As students prepare to return to their classrooms for the 2021-22 school year, many are processing grief after the death of a loved one during the pandemic. To help those students, some schools are planning to offer grief support as part of their social-emotional learning curriculums.

In San Francisco, hundreds of public school students experienced learning losses after more than a year of online learning. The school district used the summer to play catch up, with several teachers working to help kids who fell behind in reading.

Two lightning-sparked fires burning in remote Northern California forests prompted evacuation warnings and strained firefighting resources already stretched thin by an unusually early and active burning season.

Wildfire smoke threatens children’s health. Breathing toxic pollution from wildfires is roughly 10 times more dangerous for children when measured against comparable air pollution from other sources.

California school districts received a collective $4.6 billion from the state in early March to address learning gaps widened by the pandemic and to prepare students mentally and emotionally for their return to campuses in the fall.

Universal free lunch programs ensure no one falls through the cracks and eliminate the stigma associated with qualifying for free or reduced-price meals because of family income.

Multiple major wildfires burned in Northern California on Tuesday, including the Tamarack Fire south of Lake Tahoe and the Dixie Fire in Butte and Plumas counties as the state’s already highly active fire season continued.

The Real Cost Measure seeks to assess the true costs of living in California and the hardships households face in meeting them. Many households find they earn too much to qualify for most public services, yet still struggle to meet their most basic needs. Race, single motherhood, education level, and foreign-born status are all factors that correlate with economic conditions.

The Real Cost Measure seeks to assess the true costs of living in California and the hardships households face in meeting them. Many households find they earn too much to qualify for most public services, yet still struggle to meet their most basic needs. Race, single motherhood, education level, and foreign-born status are all factors that correlate with economic conditions.

Each year, the wildfire season in California gets longer, fires get hotter and more destructive, and consequently, the government spends more money fighting those fires. The total emergency fire suppression cost for fiscal year 2021, which ran from July 2020 to June 2021, will likely surpass $1 billion for the first time.

College students in California have sought to bring attention to menstrual equity on their campuses for years, forming teams and lobbying administrators for funding to provide free, convenient pads and tampons.

It’s critical to view period products the same way toilet paper or hand soap are treated — as basic hygienic products. One reason advocates say legislation like this hasn’t passed before is the discomfort surrounding menstruation.

As a result of Prop 13, some areas in California cannot secure enough funds to bolster fire services. With the threat of climate change and wildfires looming over Californians, lack of resources strains existing fire services. As local fire agencies struggle to respond to these threats, one thing is clear: we must ensure our fire services are well-funded to protect all Californians.

This year, local students and education advocates from the Sacramento community had the opportunity to share their personal testimonies with state elected officials regarding education in California. Students brought up numerous issues that highlighted the clear disparity and lack of support, sparking the conversation for why fully funded education is a necessity.

4 out of 5 California teachers cite hybrid learning as more difficult than distance learning. Instructors have noticed that students from low-income households have suffered disproportionately during hybrid instruction and believe that school districts must do more to address inequalities in the education system as a whole. In order to fully “reopen,” California educators must be supported with more funding and more resources!

The Public Policy Institute of California released the results of a poll they conducted about Californian’s views on public education. It’s shocking that nearly 8 in 10 children are falling behind during the pandemic and that nearly 70% of voters don't know that California ranks below the national average in per pupil spending.

Art plays an important role in students’ personal and academic success. However, California is falling behind in providing this crucial element of education. It is deplorable that only 20% of Californian middle schools reported art access and that only 64% of majority Black schools reported having a music teacher compared to 94% of majority white schools. California must do better for our kids.

Teaching has long been a career known for its low pay and taxing working conditions. The pandemic has only exacerbated this situation. For these reasons, it is not surprising that aspiring teachers are reconsidering their career paths. Between 2006 and 2019, the number of education degrees dropped by 22%. The solution is clear: teachers need more support.

The political events of 2021 have revealed the dangerous effects of underfunded and inadequate education systems. Education has the power to open minds and protect against falsehoods and misinformation. For the future of progress and our democracy, we must fully fund education and especially invest in social studies and civics education.

Alice Huffman, leader of California’s NAACP, will step down from her position amid conflict of interest allegations. Huffman’s consulting firm accepted $740,000 from the No on 15 campaign. By opposing a key proposition designed to strengthen our schools and communities, Hoffman betrayed voters who rely on the NAACP to support their best interests.

The New York Times, in an effort to support common-sense progressive taxation across the nation, has endorsed Proposition 15! The paper applauds Prop. 15 for breaking down a decades-old system that favors wealthy corporations in order to increase funding for schools and local communities by over $11.5 billion. Voters must support Prop. 15 for high quality education and a progressive future!