Karen D Souza

FILE – A vial of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine is on display at the Lubbock Health Department Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, in Lubbock, Texas. (AP Photo/Mary Conlon, File)

Amid deadly measles outbreak, California’s childhood vaccination rates are falling

April 18, 2025 at 6:10 a.m.

Before the pandemic, Lillian Lopez never questioned the safety of vaccines. That’s why all her children are up to date on their immunizations. The Bakersfield mother of three used to...

"I look forward to working with the legislature to restrict the use of smartphones during the school day,” Newsom said in a statement, according to The Mercury News. (Bacho12345/Dreamstime/TNS)

Why is media arts so vital for students today?

July 8, 2024 at 1:47 p.m.

Media arts has long been a part of arts education in California, right alongside more traditional disciplines such as dance and theater, but Senate Bill 1341 codifies the idea that the study...

Music tunes us up for life

June 26, 2024 at 6:00 a.m.

When Amy Richter was a little girl, her father often traveled for work. He often came home bearing gifts of music and record albums.

Natalie Wexler maintains that we can’t truly reach equity in achievement unless we first close “The Knowledge Gap.” Credit: Andrew Ebrahim / Unsplash

Why knowledge matters for literacy: A Q & A with Natalie Wexler

April 25, 2024 at 6:27 a.m.

Amid a deepening literacy crisis, there’s been a focus on how to close the achievement gap, but Natalie Wexler sees the key problem undermining the American educational system a little...

Eighth-grade orchestra students mark their music during a rehearsal.

Behind the scenes: California’s new arts education plans

July 26, 2023 at 1:24 p.m.

Amid a national reckoning over the deepening achievement gaps caused by the pandemic, arts education may be one of the keys to boosting children’s engagement in school, research suggests. Like...

Photo courtesy Oakland School of the Arts.

Proposition 28 a windfall for arts education, but implementation poses challenges

June 26, 2023 at 11:27 a.m.

Arts education has long been hailed for its transformative power, a way to boost everything from test scores to social-emotional learning. Unfortunately, budget woes have cut arts education so close...

Children ride tricycles at a child care center run by the Pajaro Valley Unified School District in 2015

Is the child care crisis escalating?

May 3, 2023 at 11:30 a.m.

Nearly 90% of brain growth happens before children start kindergarten. That’s why experts say high-quality care is so vital for small children. It’s also why the ongoing child care crisis is so...

“The Right to Read" documentary is the story of the early reading crisis in America. Courtesy: JENNY MACKENZIE

Documentary film asks: Do all children have ‘The Right to Read?’

March 30, 2023 at 6:21 a.m.

As a child growing up in Brooklyn, Jenny Mackenzie struggled with reading until she was 14. She often felt ashamed and learned to hide her vulnerability.

Inside the child care crisis: Q&A with a veteran provider

January 20, 2023 at 6:21 a.m.

In her 20 years as a child care provider, Donise Keller has learned to take a lot in stride.

Students at Bidwell Elementary School in Red Bluff use the Ignite! Reading program. (Photo: Contributed)

How badly did the pandemic deepen California’s early reading crisis?

November 3, 2022 at 10:01 a.m.

With less than half of California children reading at grade level back in 2019, the fallout of the pandemic, the devastating impact of school closures and remote learning, has sent...

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