Education Opportunities and Policy Implications
Commentary author
Summary

For the first time, 16- and 17-year-olds in Oakland and Berkeley, California, are voting in school board elections, thanks to local measures passed in 2020 and 2016, respectively. These policies were the result of sustained efforts by the Oakland Youth Vote coalition, working with the Oakland Unified School District and Alameda County Registrar of Voters. Oakland and Berkeley join a growing number of U.S. cities, including Newark and several in Maryland, that allow teens to vote in local elections. Advocates argue that younger voting ages enhance civic engagement, boost political knowledge, and encourage life-long voting habits. This year’s elections in Oakland and Berkeley are seen as a critical test for the implementation of this policy, offering potential insights into its impact on student civic education and participation.

September 30, 2024 | EdSurge

The rise of AI promises new solutions to long-standing challenges. It also introduces some challenges of its own. In addition to concerns over privacy, bias and reliability, AI is driving a flood of new products in a broad range of...

September 24, 2024 | Language Magazine

English learners (ELs) are the fastest-growing demographic in US public schools. Migration to industrialized nations like the US will continue to drive that growth. By 2031, 72% of jobs in the US will require postsecondary education or training.2 English is...

Summary

After nearly a decade at PACE, I am writing to announce that I am stepping down from my role as executive director. My time leading PACE has been an extraordinary journey, and I am immensely proud of what we have built together.

September 3, 2024 | KQED

When global events unfold, the ripple effects often land in unexpected places—like a classroom in Oakland, California. Increased refugee resettlement, immigration at the U.S. southern border and the buses sent by Texas to cities like New York have created a...

Breaking the Cycle of the "Next New Thing"
Commentary author
Summary

This commentary from LEARN Network provides practical guidance on how to pilot new evidence-based interventions to build support for and eventually scale new programs that measurably improve student outcomes. Key steps include: bringing together the right people in the form of a cross-functional leadership team; gathering the necessary information for decision-making (including how educators use the program, what supports and resources are necessary for its effective implementation, and whether students actually benefit); and spreading the intervention to a larger group. Unless new programs become "institutionalised" by educators with ownership over their implementation, they will be incapable of surviving leadership turnover, and the cycle of moving to the next new thing will continue unbroken.