November 18, 2020 | CalMatters

Citing California’s fastest increase yet in new coronavirus cases, Gov. Gavin Newsom pulled an “emergency brake” on the state’s reopening plan, directing 39 counties to regress into more restrictive tiers. Around 94% of the state’s residents now live in the...

November 12, 2020 | CalMatters

 Newsom endorsed Prop. 15 in September, though did not campaign for the measure. The governor also said recently that he would not support legislation calling for higher income taxes. Whatever the course, the road to more schools funding will likely...

September 2, 2020 | Education Week

Wanted for the new school year: high-quality remote-learning experiences to engage and benefit all students. In the current pandemic reality, educators can improve learning, we believe, by finding better ways to use and structure students' work time. That's true whether...

July 10, 2020 | Politifact

As thousands of school districts figure out how and to what degree they will reopen this fall, President Donald Trump railed against the recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The administration has tightly linked reopening schools to...

Summary

In preparing for the next school year, California state policymakers must set clear statewide expectations for teaching, learning, and student support, regardless of whether instruction is online or in person. This spring, local school districts scrambled to adapt to COVID-19 with a wide range of responses largely focused on securing delivery of online resources. Now is the time to shift the conversation back to the core purpose of school: learning. The state should establish a minimum amount of instructional time; create an instrument of diagnostic assessment and require its use; adopt instructional continuity plans; and advocate for and secure additional funding.