The wildfires across the Los Angeles area impacted more than 300 schools across five counties, affecting over 200,000 students. This week LAUSD, the second largest district in the country, opened most of its campuses. However, school districts closer to the Palisades and Eaton fires remain closed. Abel Guillen is the Deputy Superintendent of Public Instruction, who oversees the California Department of Education’s Operations and Administration Branch. He joins us with how the state is assisting public schools. Also joining Insight is Tim Taylor, who was the Butte County Superintendent during the 2017 Oroville Spillway Crisis and 2018 Camp Fire. He is now a professor and education consultant, and works with school districts throughout the country in dealing with natural disasters.

The California legislature has been in session for a couple weeks, and Insight is using the start of the new year to meet some of its newest members. Assembly member Rhodesia Ransom is a Democrat representing District 13 in San Joaquin County, which includes Stockton, Tracy and the new city of Mountain House. Assembly member Ransom is a former city council member and staffer for Rep. Josh Harder. She joins us to talk about her journey to the State Capitol and her priorities in her first year in office.