The political leaders of Los Angeles, led by Mayor Eric Garcetti, were convinced they could persuade local voters to approve a very hefty tax increase for the city’s schools, especially since the burden would fall largely on large property owners. After all, they reasoned, a strike by Los Angeles Unified...
Schools Turn to Apps, Other Tech to Guard Against Shootings
LOS ANGELES — Schools trying to protect kids from mass shootings are turning to gunshot detection systems, cellphone apps and artificial intelligence — a high-tech approach designed to reduce the number of victims. Technology that speeds up law enforcement's response and quickly alerts teachers and students to danger is a...
California Must Reform Charter Schools. Here’s How.
In education circles in California and nationally, the fundamental question is this: How do we ensure all public schools are high quality? In Sacramento, much of the debate focuses on charter schools, as the Legislature considers several related bills related to them. What’s too often lost in the discussion is...
What Does Fresno Want in Next Police Chief? Everything.
Retired judge Robert Oliver summed up the 90-minute community conversation Tuesday night about picking Fresno's next police chief this way: "What I heard was, people are looking for a strong communicator, who pays attention to detail, can improve the sensitivities of patrol officers, and understands the city or can learn...
Is It Time to Ban Student Cellphones in Classrooms?
When teachers get together, sooner or later, the conversation turns to the cellphone nightmare. So, I decided to talk to teachers, students and the office of a state lawmaker who wants to fix the problem. Click on the video above to learn what I found out. Cellphones in Class Create...
Bribes to Get Into Yale and Stanford? What Else Is New?
One of the funniest stories I ever heard about the college admissions madness came from an independent consultant who was paid handsomely to guide families through it and increase the odds that Harvard or Yale said yes. He recounted the involvement of one father and mother in their son’s personal...
Face-Off for Governor: Gavin Newsom vs. John Cox
Republican John Cox and Democrat Gavin Newsom, the candidates for California governor, begin by talking to CALmatters' reporters and editors about how they'd run the Golden State differently from the current officeholder, Gov. Jerry Brown. Other Covered Topics The two also discuss at these timestamps: — Improving schools (1:20) —...
As Character Education Disappears from Schools, Values Suffer
Blending academic instruction with the essential charge of developing students as people is a challenge facing a majority of schools in the 21st century. Paul Barnwell, a teacher in Kentucky, argues in his article published in The Atlantic magazine that the pressures of national academic standards have pushed character education out of...
School Bells Will Keep Ringing Early Thanks to Gov. Brown Veto
SAN FRANCISCO — Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed a bill Thursday requiring that California middle and high schools start no earlier than 8:30 a.m., saying the decision of when to start classes should be up to schools not the state. Supporters of the bill cited research that says delaying school start...
Alan Autry Backs Villaraigosa for Governor
Alan Autry, former Republican Mayor of Fresno, has endorsed Antonio Villaraigosa for governor. In an interview with GV Wire, Autry said the Democratic candidate is the best choice to lead California. “He’s head and shoulders the best problem solver on the ballot,” Autry said. "There's a whole laundry list of issues here...