Five years after California schools shut their doors because of the Covid-19 pandemic, most districts in California still struggle to recover the ground they lost.

At the same time, they face multiple challenges: soaring mental health difficulties, increased absenteeism, a decline in enrollment, and uncertain finances. 

Despite these challenges, one school principal in San Jose sees hope and promise in his school, which his team reimagined during the pandemic.

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Education Beat is a weekly podcast, hosted by EdSource’s Zaidee Stavely and produced by Coby McDonald.

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Sonoma State University announced a contentious proposal this spring to cut $24 million dollars by eliminating six academic departments entirely, and another two dozen degree programs, in addition to cutting all NCAA Division II sports, among other measures.

A geology student shares what's at stake for the field and for students and faculty who are mourning the possible loss of a "home away from home."

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Read more from EdSource: Scenes of loss – and resilience – at a Cal State campus facing drastic cuts

Education Beat is a weekly podcast, hosted by EdSource's Zaidee Stavely and produced by Coby McDonald.

Subscribe at Apple, Spotify, SoundCloud.

Undocumented young people risked everything decades ago to "come out of the shadows” and push loudly and proudly for their right to stay in this country. That movement is, in large part, the reason that Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) exists. Yet there is still no path to citizenship for most undocumented immigrants and DACA has not accepted new applications since 2017, locking out most current high school and college-age students.

As the new Trump administration threatens mass deportation of immigrants, how will schools and students be impacted? What can we learn from the history of undocumented student activism?

This episode was recorded live at SXSW EDU, one of the largest education conferences in the country.

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Education Beat is a weekly podcast hosted by EdSource’s Zaidee Stavely and produced by Coby McDonald.

In 2022, California voters passed Proposition 28, a law meant to address the paltry and inequitable arts education funding in most schools.

Vicky Martinez, a parent of three sons in Los Angeles Unified School District, says her children need a robust arts education in the wake of the pandemic, but the district isn’t providing that.

Martinez and other parents joined a lawsuit against LAUSD and superintendent Alberto Carvalho, claiming that the district was misusing its Prop. 28 funds. 

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Education Beat is a weekly podcast. This episode was hosted by EdSource's Emma Gallegos and produced by Coby McDonald.

Young people who've been in the foster care system often struggle to get to and through college. Some studies show that programs designed just for supporting these students — with scholarships, counseling and peer support, for example — can make a big difference.

In this episode, we bring you the story of one student who dropped out of college, then returned years later with renewed resolve and the support of a program for former foster youth.

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Education Beat is a weekly podcast hosted by EdSource’s Zaidee Stavely and produced by Coby McDonald.

When immigrant students have missed years of school in their home countries, they not only have to learn English, but also the basics of how to read and write in any language and the math and science they missed. But the materials to cover that knowledge can often seem boring or childish to older students, causing them to disengage.

Oakland Unified School District is now piloting a new curriculum designed just for students who missed out on years of education in their home countries. We visit a classroom to find out what it's like.

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Read more from EdSource: How Oakland Unified is helping immigrant students fill education gaps

Education Beat is a weekly podcast hosted by EdSource’s Zaidee Stavely and produced by Coby McDonald.

A school board meeting in Palo Alto Unified offers a peek into an argument brewing in some school districts statewide over whether ethnic studies should be a requirement for all high school students, and what the course should — or shouldn’t — teach.

Students say the courses opened their eyes to inequities in their own communities and taught them history about African-Americans, Latinos, Asians and Native Americans that they hadn't learned in other classes.

Some parents and school board members in the community argue that courses in some districts take a one-sided view that stresses white supremacy, colonialism and capitalism are the obstacles to racial justice.

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This episode also includes voices from students, parents, teachers and school board members, from a school board meeting held on Jan. 23, 2025.

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Education Beat is a weekly podcast hosted by EdSource’s Zaidee Stavely and produced by Coby McDonald.

The majority of students in California schools are Latino, while the teachers are mostly white. But that could now be changing, as more people of Latino heritage enroll in teacher preparation programs in the state.

How can more Latino teachers change California education?

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Read more from EdSource: How more Hispanic teachers could change the face of California education

Education Beat is a weekly podcast hosted by EdSource’s Zaidee Stavely and produced by Coby McDonald.

The firestorms in Los Angeles have destroyed at least nine schools and displaced hundreds of teachers and students.

A teacher shares the story of her family's escape, and a reporter describes the physical and emotional damage to schools and communities.

Guests:

Read more from EdSource: Los Angeles schools close, brace for more fire, wind and ash

Education Beat is a weekly podcast hosted by EdSource’s Zaidee Stavely and produced by Coby McDonald.

The new year is a time of rituals and traditions. Some people swear by eating black-eyed peas or lentils every January 1st to bring good luck. Others eat 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight. At EdSource, we turn to John Fensterwald and his annual predictions column.

Every year, John tells us what he thinks might or might not happen in California education this year. Sometimes he's wrong. But he often gets more than a few things right. Listen in to find out what he foresees for 2025.

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Read more from EdSource: California education issues to watch in 2025, plus predictions on how they may play out

Education Beat is a weekly podcast hosted by EdSource’s Zaidee Stavely and produced by Coby McDonald.