palestinian protesters took over a Cal State LA campus administration building Wednesday afternoon after six weeks of a peaceful encampment in which students have sought divestment from companies supplying weapons to Israel and a statement of support for a cease-fire in Gaza, according to reporting by the L.A. Times.

Employees were on an upper floor of the building when the protesters barricaded the building, which includes the office of the university’s president, Berenecea Johnson Eanes. A university notification requested that the staff shelter in place.

Video from the campus appeared to show that the barricaded building’s walls were spray-painted with messages including “We see the blood on your hands” and “Divest from death.” No arrests were reported as of Thursday morning.

A protester interviewed by KTLA said that the escalation was in response to “radio silence” from the university regarding student demands.

“We don’t think property is sacred,” a protester named Vera told KTLA. “We believe that lives are more important than property. Especially when our money goes to this school. This is extensively our university, but we aren’t treated that way.”

—Betty Márquez Rosales

In a new report calledThe State of English Learners in California Public Schools, the nonprofit organization Californians Together found that many indicators of academic achievement for English learners have fallen to the lowest levels in the past decade.

The report shows a decrease in the percentage of English learners who have been reclassified as fluent and proficient in English to the lowest level since 2016.

The organization also found persistent disparitiesbetween English learners and monolingual English speaking students in A-G course completion rates and college-level coursework, such as dual enrollment and AP courses. The report also shows the rate ofEnglish learners who are chronically absent from class has more than doubled since the pandemic.

Overall, it found that the state has a long way to go to meet the goals it set in the Global California 2030 initiative.

“More work needs to be done to fully realize a future in which multilingualism is celebrated and all students receive the supports they need,” said report author and Californians Together Policy Director Manuel Buenrostro in a press release.

The organization recommended that the state make public more data on English learners, including high school graduation rates for reclassified students, who were once English learners and have since become proficient, the number of preschoolers who are learning English in addition to their home language, and the overall number of teachers with bilingual credentials.

Among other recommendations, the report suggests that the state should improve accountability, by separating data on achievement of English learners and students who were recently reclassified as fluent, and set higher expectations for districts to meet in terms of English learner achievement and reclassification.

—Zaidee Stavely

A charter school filed a lawsuit against Oakland Unified, after the school district voted to revoke the school’s charter.

At issue is a memorandum of understanding signed by the North Oakland Community Charter School, during its renewal process in 2019.

As reported by Oaklandside, the MOU stated that North Oakland Community Charter School would have to increase math and reading scores, which had seen declines for some student groups, or Oakland Unified would notify the school, and if it did not voluntarily close, the school district would revoke its charter. In addition, the MOU stated that the charter school would waive all its rights to a public hearing and a chance to appeal to the county or state.

In December 2020, both parties signed an additional agreement stating that the charter school would have to increase scores in two of three categories, as compared to students in district-run schools: overall reading scores; overall math scores; and specific student groups, like Black students, Latino students, low-income students, English learners, and students with disabilities.

According to Oaklandside, the school’s reading scores went from about 32% in 2022 to 40% in 2023 and scores for Black and low-income students also increased, but math proficiency dropped from 25% to 12%.

In the lawsuit, North Oakland Community Charter School states that it fulfilled the requirements to remain open and that Oakland Unified is violating the state’s education code by circumventing the normal charter revocation process.

A spokesperson for the school district told Oaklandside the district does not comment on pending legal matters.

—Zaidee Stavely

EdVoice and 12 other education advocacy organizations have submitted a letter to the California Legislature opposing Senate Bill 1263, which would eliminate teaching performance assessments.

Teaching performance assessments (TPA), which require teachers to demonstrate competence via video clips of classroom instruction, lesson plans, student work and written reflections on their practice before they can earn a preliminary teaching credential.

The assessments can be used to measure and develop teacher effectiveness, according to a press release from the organizations.

SB 1263 has passed the state Senate and will next be heard in the Assembly committees on education and higher education. The legislation, as amended, also eliminates the requirement that teachers pass an exam proving reading instruction proficiency.

“By removing Teacher Performance Assessment requirements, we would be removing the only consistent accountability measure we have for the more than 250 teacher preparation programs across the state,” said Yolie Flores, CEO of Families In Schools in a press release. “Moreover, SB 1263 could upend the progress made to address the state’s literacy crisis by eliminating requirements for teacher candidates to demonstrate foundational knowledge in evidence-based literacy instruction. With only 4 in 10 third-graders reading on grade level in California, we cannot afford to go backwards.”

The organizations that signed the letter included the 21st Century Alliance, Alliance for a Better Community, Alliance for Children’s Rights, Californians for Justice, California Reading Coalition, Decoding Dyslexia CA, The Education Trust–West, EdVoice, Families In Schools, Innovate Public Schools, KIPP SoCal Public Schools, Parent Organization Network and The Reading League California.

—Diana Lambert

Daisy Gonzales has been named as the next executive director of the California Student Aid Commission, the nation’s largest state financial aid system.

Gonzales currently serves as the deputy chancellor of the California Community Colleges, where she oversees 116 colleges serving 2 million students. She will take the reins in July.

“I am honored to be selected to lead the California Student Aid Commission. As a former Cal Grant and Chafee Foster Youth student, I experienced firsthand the transformative power of higher education and financial aid,” said Gonzales in a release. “The California Student Aid Commission is a champion for college affordability and equitable student success. In recent years, California’s students have benefited through historic advocacy and investments in financial aid and our work will continue with urgency.”

Gonzales, who comes from an immigrant household and was raised as a foster youth, began her career in the classroom as a dual-immersion third-grade teacher. She has also focused on higher education and budget policy as a consultant for the California Assembly Appropriations Committee and Assembly Budget Committee during the 2009-2011 fiscal crisis. Gonzales has also served as the associate director of policy analysis for California Education, a non-partisan research center at Stanford University focused on designing equitable outcomes act all levels of the state’s education system.

“Dr. Gonzales is a fierce advocate for students who has a proven track record of serving the students of California, especially those coming from marginalized communities,” said Catalina Cifuentes, chair of the California Student Aid Commission. “Dr. Gonzales is uniquely familiar with the students that California is serving today and tomorrow – there is no one better suited to lead the commission into the future and to help us continue to adapt to the changing needs of our students.”

—Karen D'Souza

A modest rate of growth in child care jobs continued last month, with a bump of roughly 3,400 jobs nationally, according to a new brief from the Center for the Study of Child Care Employment at UC Berkeley.

This analysis of a Bureau of Labor Statistics report reveals much-needed growth in the beleaguered sector. However, a seasonal dip in employment patterns over the summer months may soon cause a decrease, experts note.

It should also be noted that the accessibility of early care and education has long lagged behind the demand. Child care slots had already begun to dwindle before the pandemic. One study showed that 79% of states reported a decline in family child care providers between 2018 and 2019 and Covid disruptions just made matters worse.

—Karen D'Souza

Sacramento State was honored by the state Legislature on June 6 as California’s first “Black-serving institution.”

The university enrolls the largest number of Black students in the CSU system, about 2,000, or 6% of its student population, according to Sacramento State.

“This distinctive recognition reaffirms Sacramento State’s commitment and dedication to serving the needs of our diverse student body, especially for our Black students,” Wood said in a statement. “I want to express my profound gratitude to the California State Legislature, Sacramento County and the city of Sacramento for recognizing us as a Black-Serving Institution.”

Legislators are considering Senate Bill 1348, which would designate universities or colleges as Black-serving institutions if they have a Black student population of at least 10% or 2,000 students.

Sacramento State also has recently instituted several new initiatives to help Black students succeed including a Black honors college, which will welcome its first class in the fall. The college will be open to high-achieving students of all races with a curriculum that focuses on the Black and African-American experience, according to the university. The university has also launched a Black success initiative to address the needs of Black students, faculty and staff.

Sacramento State has already been designated as a Hispanic-serving institution and an Asian American and Pacific Islander-serving institution.

—Diana Lambert

The 2024 reading list has been released for the First Partner’s Summer Book Club. The annual program is a partnership with the California State Library.

The goal of the book club is to increase literacy, reduce reading loss and encourage children to read over the summer. The reading list, which offers book recommendations from preschool through high school, is meant to expose young readers to important social and emotional concepts and highlights values such as diversity, equity and inclusion, according to the governor’s website.

“Libraries open the door to the captivating world of books and storytelling, sparking a love of reading that can last a lifetime,” said first partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom in a news release. “This year’s Summer Book Club picks tell stories of family and community, they celebrate the beauty of diversity and loving oneself, and they describe the wonders of time spent in the great outdoors. I encourage California families to review the booklist then head over to your local library to check out one of this year’s First Partner’s Summer Book Club picks.”

The book list was curated by Newsom and librarians from across the state.

—Diana Lambert

The state of California might struggle to meet its bilingual education and transitional kindergarten goals as a result of teacher shortages, KQED reported.

“There are enormous numbers of dual language learners in California, and taking advantage of those children’s languages and helping them develop them fully is going to be a really big lift,” Conor Williams, a researcher at The Century Foundation, told KQED. “Could the state do more? Absolutely.”

Almost 60% of California children under 6 years old live in households where a language other than English is spoken. Those same students, who are more likely to be low income, also benefit the most from transitional kindergarten.

Whether in Oakland or Los Angeles Unified, the public’s attitude toward bilingual education has changed — but Proposition 227, passed in 1998, had already gotten rid of programs for bilingual teachers.

“It’s been a challenge trying to get teachers back into the classroom and then also to get new bilingual teachers to fill these classrooms,” Carolyne Crolotte with Early Edge California told KQED.

Because transitional kindergarten classrooms require more teachers, it has felt the impacts of teacher shortages even more acutely, according to KQED.

Currently, one adult is required for every 12 transitional kindergarten students. When the average class size is decreased to 20 from 24, the demand for teachers will be even greater.

It has already been difficult to hire teaching assistants to maintain the necessary ratios, and the 2022-23 academic year saw a 12% vacancy rate, KQED reported.

“When it comes to young children, you come to work with your entire heart and your full emotional self. That requires training and experience, and just having more education (from a credentialing program) isn’t going to create that,” Krystell Guzman, co-director of La Plazita Preschool, told KQED.

—Mallika Seshadri

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Friday that a lawsuit against the Los Angeles Unified School District over its previous Covid-19 vaccine mandate can move forward, CalMatters reported.

A lower court had previously dismissed the case — and a 2-1 vote led by judges former President Donald Trump appointed will bring it back to the table. The majority specifically noted that during the lawsuit’s lifespan, LAUSD had a pattern of “withdrawing and reinstating its vaccination policies.”

According to CalMatters, the judges also showed signs that they were open to debate regarding the vaccine’s efficacy despite the CDC saying it is “effective” —and argued that requiring the vaccine conflicts with a right to refuse medical treatments.

LAUSD will be able to appeal the ruling to a bigger panel of 9th Circuit judges that has been considered one of the country’s liberal appellate circuits.

“We are reviewing the 9th Circuit ruling and assessing the district’s options,” an LAUSD spokesperson told CalMatters.

—Mallika Seshadri

A Superior Court Judge in Orange County has ordered the union representing University of California academic workers to halt their strike currently happening at six of the system’s campuses. In doing so, the order granted the UC’s request for a temporary restraining order against the strike.

UC filed a lawsuit this week alleging that the strike violated its no-strike clause with the union, United Auto Workers Local 4811, which represents 48,000 workers across the system, including researchers, graduate assistants and other student workers. Union leaders maintain the strike is legal because it started with an unfair labor practice it filed against UC.

“The temporary restraining order does not mean that the strike has been ruled ‘illegal.’ Decades of labor law establishing the right of unions to strike over serious unfair labor practices is on our side,” the union said in a statement Friday.

The union has alleged that UC has violated its members’ rights by retaliating against them for participating in pro-Palestinian protests across the system’s 10 campuses.

Prior to filing its lawsuit, UC twice asked the state’s labor board for an injunction against the strike, but both requests were denied.

Melissa Matella, UC’s associate vice president for systemwide labor relations, said in a statement Friday that UC is “extremely grateful for a pause in this strike so our students can complete their academic studies.” At the six campuses where workers are striking, finals are scheduled next week. Many of the union’s members play a key role in administering exams.

Rafael Jaime, president of the union, said in a statement that the union is “prepared to keep defending our rights” and said the law is on their side.

“UC academic workers are facing down an attack on our whole movement,” Jaime said. “PERB, the regulatory body with the expertise to rule on labor law, has twice found no grounds to halt our strike. I want to make clear that this struggle is far from over. In the courtroom, the law is on our side and we’re prepared to keep defending our rights — and outside, 48,000 workers are ready for a long fight.”

—Michael Burke

UC Berkeley will be able to move forward with building student housing on the site of the historic People’s Park after the state’s Supreme Court rejected a lawsuit challenging the development.

In a unanimous ruling written by Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero, the court said the lawsuit “poses no obstacle to the development of the People’s Park housing project.” Opponents of the project, who brought the lawsuit, argued that noise from future student residents would equate to a pollutant and that Berkeley failed to consider that in its Environmental Impact Report on the project.

The ruling comes after Gov. Gavin Newsom last year signed Assembly Bill 1307, which states that housing projects don’t need to consider noise generated from future residents.

UC Berkeley officials say a timeline on construction will be released soon.

“We are pleased and relieved that the Supreme Court’s decision enables the campus to resume construction at People’s Park. The housing components of the project are desperately needed by our students and unhoused people, and the entire community will benefit from the fact that more than 60% of the 2.8-acre site will be revitalized as open park space,” the campus said in a statement.

The project will house more than 1,100 undergraduates and will also provide housing to more than 100 unhoused and low-income individuals, according to UC Berkeley. Officials have said the housing is desperately needed at the campus, which has a dire housing shortage.

—Michael Burke

Fresno State’s Academic Senate urged the university to use its state funds for academic programs rather than athletics, spurring a conversation about how the university should spend its money, The Fresno Bee reported.

According to The Bee, in a report this spring, the Academic Senate said athletic allocation from state funding and tuition have increased from $3.6 million in 2009-10 to $18.1 million in 2021-22. The report used year-old data.

In a statement to The Bee, Fresno State president Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval said more than 68% of the campus budget that’s available for all departments goes to academic affairs with less than 4% being allocated to athletics.

“These allocations have been consistent for the last six years,” Jiménez-Sandoval said in his statement.

The Academic Senate said the university should reallocate student fees to instructionally-related activities (IRA) projects rather than athletics, according to The Bee.

But Jiménez-Sandoval said clarity on percentage utilization is needed in its conversations with the Academic Senate, The Bee reported.

“The hope is that we can keep a dialogue going and that will eventually lead to budgetary reform,” John Wakabayashi, a professor in the department of earth and environmental sciences, told The Bee.“… I think that, at the end of the day, one of the things I would like to get across to the administration is there’s something in it for everybody.”

Jiménez-Sandoval said both academics and athletics are “fundamental to the vibrancy and success of Fresno State.”

So far, he has implemented a hiring freeze and limited non-essential travel and expenses ahead of the 2024-25 state budget that is facing looming budget cuts, The Bee reported.

—Lasherica Thornton

Two civil rights organizations, the Advancement Project and the Southern Poverty Law Center, have asked the U.S. Department of Education’s civil rights office to issue guidance to ensure school closures don’t unfairly impact students of color and students with disabilities, Education Week reported.

At least 65 districts are set to shutter their doors by this upcoming school year, the Advancement Project has tracked via an informal survey of news reports, according to Education Week. And “research on school closures and lived experiences of the students and families whose neighborhood schools were closed overwhelmingly shows that school closures are harmful to students and their families, not beneficial,” the groups said in a May 30 letter identifying ways that closure decisions can be fair and minimize harm.

Closures may become discriminatory when districts close schools with disproportionately high numbers of Black students, causing them to travel longer distances than their peers to a school, the groups argued.

Even school closure criteria that seems racially neutral may use factors that are a result of funding inequities and residential segregation, Katherine Dunn, director of the Opportunity to Learn program at the Advancement Project, told Education Week. For example, facility conditions are a symptom of disinvestment, so choosing schools based on a building’s age can be harmful, Education Week reported.

In 2023, California adopted legislation that made equity a factor in school closure decisions. The civil rights groups implored the federal education department to mimic California’s “equity impact analysis” requirement in guidance on the issue, Education Week reported. California school districts must consider student demographics, environmental factors such as traffic, transportation needs of displaced students and continued access to special programs.

The education department did not respond to Education Week’s request for comment about the request.

—Lasherica Thornton

Three Jewish students at UCLA filed a federal lawsuit against the UC regents and several university officials on Wednesday, alleging that anti-Israel protesters blocked them from accessing campus facilities, as reported by the Los Angeles Times.

The newspaper reports that the students said UCLA is a “hotbed of antisemitism” and described protesters chanting “Death to the Jews,” in addition to establishing checkpoints at their encampment, only allowing students to enter if they condemned Israel.

The Times reports that some students defended the checkpoints, saying they were needed to keep counter-protesters from endangering protesters. The newspaper also quoted a professor who said that getting around the encampment only required an extra two- or three-minute walk.

More than 100 counter-protesters attacked the camp on April 30, according to the student newspaper the Daily Bruin, which reported that the counter-protesters “sprayed aerosol irritants, launched fireworks, tore away the encampment’s barricades and hit those inside with metal poles and wooden planks.”

In a statement, UCLA officials said they would respond to the lawsuit once they are served.

“UCLA remains committed to supporting the safety and well-being of the entire Bruin community,” the statement said.

—Zaidee Stavely

President of the Temecula Valley school board, Joseph Komrosky, is narrowly losing a recall election, based on ballots counted through Wednesday evening, according to the Los Angeles Times.

After being elected in 2022, Komrosky, a religious conservative, put forth policies to limit discussion on racism, ban the display of Pride flags and require schools to disclose students’ gender identities to parents, in addition to proposing to reject a portion of state curriculum related to the contributions of LGBTQ+ residents, including Harvey Milk. Several of the policies prompted litigation or fines from the state.

The newspaper reports that the election is very close — 4,674 people voted to remove Komrosky and 4,477 voted to keep him in office — a difference of 197 votes, or just over 2 percentage points. About 200 ballots remain uncounted.

—Zaidee Stavely

At least two Central Valley school districts are changing their graduation ceremonies due to dangerously high temperatures expected across the San Joaquin Valley, according to emailed media releases. The National Weather Service issued an excessive heat warning for temperatures up to 109 degrees for the region from Wednesday until Friday evening.

Clovis Unified on Tuesday announced its plans to change the June 5 and June 6 high school graduation ceremonies for Clovis West and Buchanan by 30 minutes.

The change means attendees benefit from the later evening’s lower temperatures and from the stadium being shaded longer, district spokesperson Kelly Avants said about Clovis Unified’s response to temperatures expected to exceed 105.

On Wednesday, due to the forecast of excessive heat, Madera Unified also announced a 30-minute adjustment to its graduation start times for Madera South’s June 5 ceremony and Madera High’s June 6 ceremony.

“This change in graduation ceremony times is a response to the forecast high temperatures in the Central Valley,” district spokesperson Desiree Aragon said. “It ensures that students, families, and staff can celebrate this momentous occasion in a safe, comfortable environment.”

—Lasherica Thornton

Adolescents with internet addiction may experience changes in the architecture of the brain that could lead to other addictive behaviors and tendencies, one study suggests.

Some experts have long warned that a heavily phone-focused childhood could alter how the teenage brain gets wired, perhaps including cognitive control and reward valuation.

Adolescence is a critical developmental stage during which people undergo key changes in biology and cognition. It is also a stage marked by intense neural plasticity, which allows youth to cope with the numerous physical and emotional changes that occur during puberty but also promotes vulnerability to risk-taking and sensation-seeking impulses.

“We hypothesize that internet addiction has widespread neurological alteration effects rather than being limited to a few specific brain regions,” says the study, whose lead author is based at University College London.

—Karen D'Souza

While much of public education is still reeling from the fallout of pandemic disruptions, the National Institute for Early Education Research’s new preschool “yearbook” shows a rebound in early education with record-setting pre-kindergarten levels for the 2022-23 school year, The 74 reported.

Following sharp declines during the pandemic, experts say, participation in preschool is back on the upswing. More than 1.6 million children attended public pre-K last school year, with the percentage of 3- and 4-year-olds hitting new highs. California, for instance, has been expanding its transitional kindergarten program to all 4-year-olds.

Expanding access, however, doesn’t mean states have to cut back on quality by lowering training requirements for teachers or increasing class sizes, the report’s authors note, The 74 reported.

—Karen D'Souza

After a second attempt by the University of California to end a strike of academic workers at five campuses failed, UC officials say they will file a breach of contract action in state court.

Academic workers from campuses in Santa Cruz, Davis, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and San Diego walked out in May in protest of the university’s crackdown on pro-Palestinian encampment crackdowns. UC Irvine workers are expected to join the protest on Wednesday, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The workers are members of United Auto Workers, Local 4811, which represents nearly 50,000 graduate teaching assistants, researchers and other academic workers. Union representatives said members’ rights were violated during pro-Palestinian encampment crackdowns.

Monday the California Public Employment Relations Board ruled against the university, saying it had not shown that the strike is causing “irreparable harm” to the university – the legal standard required to approve an injunction, according to the Los Angeles Times.

“We are disappointed that the state agency dedicated to the oversight of public employment could not take decisive and immediate action to end this unlawful strike – a decision that harms UC’s students who are nearing the end of their academic year,” said Melissa Matella, associate vice President for Systemwide Labor Relations in a statement. “While PERB has not agreed to act immediately through an injunction, it has issued a complaint against UAW about its strike.”

In May the state board initially refused to issue an injunction, but allowed UC officials a chance to submit additional evidence to prove its case. Monday the board ruled that the evidence was not enough, according to the Los Angeles Times.

“Now that UC has exhausted the PERB process for injunctive relief, UC will move to state court and is hopeful for quick and decisive action so that our students can end their quarter with their focus on academics,” Matella said.

—Diana Lambert

California State University will celebrate Juneteenth on June 13 and June 14 with “Let Freedom Ring: Breaking Chains and Elevating to New Heights,” a live-streamed symposium.

Juneteenth celebrates the day in 1865 that Union soldiers arrived in Texas to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing the last Black people enslaved in the United States.

The symposium will feature award-winning investigative reporter Nikole Hannah-Jones, scholar and activist Yaba Blay, author and director of the Boston University Center for Anti-Racist Research Ibram X. Kendi, CSU Chancellor Mildred Garcia, CSU Deputy Vice Chancellor Dilcie Perez and university students, alumni and staff.

The symposium will highlight the contributions of the African American community, showcase work taking place on CSU campuses and open dialogue about the steps universities can take to ensure the success of Black students, according to a press release from the university.

The live-streamed event is from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 13 and from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on June 14. Register at Calstate.edu/Juneteenth.

The first Juneteenth Symposium in 2022 led to an action plan to close equity gaps and advance social mobility for Black students. In 2024 the CSU conducted a systemwide inventory and asked each university to identify strategies to support Black student success. In April, university officials announced $4.6 million in one-time funding to campuses to help them implement the strategies. In May, the CSU also announced the launch of a statewide central office for Black Student Success at Sacramento State.

—Diana Lambert

Academic workers at UC San Diego will go on strike on Monday — in opposition to the UC system’s response to pro-Palestinian protests across the system, according to a City News Service story published by KPBS.

United Auto Workers Local 4811 represents roughly 8,000 workers at UCSD —and roughly 31,500 at the six campuses home to strikes.

“For the last month, UC has used and condoned violence against workers and students peacefully protesting on campus for peace and freedom in Palestine,” Rafael Jaime, president of UAW Local 4811, said in a statement, KPBS reported.

“Rather than put their energies into resolution, UC is attempting to halt the strike through legal procedures. They have not been successful, and this strike will roll on. We are united in our demand that UC address these serious ULPs, beginning with dropping all criminal and conduct charges that have been thrown at our members because they spoke out against injustice.”

The union is specifically asking the UC to grant amnesty to academic employees and students who have been disciplined. They are also advocating for freedom of speech and expression.

—Mallika Seshadri

Members of the Merced City School District expressed they wanted a superintendent with a strong sense of morals and an ability to hold officials accountable, according to a report conducted by the firm, McPherson & Jacobson, The Merced Focus reported.

The firm was hired in June 2023,and subsequently fired,and the district did not publicly release the report, which sparked outrage in the community. The Merced Focus eventually obtained a copy.

Last week, the district’s trustees said they selected Julianna Stocking — who previously worked as Tracy Unified’s associate superintendent of educational services —and will vote on a contract during an upcoming meeting.

If Stocking’s employment moves forward, she will be the fifth person to lead the district since 2020.

The report compiled by McPherson & Jacobson —which represents the California School Board Association —relies on feedback from 77 individuals who spoke in small-group meetings, including school administrators, principals, educators, staff and members of the community. The firm also received feedback through an online survey, which received almost 250 responses.

Responses included allegations of an affair involving a district official and a subordinate – as well as allegations of bullying, surveilling and retaliation.

In the report, many claimed that district leaders lacked integrity and that office jobs had been padded with individuals’ friends.

Members of the school board were also criticized —with many claiming they should be recalled from their positions.

“In these past few years, our school board has not seemed to understand their role,” one comment read, according to The Merced Focus. “In many ways, it has felt like it has hindered our forward motion and made many teachers and community members question why they are serving.”

On the other hand, respondents pointed to Merced’s location, diverse community and the district’s many veteran teachers and staff as positives.

“The community of Merced has a great group of community members that are friendly and willing to help out other community members,” one respondent said in the survey.

The president of the district’s school board, Allen Brooks, told The Merced Focus that he has no intention of reading the report. He also claimed that the district had addressed the report’s allegations and that there is no need for further investigation.

“For the record, these issues that were raised, the issues that we’ve heard, they were addressed,” Brooks told The Merced Focus. “Once again, I haven’t seen that report. I don’t know the issues that were raised in the report, but I know the issues that the search firm verbally told us. And those things were definitely taken care of.”

—Mallika Seshadri

Academic workers at UC Irvine, UC Santa Barbara and UC Santa Cruz will go on strike next week, joining workers at three other UC campuses, the union representing the workers announced Friday.

The strike is escalating at a pivotal point of the spring quarter at the six campuses. Next week is the last week of classes, and final exams are the following week. Union members play a key role in grading papers and administering exams.

The union, United Auto Workers Local 4811, has alleged that UC has violated its members’ rights by retaliating against them for participating in pro-Palestinian protests across the system’s 10 campuses. The union represents 48,000 workers across the system, including teaching assistants, researchers and other student workers.

Workers at Santa Cruz were the first to walk out as part of the strike, which allows union leadership to call on different campuses at different times to strike. They were followed this week by workers at UCLA and UC Davis.

“For the last month, UC has used and condoned violence against workers and students peacefully protesting on campus for peace and freedom in Palestine,” said Rafael Jaime, president of the union. “Rather than put their energies into resolution, UC is attempting to halt the strike through legal procedures. They have not been successful, and this strike will roll on.”

Responding to the strike escalation, UC said in a statement Friday that the expanded strike would disrupt the end of the quarter.

“We are disheartened that UAW continues publicly escalating its unlawful strike in violation of its contracts’ no-strike clause and encouraging its members to disrupt and harm the ability of our students to navigate finals and other critical year-end activities successfully. UAW’s goals of ‘maximize chaos and confusion’ have come to fruition, creating substantial and irreparable impacts on campuses and impacting our students at a crucial time of their education,” UC said.

—Michael Burke

The University of California, Santa Cruz said police arrested many people Friday morning as demonstrations have blocked campus access for weeks, The Associated Press reported.

Campus, local and state police removed an encampment of pro-Palestinian demonstrators, according to AP. Following the arrests of hundreds of pro-Palestinian demonstrators at UCLA and the suspension of dozens of protesters at UC San Diego, academic workers started a strike at UC Santa Cruz on May 20 because of how the UC system has handled pro-Palestinian protests this semester. The strike continued this week.

“For weeks, encampment participants were given repeated, clear direction to remove the encampment and cease blocking access to numerous campus resources and to the campus itself,” Scott Hernandez-Jason,a university spokesperson, said in a statement Friday. “They were notified that their actions were unlawful and unsafe.”

On Friday morning, according to the statement, protesters were also given multiple warnings to disperse.

AP reported that officers instructed people to leave before taking away their signs. There appeared to be pushing and shoving between police and demonstrators.

Friday’s arrests add to at least 83 incidents since April 18 in which police have made arrests at campus protests, according to AP, which has recorded that more than 3,025 people have been arrested at 62 colleges and universities.

—Lasherica Thornton

Across the country, as some colleges shutter, nearly 23,000 new academic programs have been added in the last 20 years, suggesting that higher education is growing, not shrinking, The Chronicle of Higher Education reported.

Federal data from over 2,000 institutions of higher ed showed a 40% growth in bachelor’s degree programs between 2002 and 2022, a Chronicle analysis found.

According to The Chronicle, certain disciplines spearheaded that growth, including: health, visual and performing arts, business, education, multidisciplinary studies, biology, computer science and communications/journalism. Each of those disciplines added more than 1,000 programs over the last two decades. For example, colleges added 2,700 health and clinical science professional programs, such as nursing, public health and physical therapy. The health professions represented the largest growth out of 38 areas of study that The Chronicle analyzed.

As programs have grown between 2002 and 2022, undergraduate enrollment grew by 8% with bachelor degree completion rates increasing by 56%, The Chronicle found.

—Lasherica Thornton

The arts may well be crucial to a comprehensive education, research suggests, but many American schools still don’t make it a priority. That’s why five of the nation’s key arts education associations have banded together to spread the word, even as California begins to roll out its own arts ed initiative.

The Educational Theatre Association (EdTA), National Art Education Association (NAEA), National Association for Media Arts Education (NAMAE) National Association for Music Education (NAfME), and National Dance Education Organization (NDEO) are officially teaming up to highlight the value of arts education through a joint advocacy work.

Amanda Karhuse, NAfME assistant executive director for advocacy and public policy, will lead this coalition to build a shared federal legislative agenda on arts education and lobby congressional staff and U.S. Department of Education officials.

“We want to see every art form emphasized in educational policy so more students have equitable access to the discipline of their choice,” said Karhuse, who has more than 25 years of experience in federal policy and advocacy, in a release.

—Karen D'Souza

California State University campuses in Bakersfield, Channel Islands, Chico, Dominguez Hills, East Bay, Fresno, Humboldt, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Cal Maritime, Pomona, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Francisco, San José, San Luis Obispo, San Marcos and Sonoma will share $6.4 million to support each school’s Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Achievement Program.

Awards ranging from $200,000 to $460,000 will contribute to culturally responsive learning communities, advising services, mental health counseling, career development services and supplemental instruction, according to a news release from California State University.

“The CSU AANHPI Student Achievement Program will have an indelible effect on the success of underserved and first-generation AANHPI students and other underrepresented students,” said CSU Chancellor Mildred García. “This funding is a significant milestone in supporting our universities’ efforts in strengthening their diverse campus communities and increasing opportunities for all students to attain the life-changing benefits of a CSU degree.”

The state has budgeted $8 million annually for the program, including the development of a statewide central office for the AANPHI Student Achievement Program. The office will be located on the Sacramento State campus.

—Diana Lambert

The California Department of Justice will monitor how Redlands Unified School District handles claims of sexual harassment and abuse for the next five years, after an investigation found critical shortfalls in the district’s policies and practices.

The district violated laws in place to protect against and address complaints related to sexual assault, harassment and abuse, according to California Attorney General Rob Bonta in a news release Wednesday.

The investigation followed a number of high-profile cases involving sexual abuse of students by district staff, several of whom have been convicted of related offenses, according to the Department of Justice.

The school district spent more than $45.5 million to settle lawsuits alleging sex abuse of students by school staff since 2016, according to The Press Enterprise.

“As a parent, and as attorney general, protecting our kids is my most important job,” Bonta said. “It is absolutely unacceptable that any child should be put at risk of sexual harassment or abuse while at school, where they should be free to learn and grow in a safe and supportive environment. ​​California law guarantees each and every child the right to a public education free from sexual harassment, assault, and abuse, and today’s stipulated judgment holds Redlands Unified accountable for failing to abide by the laws in place to protect our kids. ”

The state oversight is part of an agreement between the district and the state Department of Justice that requires the district hire an assistant superintendent of compliance and sexual harassment prevention; revise policies for responding to complaints; develop a database to track complaints, which also must be provided to the Office; provide staff and student training on how to report sexual assault; and offer mental health services to victims, among other things.

Redlands Unified School District Superintendent Juan Cabral said the district is committed to complying with the terms of the judgment.

“We take the findings seriously and are dedicated to making necessary improvements to ensure a safe and equitable learning environment for all students and staff as this continues to be our number one priority,” Cabral said in a statement. “We are actively working with the Department of Justice to implement the agreed-upon measures, as well as continue the many safety practices the district implemented prior to this agreement.”

—Diana Lambert