A school bus awaits to pick up children at a California school. (Photo: Debbie Ann Powell, via Shutterstock)OPINION: The accumulation of harmful public policy proposals which would have eliminated parent choice in California demonstrates what happens when Sacramento’s public education establishment awakes a sleeping giant.
Demonstrators at a 2019 protest in San Francisco show photos of immigrant children who died in custody without adequate care. (Photo: Suzette Leg Anthony, via Shutterstock)OPINION: The California Legislature has taken an important step to protect unaccompanied immigrant children by passing AB 1140, the Unaccompanied Immigrant Children Protections Act. The bill guarantees that unaccompanied migrants cared for in California-licensed residential facilities and homes are safe and have the same rights as all other children in these facilities.
A student in class during the pandemic. (Photo: Siday Productions, via Shutterstock)PPIC: One year after the state’s schools halted in-person learning due to COVID-19, more than eight in ten Californians think children are falling behind academically during the pandemic. Most Californians approve of how Gov. Newsom is handling the state’s K–12 public education system, though six in ten are concerned that California’s K–12 schools will not be open for full-time in-person instruction this fall.
A check-cashing outlet in Los Angeles, often used by low-income families. (Photo: image_vulture, via Shutterstock)A solid majority of Californians say children growing up in the state today will be worse off financially than their parents, while more than two-thirds say the gap between rich and poor is widening. In the past year, more than four in ten households with annual incomes below $40,000 had work hours or pay reduced, and an equal share had to cut back on food.
Two children receiving instruction via the internet. (Photo: adriaticfoto, via Shutterstock)The resurgence of COVID-19 over the summer and the predicted fall increase in cases means that many districts will continue some form of distance learning for months to come. Our findings show that distance learning has widened gaps for children of color, children in low-income families, and children of less-educated parents. More specifically, we find:
One of the joys of summer camp: gathering around the campfire. (Photo: Volodya Senkiv, via Shutterstock)OPINION: As a team that works on developing, producing, and running cool camp programs, most of us can’t think of a more challenging time. The old adage “nailing Jello to a tree” rings true as we plan for what camp in this current environment might look like. Just when we think we’ve got something solved, a new hurdle or change comes about.
A woman and her baby boy on the beach in San Diego. (Photo: Sarmiento Photography, via Shutterstock)OPINION: For nearly a quarter of a century, Parent Voices, a partnership of parents throughout California, has led an annual event on the grounds of California’s Capitol called “Stand for Children Day.” Each May, parent and youth leaders march side-by-side before meeting with legislators to advocate for policies that protect the state’s children and their families.
People line up outside a Trader Joe's market in San Francisco on April 5 during tne coronavirus pandemic. (Photo: Bjorn Bakstad, via Shutterstock)>As the number of known COVID-19 cases statewide continues to grow, overwhelming majorities of Californians are worried about a family member getting sick or about their personal finances worsening due to the coronavirus.
The 2020 census form, international edition. (Photo: Tada Images, via Shutterstock)Amid the piles of bills and other notices in the mail, a special invitation to complete the national census is coming to Californians beginning this week. The census, which happens once every 10 years, is a mammoth effort to get a snapshot of who is living here as of April 1. The results will be used to determine everything from Congressional representation to federal funding for health, education, child care and transportation.
Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, California's first surgeon general. (Photo: UC Davis Health Magazine)California’s head cheerleader on improving statewide health says it’s all about “bringing people together.” And after almost a year on the job as the state’s first surgeon general, Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, exudes optimism, saying she has enjoyed an “absolutely phenomenal outpouring of support” from various factions of California’s vast health care sector.