In the News
Prop 13. A Tale as Old as Time.
California is one of the few states that allows businesses, and not just residents, to get property tax breaks. We need to reform Prop 13 so rich entities like Disney foot the bill for California public schools and services.
Libraries Are Example of Statewide Inequities
The quality of a library should NOT depend on zip code. Read about this troubling inequity and why we need more state funding to address the issue.
Newsom Vetos Student Mental Health
Gavin Newsom recently vetoed a bill that would have allowed more CA students to have access to counseling services. This is unacceptable! We need to take student mental health seriously!
Cal State Students Face Tuition Increase
Gov. Newsom is currently facing a major dilemma: sign Senate Bill 140 and raise the wages of underpaid Cal State staff, or refuse to sign and anger employees. The choice is not simple. Signing the bill could force Cal State University to raise tuition and make students cover the costs of wage increases.
A Capitalist Fairytale or A Nightmare?
The CEO of Salesforce has “generously” agreed to donate employee time and his own fortune to save San Francisco public schools. But on closer exception, it all sounds very suspicious. Why are SF schools struggling so much that they need to turn to a corporation to keep their doors open?
Oakland Student Concerns Remain Ignored by County
When Oakland Unified students organized for the right to vote in their school board elections three years ago, they were thrilled when their efforts won 68% of the vote. However, since November 2020, the Alameda County Registrar of Voters has yet to implement the measure.
California is Failing English Language Learners
A recent study of California teachers’ perception of their instructional materials for English learners demonstrates that our state is not adequately providing for its students. Put bluntly: we need more funding for higher quality resources NOW, or our state will continue to fail the many English learners in the CA education system.
Kansas Votes to Safeguard Abortion Rights
In a major victory for abortion rights, Kansas voters have decided against removing the right to abortion from the State Constitution. Now, we must channel this energy into more funding for female reproductive health services across the nation and protect women who are unable to exercise their right to choose.
Construction Set to Begin to Destroy Historic People’s Park
An Alameda County Superior Court judge has okayed construction on the historic People’s Park in Berkeley. Students and residents have long pushed to protect the park as a residence for many homeless individuals in the city, who rely on the park and its structures for shelter and safety.
300 Homeless Residents of Oakland Are at Risk of Permanent Displacement!
Caltrans plans to clear out a 300 person homeless encampment in Oakland with no clear plans to provide for the displaced residents. Clearing out houseless individuals without having adequate funding or alternatives is NOT a long-term solution!
CA is Facing a Substitute Shortage!
Substitute shortages across the state have been fueled by the pandemic and early retirements. We need to retain our valuable teachers with more funding and more resources!
Devastating Wildfire Exposes Need for More Funding
Over the Summer, a 2,720-acre Washburn fire burned at the edges of Yosemite National Park‘s largest grove of ancient sequoia trees. We need to provide our firefighters with more funding and more resources to address this devastation.
$41 Million in Funding Dedicated to CA’s Low Income Students
The new California budget will provide $41 billion in funding for higher education. The funding will provide a 5% spending increase for UC and Cal State systems and also provide significant funding for the California Community College system to directly support low income students.
Rich Bay Area Can’t Pay Teachers?
The Bay Area is without a doubt one of the richest regions of the country. Despite that, however, we can’t seem to figure out how to properly use that money so that our kids can get fully qualifies and equitably paid educators.
Record Funding! But We’re Not Done Yet…
Gov. Newsom has allocated record funding for our public schools and wrap-around resources. This is great news, but there’s a huge problem—it’s that we still haven’t addressed Prop. 13 and we need to.
Prop. 13 Exposed to be Unjust… Again
Prop. 13 was sold as a way to protect homeowners, today the reality is that wealthy corporations are benefitting the most. This critical study has uncovered another way Prop. 13 has widened the state’s wealth gap.
Air Quality Improves with Increased Public School Funding
It is no surprise that air quality has a significant impact on student well-being and learning. The windfall of funding that the pandemic has provided California’s public schools have noticeably improved the problem.
SF Looks to Property Taxes for School Funding
San Francisco voters may decide this fall whether to set aside $70 million per year to finance new programs in the city school system that backers hope will boost enrollment and improve the quality of public pre-K-12 education.
Teacher Diversity is a Necessity
For a state as diverse as California’s we are shamefully behind on providing bilingual teachers for English-language learners. See how this community college is helping solve that gap.
California’s Plan for Affordable College
California’s huge push for affordable college is definitely a step in the right direction! Read more on what this means and why more should be done.