Education Beat

By EdSourceNews Education

Education Beat episodes

June 11What a California State University’s new polytechnic status means for its future
California State University Humboldt converted to a California State Polytechnic University in 2022, joining Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and Cal Poly Pomona.
This episode dives into what this new status means — from new degrees offered to career possibilities for graduates — and why students are attracted to this type of education.
Guests:
Jack Conti, graduate, BFA in media arts, Cal Poly Humboldt
Jonathan Juarez, data science student, Cal Poly Humboldt
Kate Rix, interim reporter, EdSource
Read more from EdSource: Cal State’s newest polytechnic campus hopes a rebranding will bring enrollment gains
Education Beat is a weekly podcast hosted by EdSource’s Zaidee Stavely and produced by Coby McDonald.
Subscribe: Apple, Spotify, SoundCloud, YouTube
15 min
June 04Health insurance costs hit teachers and districts hard
Healthcare premiums have become one of the most contentious issues in labor negotiations for California teachers unions this year.
Teachers say escalating costs are swallowing their raises, while district leaders say schools can’t shoulder the cost without having to cut elsewhere, especially as they grapple with declining enrollment, expiring federal aid and rising pension costs.
Guests:
Michelle Bird, teacher, Twin Rivers Unified School District
Diana Lambert, senior reporter, EdSource
Read more from EdSource: Soaring healthcare costs put California school districts and teachers at odds
Education Beat is a weekly podcast hosted by EdSource’s Zaidee Stavely and produced by Coby McDonald.
Subscribe: Apple, Spotify, SoundCloud, YouTube
11 min
May 28Hot classrooms, leaky roofs — one student’s fight for better school facilities (Rebroadcast)
Miliani Rodriguez is a senior at Coachella Valley High School. The school buildings are old, she says, and they show it. The air conditioning often breaks in over 100-degree heat. When it rains, the ceilings leak. The sinks in her ceramics classroom broke and flooded the classroom.
Miliani thought these kinds of things were normal, after attending school in the Coachella Valley Unified School District since kindergarten. But last year she visited her cousin’s high school, just a couple of miles away from her, and found modern buildings, spacious athletic fields, and working air conditioning.
Now, she is the lead plaintiff in a lawsuit, Miliani R. v. State of California, which claims the way the state subsidizes school renovations perpetuates vast inequalities for students, sending more money to districts that already have more property wealth, and locking out poor districts from accessing funding.
Guests:
Miliani Rodriguez, Lead plaintiff, Miliani R. v. State of California
John Fensterwald, Editor-at-large, EdSource
Read more from EdSource:
Equity advocates to ask California court to suspend billions in school construction funding
California sued over bond program that sends more money to fix facilities in wealthy school districts
Education Beat is a weekly podcast hosted by EdSource’s Zaidee Stavely and produced by Coby McDonald.
Subscribe: Apple, Spotify, SoundCloud, YouTube
20 min
May 21How a father’s detention shaped his son’s educational career
Jair Solis became his family’s first-ever college graduate last weekend. It’s a milestone that had long felt out of reach because of the long-lasting fallout from his dad’s detention in an immigration facility.
With the return of the federal administration that once detained Jair’s father, more than 100,000 children — most of them U.S. citizens — have had parents detained or deported, according to a recent analysis by the Brookings Institute.
In this episode we interview Jair about how his family’s experiences with the immigration system shaped his life and education.
Guests:
Jair Solis, graduate, UC Merced
Read more from EdSource:
He once considered leaving school after his father’s detention. This spring, he graduated from college.
Education Beat is a weekly podcast. This episode is hosted by EdSource’s Betty Márquez Rosales and produced by Coby McDonald.
0 min
May 14How Los Angeles Unified fire academies build leadership skills for any career
Students at four Los Angeles high schools are learning firefighting and emergency medical skills as part of the school district's career and technical education pathways.
The students say they haven't just learned how to fight fires. They've also gained communication skills, leadership and confidence, which they can take with them to any career.
Guests:
Yasmin Lopez, Alexa Alvarez, Andrea Aguirre and Sergio Garcia, fire academy students, Los Angeles Unified School District
Vani Sanganeria, reporter, EdSource
Read more from EdSource:
'We put the sweat, the tears, the dirt into it': High school cadets showcase skills in first-ever LAUSD firefighting competition
‘This academy has brought out leadership in me’: Career tech programs offer head start for high school students
Education Beat is a weekly podcast hosted by EdSource’s Zaidee Stavely and produced by Coby McDonald.
Subscribe: Apple, Spotify, SoundCloud, YouTube
17 min
May 07California high school student journalists face censorship, investigations
The high school student newspaper, the Redwood Bark, has served Redwood High School in Larkspur, a town a few miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge, since 1958. The reporters there frequently win national awards for their journalism. But this year, students began facing pushback and censorship from the administration for some of their stories.
A 1977 landmark California law gives student journalists the autonomy to publish news without interference from principals and other school leaders. But these rights are often violated.
Guests:
Skye Hammond, reporter and editor, the Redwood Bark
Thomas Peele, investigative reporter, EdSource
Read more from EdSource:
Student journalists' free press rights tested at Marin County high school
Cases of student press censorship attempts on the rise in California schools
Education Beat is a weekly podcast hosted by EdSource’s Zaidee Stavely and produced by Coby McDonald.
Subscribe: Apple, Spotify, SoundCloud, YouTube
0 min
April 30College students repackage dining hall food waste to feed hungry peers
Students at college campuses across California recover hundreds of pounds of unserved food from dining halls each week to serve to hungry classmates.
The goal is twofold — reduce food waste on college campuses and food insecurity among college students.
Guests:
Casey Cabugao, president, UC Davis Food Recovery Network
Natalia Mochernak, reporter, California Student Journalism Corps
Read more from EdSource: Student organizations answer the call to combat food insecurity, food waste on California college campuses
Education Beat is a weekly podcast hosted by EdSource’s Zaidee Stavely and produced by Coby McDonald.
Subscribe: Apple, Spotify, SoundCloud, YouTube
14 min
April 23Educators call for deeper reflection after Cesar Chavez allegations
Last month Fresno State University held a celebration for César Chávez with baile folklórico dances, speeches and flowers placed on his statue in the campus peace garden.
Just a few days later, a bombshell New York Times investigation was published, exposing evidence that Chávez sexually abused women and girls as young as 12. Within hours, Fresno State covered the statue of Chávez with black plastic and days later removed it entirely. Other colleges and schools in California made similar changes.
As colleges and schools remove Chavez's name from buildings and holidays, some educators are raising deeper questions about how schools can confront underlying issues of power, sexism, sexual violence and historical legacy.
Guests:
Larissa Mercado-López, chair of Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies, Fresno State University
Betty Márquez Rosales, reporter, EdSource
Read more from EdSource: Educators grapple with fallout after sexual abuse allegations against César Chávez
Education Beat is a weekly podcast hosted by EdSource’s Zaidee Stavely and produced by Coby McDonald.
Subscribe: Apple, Spotify, SoundCloud, YouTube
19 min
April 16John Fensterwald on what’s at stake for California schools in the 2026 election
This is an interesting election season for California — and not just because of the competitive races for governor and superintendent of public instruction.
The superintendent’s job description might dramatically change in the coming months before a new superintendent takes office. That's because Gov. Gavin Newsom — in one of his last bold acts in education — is planning to hand over management of the California Department of Education from the superintendent to the next governor.
We check in with veteran education reporter John Fensterwald, who has been covering the upcoming primary race and Newsom's proposal to overhaul the California Department of Education.
Guest:
John Fensterwald, Editor-at-Large, EdSource
Read more from EdSource:
Here’s how Gov. Newsom proposes to revamp the state education department
What does the state superintendent actually do and how might that drastically change?
California’s next governor to face tough choices for education as state budget tightens
Legislative Analyst sees merit in Gov. Newsom’s plan for realigning California’s school bureaucracy
California school boards fault state government’s failure to narrow the achievement gap
And more ongoing election coverage at EdSource
Education Beat is a weekly podcast. This week’s episode was hosted by EdSource’s Emma Gallegos and produced by Coby McDonald.
Subscribe: Apple, Spotify, SoundCloud, YouTube
22 min
April 09A University of California in the heart of farm country aims to attract more students
While other UC’s turn away tens of thousands of qualified students annually, UC Merced faces the opposite challenge. The campus struggles to find students willing to accept its location, surrounded by farmland and pastures where cows often graze.
But some students are attracted to the small student population, the accessible rent prices and the research opportunities.
Guests:
Brian Arroyo, fourth-year mechanical engineering major, UC Merced
Michael Burke, reporter, EdSource
Read more from EdSource:
How UC Merced is trying to attract students after years of slow growth
As enrollment flattens at most University of California campuses, it surges at Riverside
Education Beat is a weekly podcast hosted by EdSource’s Zaidee Stavely and produced by Coby McDonald.
Subscribe: Apple, Spotify, SoundCloud, YouTube
14 min

About Education Beat

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A podcast that gets to the heart of schools in California and beyond, bringing you the personal stories behind the headlines, from preschool to college. Join the team at EdSource each week to hear the…