Our education coverage examines the inequities students face in Bay Area and California schools, and reports on what it will take to educate the next generation.
Faculty and Students Protest CSU Event, Demand Higher Pay and Job Security
New Study Shows Low-Income Students Gain Most From Transitional Kindergarten
‘Cornell 7’ Case Puts Spotlight on Stanford’s Move to Halt Sexual Violence Resistance Training
California School Test Scores Up, but Just a Little, as Progress Slows in K-12 Classes
Don’t Skip the School Board Races on Your Ballot. Here’s Why They Could Be Pivotal
SFUSD Moves Closer to Neighborhood-Based Enrollment in Historic Vote
San Francisco Prepares to End Its Public School Lottery System
San Diego at the Heart of New Native American Studies Curriculum
Embattled Northern California Charter School Files for Bankruptcy
SF Has the Fewest Kids. City Leaders Hope These Policies Will Help Families Stick Around
Player sponsored by
window.__IS_SSR__=true
window.__INITIAL_STATE__={
"attachmentsReducer": {
"audio_0": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "audio_0",
"imgSizes": {
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background0.jpg"
}
}
},
"audio_1": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "audio_1",
"imgSizes": {
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background1.jpg"
}
}
},
"audio_2": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "audio_2",
"imgSizes": {
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background2.jpg"
}
}
},
"audio_3": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "audio_3",
"imgSizes": {
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background3.jpg"
}
}
},
"audio_4": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "audio_4",
"imgSizes": {
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background4.jpg"
}
}
},
"placeholder": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "placeholder",
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-800x533.jpg",
"width": 800,
"height": 533,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-768x512.jpg",
"width": 768,
"height": 512,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"height": 680,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"fd-lrg": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"fd-med": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"height": 680,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"fd-sm": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-800x533.jpg",
"width": 800,
"height": 533,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"xxsmall": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"xsmall": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"small": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"xlarge": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"height": 680,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1920x1280.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1280,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-32": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 32,
"height": 32,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-50": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 50,
"height": 50,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-64": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 64,
"height": 64,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-96": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 96,
"height": 96,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-128": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 128,
"height": 128,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"detail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1333
}
}
},
"news_12105768": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_12105768",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12105768",
"found": true
},
"title": "261022-SJSU Strike-AT-01",
"publishDate": 1792691663,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1792711386,
"caption": "Over a dozen California Faculty Association members, faculty and students from San José State University marched in a picket line on Oct. 22, 2026, with signs chanting, \"What do we want? Fair contracts! When do we want it? Now!”",
"credit": "Alina Ta/KQED",
"altTag": null,
"description": null,
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261022-SJSU-Strike-AT-01-840151c9-160x120.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 120,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261022-SJSU-Strike-AT-01-840151c9-1536x1152.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1152,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261022-SJSU-Strike-AT-01-840151c9-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261022-SJSU-Strike-AT-01-840151c9-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"npr-cds-wide": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261022-SJSU-Strike-AT-01-840151c9-1200x675.jpg",
"width": 1200,
"height": 675,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"npr-cds-square": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261022-SJSU-Strike-AT-01-840151c9-600x600.jpg",
"width": 600,
"height": 600,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261022-SJSU-Strike-AT-01-840151c9.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1500
}
},
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"news_12096897": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_12096897",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12096897",
"found": true
},
"title": "260824-HEADSTARTDEREGULATION-NG-26-KQED",
"publishDate": 1787767341,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1787767390,
"caption": "A child opens a bottle of glue at Wu Yee Children’s Services in San Francisco’s Chinatown on Aug. 24, 2026.",
"credit": "Nina Glick/KQED",
"altTag": null,
"description": null,
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260824-HEADSTARTDEREGULATION-NG-26-KQED-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260824-HEADSTARTDEREGULATION-NG-26-KQED-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260824-HEADSTARTDEREGULATION-NG-26-KQED-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260824-HEADSTARTDEREGULATION-NG-26-KQED-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"npr-cds-wide": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260824-HEADSTARTDEREGULATION-NG-26-KQED-1200x675.jpg",
"width": 1200,
"height": 675,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"npr-cds-square": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260824-HEADSTARTDEREGULATION-NG-26-KQED-600x600.jpg",
"width": 600,
"height": 600,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260824-HEADSTARTDEREGULATION-NG-26-KQED.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1333
}
},
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"news_12104114": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_12104114",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12104114",
"found": true
},
"title": "261012-StanfordReax-NG-2-KQED",
"publishDate": 1791847490,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1791918610,
"caption": "Stanford senior Kirsten Lees poses for a portrait outside the Kingscote Gardens office building where Stanford’s Title IX office is housed and where the Enhanced Assess, Acknowledge, Act Sexual Assault Resistance Education program was held, on the campus of Stanford University in Stanford on Oct. 12, 2026.",
"credit": "Nina Glick/KQED",
"altTag": null,
"description": null,
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-2-KQED-992914ae-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-2-KQED-992914ae-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-2-KQED-992914ae-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-2-KQED-992914ae-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"npr-cds-wide": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-2-KQED-992914ae-1200x675.jpg",
"width": 1200,
"height": 675,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"npr-cds-square": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-2-KQED-992914ae-600x600.jpg",
"width": 600,
"height": 600,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-2-KQED-992914ae.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1333
}
},
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"news_12095610": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_12095610",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12095610",
"found": true
},
"title": "081726-SFUSDFirstDay-33-MC_qed",
"publishDate": 1786997799,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1786997834,
"caption": "Leo Pham leads the way to his classroom after Jose Ortega Elementary School’s first morning circle of the school year on August 17, 2026, in San Francisco.",
"credit": "Miles Cull/KQED",
"altTag": null,
"description": null,
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFirstDay-33-MC_qed-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFirstDay-33-MC_qed-1536x1025.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1025,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFirstDay-33-MC_qed-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFirstDay-33-MC_qed-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"npr-cds-wide": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFirstDay-33-MC_qed-1200x675.jpg",
"width": 1200,
"height": 675,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"npr-cds-square": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFirstDay-33-MC_qed-600x600.jpg",
"width": 600,
"height": 600,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFirstDay-33-MC_qed.jpg",
"width": 1998,
"height": 1333
}
},
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"news_12095609": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_12095609",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12095609",
"found": true
},
"title": "081726-SFUSDFirstDay-20-MC_qed",
"publishDate": 1786997792,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 12096676,
"modified": 1791586733,
"caption": "Students arrive at Jose Ortega Elementary School for the first day of their school year on Aug. 17, 2026, in San Francisco.",
"credit": "Miles Cull/KQED",
"altTag": null,
"description": null,
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFirstDay-20-MC_qed-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFirstDay-20-MC_qed-1536x1025.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1025,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFirstDay-20-MC_qed-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFirstDay-20-MC_qed-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"npr-cds-wide": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFirstDay-20-MC_qed-1200x675.jpg",
"width": 1200,
"height": 675,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"npr-cds-square": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFirstDay-20-MC_qed-600x600.jpg",
"width": 600,
"height": 600,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFirstDay-20-MC_qed.jpg",
"width": 1998,
"height": 1333
}
},
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"news_12104237": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_12104237",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12104237",
"found": true
},
"title": "081726-SFUSDFirstDay-15-MC_qed",
"publishDate": 1791928524,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 12104230,
"modified": 1791928559,
"caption": "San Francisco Unified School District superintendent, Dr. Maria Su, speaks during Jose Ortega Elementary School’s first morning circle of the school year on Aug. 17, 2026, in San Francisco.",
"credit": "Miles Cull/KQED",
"altTag": null,
"description": null,
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/081726-SFUSDFirstDay-15-MC_qed-d2248720-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/081726-SFUSDFirstDay-15-MC_qed-d2248720-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/081726-SFUSDFirstDay-15-MC_qed-d2248720-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/081726-SFUSDFirstDay-15-MC_qed-d2248720-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"npr-cds-wide": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/081726-SFUSDFirstDay-15-MC_qed-d2248720-1200x675.jpg",
"width": 1200,
"height": 675,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"npr-cds-square": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/081726-SFUSDFirstDay-15-MC_qed-d2248720-600x600.jpg",
"width": 600,
"height": 600,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/081726-SFUSDFirstDay-15-MC_qed-d2248720.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1333
}
},
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"news_12094198": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_12094198",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12094198",
"found": true
},
"title": "20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-23-KQED",
"publishDate": 1786049579,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1790266357,
"caption": "Dr. Maria Su, SFUSD Superintendent, speaks at the opening ceremony of Mission Bay Elementary School in San Francisco on Aug. 6, 2026.",
"credit": "Gina Castro/KQED",
"altTag": null,
"description": null,
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-23-KQED-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-23-KQED-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-23-KQED-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-23-KQED-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"npr-cds-wide": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-23-KQED-1200x675.jpg",
"width": 1200,
"height": 675,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"npr-cds-square": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-23-KQED-600x600.jpg",
"width": 600,
"height": 600,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-23-KQED.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1333
}
},
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"news_12103723": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_12103723",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12103723",
"found": true
},
"title": "native-american-studies-6ac8f1694b91b",
"publishDate": 1791554009,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 12103722,
"modified": 1791554051,
"caption": "Books by Native American authors line the shelves of Greg Hinchliff's classroom at Bonsall High School on Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026.",
"credit": "Photo By: Katie Anastas/KPBS",
"altTag": null,
"description": null,
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/native-american-studies-6ac8f1694b91b-f6fd7b53-160x99.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 99,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/native-american-studies-6ac8f1694b91b-f6fd7b53-1536x946.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 946,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/native-american-studies-6ac8f1694b91b-f6fd7b53-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/native-american-studies-6ac8f1694b91b-f6fd7b53-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"npr-cds-wide": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/native-american-studies-6ac8f1694b91b-f6fd7b53-1200x675.jpg",
"width": 1200,
"height": 675,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"npr-cds-square": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/native-american-studies-6ac8f1694b91b-f6fd7b53-600x600.jpg",
"width": 600,
"height": 600,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/native-american-studies-6ac8f1694b91b-f6fd7b53.jpg",
"width": 1760,
"height": 1084
}
},
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"news_12103208": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_12103208",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12103208",
"found": true
},
"title": "092126-Highlands-Charter-MG-CM-12",
"publishDate": 1791324700,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 12103202,
"modified": 1791324774,
"caption": null,
"credit": "Miguel Gutierrez Jr./CalMatters",
"altTag": null,
"description": null,
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/092126-Highlands-Charter-MG-CM-12-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/092126-Highlands-Charter-MG-CM-12-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/092126-Highlands-Charter-MG-CM-12-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/092126-Highlands-Charter-MG-CM-12-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"npr-cds-wide": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/092126-Highlands-Charter-MG-CM-12-1200x675.jpg",
"width": 1200,
"height": 675,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"npr-cds-square": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/092126-Highlands-Charter-MG-CM-12-600x600.jpg",
"width": 600,
"height": 600,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/092126-Highlands-Charter-MG-CM-12.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1333
}
},
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"news_12096524": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_12096524",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12096524",
"found": true
},
"title": "260821-FamilyFriendlySF-JY-07",
"publishDate": 1787590742,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1787591112,
"caption": "Angelica Torres holds her 5-month-old son Angel as her daughter Valentina works on a project for school in the kitchen of Torres’ mother’s home in San Francisco on Friday, Aug. 21, 2026. Her mother helps out with childcare while Torres goes to work full-time.",
"credit": "Juliana Yamada for KQED",
"altTag": null,
"description": null,
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260821-FamilyFriendlySF-JY-07-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260821-FamilyFriendlySF-JY-07-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260821-FamilyFriendlySF-JY-07-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260821-FamilyFriendlySF-JY-07-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"npr-cds-wide": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260821-FamilyFriendlySF-JY-07-1200x675.jpg",
"width": 1200,
"height": 675,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"npr-cds-square": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260821-FamilyFriendlySF-JY-07-600x600.jpg",
"width": 600,
"height": 600,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260821-FamilyFriendlySF-JY-07.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1333
}
},
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
}
},
"audioPlayerReducer": {
"postId": "stream_live",
"isPaused": true,
"isPlaying": false,
"pfsActive": false,
"pledgeModalIsOpen": true,
"playerDrawerIsOpen": false,
"liveAudioPlayStartedAt": 0,
"liveAudioPlayContext": ""
},
"authorsReducer": {
"byline_news_12105043": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "byline_news_12105043",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"slug": "byline_news_12105043",
"name": "Carolyn Jones, CalMatters",
"isLoading": false
},
"byline_news_12103202": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "byline_news_12103202",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"slug": "byline_news_12103202",
"name": "Carolyn Jones, CalMatters",
"isLoading": false
},
"kmizuguchi": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "11739",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "11739",
"found": true
},
"name": "Keith Mizuguchi",
"firstName": "Keith",
"lastName": "Mizuguchi",
"slug": "kmizuguchi",
"email": "kmizuguchi@kqed.org",
"display_author_email": false,
"staff_mastheads": [],
"title": "KQED Contributor",
"bio": null,
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/64d8a7de0723d4099b9fe4e915136103febcc20809abce228ee4415bcb237023?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": null,
"bluesky": null,
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "news",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "science",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Keith Mizuguchi | KQED",
"description": "KQED Contributor",
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/64d8a7de0723d4099b9fe4e915136103febcc20809abce228ee4415bcb237023?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/64d8a7de0723d4099b9fe4e915136103febcc20809abce228ee4415bcb237023?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/kmizuguchi"
},
"daisynguyen": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "11829",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "11829",
"found": true
},
"name": "Daisy Nguyen",
"firstName": "Daisy",
"lastName": "Nguyen",
"slug": "daisynguyen",
"email": "daisynguyen@kqed.org",
"display_author_email": true,
"staff_mastheads": [
"news"
],
"title": "KQED Contributor",
"bio": "I have covered early childhood education and child care for KQED since 2022. I focus on policies aimed at increasing access to early care and education and how they shape individual lives. I've been a journalist for more than two decades, with most of that time devoted to covering breaking news throughout California for The Associated Press. I grew up in San Francisco and studied at UC Davis and Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism. I live in Oakland with my husband and two kids.",
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/2da2127c27f7143b53ebd419800fd55f?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": null,
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/daisynguyen/",
"sites": [
{
"site": "news",
"roles": [
"author"
]
},
{
"site": "liveblog",
"roles": [
"author"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Daisy Nguyen | KQED",
"description": "KQED Contributor",
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/2da2127c27f7143b53ebd419800fd55f?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/2da2127c27f7143b53ebd419800fd55f?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/daisynguyen"
},
"kdebenedetti": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "11913",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "11913",
"found": true
},
"name": "Katie DeBenedetti",
"firstName": "Katie",
"lastName": "DeBenedetti",
"slug": "kdebenedetti",
"email": "kdebenedetti@kqed.org",
"display_author_email": false,
"staff_mastheads": [
"news",
"science"
],
"title": "KQED Contributor",
"bio": "Katie DeBenedetti is a digital reporter covering daily news for the Express Desk. Prior to joining KQED as a culture reporting intern in January 2024, she covered education and city government for the Napa Valley Register.",
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/6e31073cb8f7e4214ab03f42771d0f45?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": null,
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "news",
"roles": [
"author"
]
},
{
"site": "science",
"roles": [
"author"
]
},
{
"site": "liveblog",
"roles": [
"author"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Katie DeBenedetti | KQED",
"description": "KQED Contributor",
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/6e31073cb8f7e4214ab03f42771d0f45?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/6e31073cb8f7e4214ab03f42771d0f45?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/kdebenedetti"
},
"alina": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "12032",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "12032",
"found": true
},
"name": "Alina Ta",
"firstName": "Alina",
"lastName": "Ta",
"slug": "alina",
"email": "ata@kqed.org",
"display_author_email": false,
"staff_mastheads": [],
"title": "KQED Contributor",
"bio": null,
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/9a6dc5a629df4ecec32d644efee527b01d1987e97c53a7e2fbddd23293e3f5f1?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": null,
"bluesky": null,
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "news",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Alina Ta | KQED",
"description": "KQED Contributor",
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/9a6dc5a629df4ecec32d644efee527b01d1987e97c53a7e2fbddd23293e3f5f1?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/9a6dc5a629df4ecec32d644efee527b01d1987e97c53a7e2fbddd23293e3f5f1?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/alina"
}
},
"pagesReducer": {
"root-site_educationnews": {
"type": "pages",
"id": "root-site_15610",
"meta": {
"index": "pages_1716337520",
"site": "root-site",
"id": "15610",
"score": 0
},
"parent": 0,
"pageMeta": {
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"sticky": false,
"adSlotOverride": "300x250_edu",
"WpPageTemplate": "page-topic-editorial"
},
"labelTerm": {
"site": ""
},
"blocks": [
{
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Our education coverage examines the inequities students face in Bay Area and California schools, and reports on what it will take to educate the next generation.\u003c/p>\n",
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Our education coverage examines the inequities students face in Bay Area and California schools, and reports on what it will take to educate the next generation.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": [],
"attrs": []
},
{
"innerHTML": "",
"blockName": "kqed/post-list",
"innerContent": [],
"innerBlocks": [],
"attrs": {
"useSSR": true,
"seeMore": true,
"query": "posts/news?tag=education&queryId=9a97b7ec77"
}
},
{
"innerHTML": "",
"blockName": "kqed/ad",
"innerContent": [],
"innerBlocks": [],
"attrs": []
}
],
"publishDate": 1581367990,
"title": "Education",
"pagePath": "educationnews",
"headTitle": "Education | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>Our education coverage examines the inequities students face in Bay Area and California schools, and reports on what it will take to educate the next generation.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
"modified": 1690473896,
"headData": {
"twImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"socialTitle": "Education News & Policy in the Bay Area | KQED",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twDescription": "",
"description": "Follow KQED's coverage of education news and policy in the Bay Area and beyond.",
"socialDescription": "Follow KQED's coverage of education news and policy in the Bay Area and beyond.",
"title": "Education News & Policy in the Bay Area | KQED",
"ogDescription": ""
},
"slug": "educationnews",
"status": "publish",
"format": "standard",
"path": "/root-site/15610/educationnews",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Our education coverage examines the inequities students face in Bay Area and California schools, and reports on what it will take to educate the next generation.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"label": "root-site",
"isLoading": false
}
},
"pfsSessionReducer": {},
"postsReducer": {
"stream_live": {
"type": "live",
"id": "stream_live",
"audioUrl": "https://streams.kqed.org/kqedradio",
"title": "Live Stream",
"excerpt": "Live Stream information currently unavailable.",
"link": "/radio",
"featImg": "",
"label": {
"name": "KQED Live",
"link": "/"
}
},
"stream_kqedNewscast": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "stream_kqedNewscast",
"audioUrl": "https://www.kqed.org/.stream/anon/radio/RDnews/newscast.mp3?_=1",
"title": "KQED Newscast",
"featImg": "",
"label": {
"name": "88.5 FM",
"link": "/"
}
},
"news_12105807": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_12105807",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12105807",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1792711890000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "faculty-and-students-protest-csu-event-demand-higher-pay-and-job-security",
"title": "Faculty and Students Protest CSU Event, Demand Higher Pay and Job Security",
"publishDate": 1792711890,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "Faculty and Students Protest CSU Event, Demand Higher Pay and Job Security | KQED",
"labelTerm": {
"site": "news"
},
"content": "\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A group of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a> Faculty Association union members and students rallied in San José on Thursday to protest a speech by the state university system’s chancellor, demanding higher pay and more job security protections against AI.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lecturers, faculty members and students from Sacramento and San José State University marched in the rain in front of the city’s Signia Hilton Hotel, which hosted California State University’s 2026 Student Success Symposium.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Holding signs that read “CSU unfair to labor” and “Step up or strike out,” they called on CSU Chancellor Mildred García, who was giving a speech at the event. They chanted, “What do we want? Fair contracts! When do we want it? Now!”\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“We want to be heard at the bargaining table and let her know that faculty is present at San José State,” said Ginevra Marta Scherini, a lecturer at the university. “We want fair bargaining and good outcomes for our contracts.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20240403_SJSUFILE_GC-11-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12037915\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20240403_SJSUFILE_GC-11-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20240403_SJSUFILE_GC-11-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20240403_SJSUFILE_GC-11-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20240403_SJSUFILE_GC-11-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20240403_SJSUFILE_GC-11-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20240403_SJSUFILE_GC-11-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Tower Hall at San José State University on April 3, 2025. (Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In July, the faculty union declared an impasse in contract negotiations after \u003ca href=\"https://www.calfac.org/cfa-declares-impasse-in-contract-bargaining-negotiations/\">CSU returned with a proposal\u003c/a> that would cut their health benefits. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Scherini, who said she’s been working at the university for five years and teaches in three different departments, still has to work a second job to afford living in the Bay.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She also said she’s worried about how SJSU and CSU’s interest in AI will impact her job security.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.calstate.edu/impact-of-the-csu/technology/ai-empowered-csu/Pages/ai-timeline.aspx\">CSU launched its AI Initiative in 2025\u003c/a> with the goal of becoming the “nation’s first and largest AI-empowered university system,” partnering with the governor’s office, Adobe, OpenAI, NVIDIA and other tech companies to implement more AI tools for students, staff and faculty members.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Upstairs, above the lobby, administrators and presidents from each of the 22 CSU campuses listened to García’s plans for increasing academic success, graduation rates and hiring rates in the coming few years. \u003cbr>\u003cbr>“The CSU has never been and will not now be reckless with our students’ futures,” García said at the symposium.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Personally, I’m a waitress on Fridays so that I can make ends meet,” Scherini said. “If we’re having to juggle two, three jobs to make ends meet, that’s going to directly impact their learning outcomes.” She said she has been going to AI training sessions, but the policies around how AI usage on campus are still vague.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“One of the major guardrails I hope to see come out is to make sure that artificial intelligence isn’t used to replace faculty and substitute for classroom learning,” Scherini added.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">San José State University spokesperson Michelle Smith McDonald told KQED at the event that the university is keeping its AI policies “more open” to allow professors and lecturers to freely decide how they want it to be used in the classroom.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“The university hears those concerns, the provost hears those concerns, and it’s a matter of how prescriptive you are about AI and AI usage,” McDonald said.\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A group of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a> Faculty Association union members and students rallied in San José on Thursday to protest a speech by the state university system’s chancellor, demanding higher pay and more job security protections against AI.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>A group of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a> Faculty Association union members and students rallied in San José on Thursday to protest a speech by the state university system’s chancellor, demanding higher pay and more job security protections against AI.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Lecturers, faculty members and students from Sacramento and San José State University marched in the rain in front of the city’s Signia Hilton Hotel, which hosted California State University’s 2026 Student Success Symposium.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Holding signs that read “CSU unfair to labor” and “Step up or strike out,” they called on CSU Chancellor Mildred García, who was giving a speech at the event. They chanted, “What do we want? Fair contracts! When do we want it? Now!”\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“We want to be heard at the bargaining table and let her know that faculty is present at San José State,” said Ginevra Marta Scherini, a lecturer at the university. “We want fair bargaining and good outcomes for our contracts.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Lecturers, faculty members and students from Sacramento and San José State University marched in the rain in front of the city’s Signia Hilton Hotel, which hosted California State University’s 2026 Student Success Symposium.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Holding signs that read “CSU unfair to labor” and “Step up or strike out,” they called on CSU Chancellor Mildred García, who was giving a speech at the event. They chanted, “What do we want? Fair contracts! When do we want it? Now!”\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“We want to be heard at the bargaining table and let her know that faculty is present at San José State,” said Ginevra Marta Scherini, a lecturer at the university. “We want fair bargaining and good outcomes for our contracts.”\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/image",
"attrs": {
"id": 12037915,
"sizeSlug": "full",
"linkDestination": "none",
"alt": "",
"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20240403_SJSUFILE_GC-11-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20240403_SJSUFILE_GC-11-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20240403_SJSUFILE_GC-11-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20240403_SJSUFILE_GC-11-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20240403_SJSUFILE_GC-11-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20240403_SJSUFILE_GC-11-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w",
"sizes": "(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)",
"isDecorative": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20240403_SJSUFILE_GC-11-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12037915\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20240403_SJSUFILE_GC-11-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20240403_SJSUFILE_GC-11-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20240403_SJSUFILE_GC-11-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20240403_SJSUFILE_GC-11-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20240403_SJSUFILE_GC-11-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20240403_SJSUFILE_GC-11-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Tower Hall at San José State University on April 3, 2025.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20240403_SJSUFILE_GC-11-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12037915\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Tower Hall at San José State University on April 3, 2025.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In July, the faculty union declared an impasse in contract negotiations after \u003ca href=\"https://www.calfac.org/cfa-declares-impasse-in-contract-bargaining-negotiations/\">CSU returned with a proposal\u003c/a> that would cut their health benefits. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>In July, the faculty union declared an impasse in contract negotiations after \u003ca href=\"https://www.calfac.org/cfa-declares-impasse-in-contract-bargaining-negotiations/\">CSU returned with a proposal\u003c/a> that would cut their health benefits. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Scherini, who said she’s been working at the university for five years and teaches in three different departments, still has to work a second job to afford living in the Bay.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Scherini, who said she’s been working at the university for five years and teaches in three different departments, still has to work a second job to afford living in the Bay.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>She also said she’s worried about how SJSU and CSU’s interest in AI will impact her job security.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>She also said she’s worried about how SJSU and CSU’s interest in AI will impact her job security.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "kqed-v2/related-articles",
"attrs": {
"postIds": [
"news_12105718"
],
"label": "Related Articles",
"maxPosts": 1,
"showImages": false,
"heroImage": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260824-HEADSTARTDEREGULATION-NG-26-KQED.jpg",
"query": "",
"labelWasCleared": false,
"heroImageAlt": "",
"heroImageLink": "",
"labelLink": "",
"alignment": "right",
"target": "_self",
"manualLinks": [],
"posts": []
},
"innerHTML": "",
"innerContent": [],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.calstate.edu/impact-of-the-csu/technology/ai-empowered-csu/Pages/ai-timeline.aspx\">CSU launched its AI Initiative in 2025\u003c/a> with the goal of becoming the “nation’s first and largest AI-empowered university system,” partnering with the governor’s office, Adobe, OpenAI, NVIDIA and other tech companies to implement more AI tools for students, staff and faculty members.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.calstate.edu/impact-of-the-csu/technology/ai-empowered-csu/Pages/ai-timeline.aspx\">CSU launched its AI Initiative in 2025\u003c/a> with the goal of becoming the “nation’s first and largest AI-empowered university system,” partnering with the governor’s office, Adobe, OpenAI, NVIDIA and other tech companies to implement more AI tools for students, staff and faculty members.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Upstairs, above the lobby, administrators and presidents from each of the 22 CSU campuses listened to García’s plans for increasing academic success, graduation rates and hiring rates in the coming few years. \u003cbr>\u003cbr>“The CSU has never been and will not now be reckless with our students’ futures,” García said at the symposium.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Upstairs, above the lobby, administrators and presidents from each of the 22 CSU campuses listened to García’s plans for increasing academic success, graduation rates and hiring rates in the coming few years. \u003cbr>\u003cbr>“The CSU has never been and will not now be reckless with our students’ futures,” García said at the symposium.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Personally, I’m a waitress on Fridays so that I can make ends meet,” Scherini said. “If we’re having to juggle two, three jobs to make ends meet, that’s going to directly impact their learning outcomes.” She said she has been going to AI training sessions, but the policies around how AI usage on campus are still vague.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“Personally, I’m a waitress on Fridays so that I can make ends meet,” Scherini said. “If we’re having to juggle two, three jobs to make ends meet, that’s going to directly impact their learning outcomes.” She said she has been going to AI training sessions, but the policies around how AI usage on campus are still vague.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“One of the major guardrails I hope to see come out is to make sure that artificial intelligence isn’t used to replace faculty and substitute for classroom learning,” Scherini added.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“One of the major guardrails I hope to see come out is to make sure that artificial intelligence isn’t used to replace faculty and substitute for classroom learning,” Scherini added.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>San José State University spokesperson Michelle Smith McDonald told KQED at the event that the university is keeping its AI policies “more open” to allow professors and lecturers to freely decide how they want it to be used in the classroom.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>San José State University spokesperson Michelle Smith McDonald told KQED at the event that the university is keeping its AI policies “more open” to allow professors and lecturers to freely decide how they want it to be used in the classroom.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The university hears those concerns, the provost hears those concerns, and it’s a matter of how prescriptive you are about AI and AI usage,” McDonald said.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“The university hears those concerns, the provost hears those concerns, and it’s a matter of how prescriptive you are about AI and AI usage,” McDonald said.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
}
],
"excerpt": "The rally follows a recent impasse in contract negotiations between the faculty union and California State University.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1792715100,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 0,
"wordCount": 513
},
"headData": {
"title": "Faculty and Students Protest CSU Event, Demand Higher Pay and Job Security | KQED",
"description": "The rally follows a recent impasse in contract negotiations between the faculty union and California State University.",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "Faculty and Students Protest CSU Event, Demand Higher Pay and Job Security",
"datePublished": "2026-10-22T16:31:30-07:00",
"dateModified": "2026-10-22T17:25:00-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"primaryCategory": {
"termId": 34551,
"slug": "labor",
"name": "Labor"
},
"sticky": false,
"nprStoryId": "kqed-12105807",
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"showOnAuthorArchivePages": "No",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/news/12105807/faculty-and-students-protest-csu-event-demand-higher-pay-and-job-security",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A group of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a> Faculty Association union members and students rallied in San José on Thursday to protest a speech by the state university system’s chancellor, demanding higher pay and more job security protections against AI.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lecturers, faculty members and students from Sacramento and San José State University marched in the rain in front of the city’s Signia Hilton Hotel, which hosted California State University’s 2026 Student Success Symposium.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Holding signs that read “CSU unfair to labor” and “Step up or strike out,” they called on CSU Chancellor Mildred García, who was giving a speech at the event. They chanted, “What do we want? Fair contracts! When do we want it? Now!”\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“We want to be heard at the bargaining table and let her know that faculty is present at San José State,” said Ginevra Marta Scherini, a lecturer at the university. “We want fair bargaining and good outcomes for our contracts.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20240403_SJSUFILE_GC-11-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12037915\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20240403_SJSUFILE_GC-11-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20240403_SJSUFILE_GC-11-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20240403_SJSUFILE_GC-11-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20240403_SJSUFILE_GC-11-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20240403_SJSUFILE_GC-11-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20240403_SJSUFILE_GC-11-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Tower Hall at San José State University on April 3, 2025. (Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In July, the faculty union declared an impasse in contract negotiations after \u003ca href=\"https://www.calfac.org/cfa-declares-impasse-in-contract-bargaining-negotiations/\">CSU returned with a proposal\u003c/a> that would cut their health benefits. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Scherini, who said she’s been working at the university for five years and teaches in three different departments, still has to work a second job to afford living in the Bay.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She also said she’s worried about how SJSU and CSU’s interest in AI will impact her job security.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.calstate.edu/impact-of-the-csu/technology/ai-empowered-csu/Pages/ai-timeline.aspx\">CSU launched its AI Initiative in 2025\u003c/a> with the goal of becoming the “nation’s first and largest AI-empowered university system,” partnering with the governor’s office, Adobe, OpenAI, NVIDIA and other tech companies to implement more AI tools for students, staff and faculty members.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Upstairs, above the lobby, administrators and presidents from each of the 22 CSU campuses listened to García’s plans for increasing academic success, graduation rates and hiring rates in the coming few years. \u003cbr>\u003cbr>“The CSU has never been and will not now be reckless with our students’ futures,” García said at the symposium.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Personally, I’m a waitress on Fridays so that I can make ends meet,” Scherini said. “If we’re having to juggle two, three jobs to make ends meet, that’s going to directly impact their learning outcomes.” She said she has been going to AI training sessions, but the policies around how AI usage on campus are still vague.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“One of the major guardrails I hope to see come out is to make sure that artificial intelligence isn’t used to replace faculty and substitute for classroom learning,” Scherini added.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">San José State University spokesperson Michelle Smith McDonald told KQED at the event that the university is keeping its AI policies “more open” to allow professors and lecturers to freely decide how they want it to be used in the classroom.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“The university hears those concerns, the provost hears those concerns, and it’s a matter of how prescriptive you are about AI and AI usage,” McDonald said.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/12105807/faculty-and-students-protest-csu-event-demand-higher-pay-and-job-security",
"authors": [
"12032"
],
"categories": [
"news_18540",
"news_34551",
"news_28250",
"news_8"
],
"tags": [
"news_25184",
"news_18738",
"news_20013",
"news_27626",
"news_19904",
"news_745",
"news_1394",
"news_1631",
"news_794",
"news_3733"
],
"featImg": "news_12105768",
"label": "news"
},
"news_12105718": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_12105718",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12105718",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1792695713000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "new-study-shows-low-income-students-gain-most-from-transitional-kindergarten",
"title": "New Study Shows Low-Income Students Gain Most From Transitional Kindergarten",
"publishDate": 1792695713,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "New Study Shows Low-Income Students Gain Most From Transitional Kindergarten | KQED",
"labelTerm": {
"site": "news"
},
"content": "\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The first children to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12082904/as-transitional-kindergarten-grows-hundreds-of-child-care-centers-close\">attend transitional kindergarten\u003c/a> when it began in California public schools more than a decade ago made significant learning gains that persisted into later elementary school years, according to a new UC Berkeley study.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Children from lower-income families \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11989955/what-to-expect-when-enrolling-your-child-in-transitional-kindergarten\">benefited the most from TK\u003c/a>, according to \u003ca href=\"https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/product/universal-prek-california-education-reforms-brief\">a research brief published Thursday\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They gained about seven more months of learning in reading and math by third grade compared to students from the same school who did not attend TK. What’s more, the children who got an extra year of preschool in addition to TK made the biggest strides. The effects were larger and longer-lasting when they attended well-funded elementary schools. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Researchers said the evidence shows that two major education reforms that happened around the time TK started in 2012 combined to narrow deep and \u003ca href=\"https://www.ppic.org/publication/californias-k-12-test-scores/\">longstanding achievement gaps\u003c/a> in California schools. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/020_SanFrancisco_AlexPadillaMissionKids_06012021_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12069031\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/020_SanFrancisco_AlexPadillaMissionKids_06012021_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/020_SanFrancisco_AlexPadillaMissionKids_06012021_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/020_SanFrancisco_AlexPadillaMissionKids_06012021_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Children at Mission Kids Preschool in San Francisco raise their hands to ask Senator Alex Padilla a question on June 1, 2021. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Those changes include the expansion of the California State Preschool Program, or CSPP, which is free to income-eligible 3- and 4-year-olds, and the Local Control Funding Formula, which directs more resources to high-need students. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“It’s this trifecta of public policies — TK, State Preschool and more equitable school funding — that has been the catalyst accelerating young children’s growth,” said Rucker Johnson, an economist and public policy professor at UC Berkeley. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">California introduced transitional kindergarten to address disparities that begin even before children enter kindergarten. The state’s previous Dec. 2 cutoff date to begin kindergarten was among the latest in the nation, which meant that some kids who were turning 5 in the fall were entering kindergarten when they were still 4. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This led families who could afford childcare or preschool on their own to delay entry, giving their kids a developmental advantage, while lower-income families typically couldn’t. By shifting the cutoff date to Sept. 1, and enrolling kids who were almost 5 in TK, lawmakers hoped that an extra year of early education would help them develop the necessary skills to succeed in kindergarten. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Johnson said his research found that TK alone doesn’t solve the achievement gap. Instead, its efficacy hinges on what happens to children before, during and after they complete the grade. The benefits of TK were greater for low-income kids who first attended CSPP when they were 3 and persisted when they were in elementary schools that had more resources. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“You could think of each of these three policies having an independent effect that you could add, like two plus two plus two is six,” Johnson said. “But what we’re finding is that the effects are not additive but multiplicative. When you invest early, they actually make the efficacy of subsequent investments more effective. And so two plus two might equal eight.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Austin Land, a policy analyst and co-author of the study, said the findings suggest that children who attended CSPP might have gotten more out of TK because they started in a high-quality program. The program is modeled after Head Start but is less known than the federal antipoverty program. It provides play-based learning and family support services. Classroom sizes are smaller than TK and are often staffed by educators who speak children’s home languages.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/241002-CHILDCARE-AND-CLIMATE-CHANGE-MD-02-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"An adult's hands lay on top of a little kid's hands while making something with clay.\" class=\"wp-image-12007545\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/241002-CHILDCARE-AND-CLIMATE-CHANGE-MD-02-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/241002-CHILDCARE-AND-CLIMATE-CHANGE-MD-02-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/241002-CHILDCARE-AND-CLIMATE-CHANGE-MD-02-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/241002-CHILDCARE-AND-CLIMATE-CHANGE-MD-02-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/241002-CHILDCARE-AND-CLIMATE-CHANGE-MD-02-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/241002-CHILDCARE-AND-CLIMATE-CHANGE-MD-02-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Preschoolers work with clay and flowers under a tented canopy at the North Bay Children’s Center in Healdsburg on Oct. 2, 2024. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“CSPP appears to have played an important role,” Land said. “If they have that year of preschool where it’s not so academic and they’re around other children their age before entering these more formal TK environments, that was important for them.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Two years of early education made a difference for her family, said Selam Mulatu, a Bay Area mom who enrolled all three of her children in CSPP. She said her oldest, who is 9, began reading when he started kindergarten and now, “I can’t get him off of books.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“He really enjoyed the hands-on activities [in preschool],” Mulatu said. “He would come home with so many crafts and tracing and artwork. I think that really helped with coordination and just got him really excited to learn. We read a lot at home too — we’re big readers — so I think that contributes, as well.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mulatu said when she became a first-time parent, she assumed that children couldn’t enroll in public schools until they were 6 years old. But a relative told her about Franklin Preschool, a CSPP program run by the Berkeley Unified School District, and she learned she qualified for it based on her income as a waitress.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“The preschool does a great job exposing them to so many different activities like gardening, reading, socializing. You cannot do all of that as a working mother,” she said. “I think it’s so important to have these systems because they fill in the gap that parents cannot meet.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Despite the evidence of CSPP’s benefits, enrollment has declined since the COVID-19 pandemic. Recent data show only 18% of eligible 3-year-olds are enrolled in CSPP, even though in recent years the program has expanded to reach two-thirds of young children in California, including those from middle-income families, Land said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cd/ci/mb2603.asp\">Families who earn up to 100% of the state median income\u003c/a>, which is $136,044 for a family of four, qualify. The program can be offered in elementary schools, licensed child care centers or community-based organizations like the YMCA.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1980\" height=\"1391\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GettyImages-1408498187.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12086449\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GettyImages-1408498187.jpg 1980w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GettyImages-1408498187-160x112.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GettyImages-1408498187-1536x1079.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1980px) 100vw, 1980px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Chalk art decorates pavement outside of an old bus operating as a preschool at the Aspire Monarch Academy school in Oakland on Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2015. (Paul Chinn/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Land said now that TK is universally available to all 4-year-olds, regardless of their family’s income, the state could focus on strengthening CSPP and getting more eligible 3-year-olds into the program.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Because enrollment is lower than the budget suggests it should be, I think there’s a temptation to say, ‘Oh, families don’t want that because they’re not showing up for it and we should fund other things,’” he said. “That would be a tragedy.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Johnson, meanwhile, said that given that more than half of young children in California are learning English alongside their home language, the state could do more to meet the needs of these dual language learners. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Research unrelated to this study has found that encouraging home language use in classrooms leads to stronger outcomes for these children. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We put a lot of emphasis on making sure children are ready for school, but we want to make sure schools are ready for children,” he said. “We’re the largest and most diverse state system in the country, so the lessons that we’re drawing out for California are a roadmap for many other state systems.”\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The first children to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12082904/as-transitional-kindergarten-grows-hundreds-of-child-care-centers-close\">attend transitional kindergarten\u003c/a> when it began in California public schools more than a decade ago made significant learning gains that persisted into later elementary school years, according to a new UC Berkeley study.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>The first children to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12082904/as-transitional-kindergarten-grows-hundreds-of-child-care-centers-close\">attend transitional kindergarten\u003c/a> when it began in California public schools more than a decade ago made significant learning gains that persisted into later elementary school years, according to a new UC Berkeley study.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Children from lower-income families \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11989955/what-to-expect-when-enrolling-your-child-in-transitional-kindergarten\">benefited the most from TK\u003c/a>, according to \u003ca href=\"https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/product/universal-prek-california-education-reforms-brief\">a research brief published Thursday\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Children from lower-income families \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11989955/what-to-expect-when-enrolling-your-child-in-transitional-kindergarten\">benefited the most from TK\u003c/a>, according to \u003ca href=\"https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/product/universal-prek-california-education-reforms-brief\">a research brief published Thursday\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>They gained about seven more months of learning in reading and math by third grade compared to students from the same school who did not attend TK. What’s more, the children who got an extra year of preschool in addition to TK made the biggest strides. The effects were larger and longer-lasting when they attended well-funded elementary schools. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>They gained about seven more months of learning in reading and math by third grade compared to students from the same school who did not attend TK. What’s more, the children who got an extra year of preschool in addition to TK made the biggest strides. The effects were larger and longer-lasting when they attended well-funded elementary schools. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Researchers said the evidence shows that two major education reforms that happened around the time TK started in 2012 combined to narrow deep and \u003ca href=\"https://www.ppic.org/publication/californias-k-12-test-scores/\">longstanding achievement gaps\u003c/a> in California schools. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Researchers said the evidence shows that two major education reforms that happened around the time TK started in 2012 combined to narrow deep and \u003ca href=\"https://www.ppic.org/publication/californias-k-12-test-scores/\">longstanding achievement gaps\u003c/a> in California schools. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/image",
"attrs": {
"id": 12069031,
"sizeSlug": "full",
"linkDestination": "none",
"alt": "",
"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/020_SanFrancisco_AlexPadillaMissionKids_06012021_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/020_SanFrancisco_AlexPadillaMissionKids_06012021_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/020_SanFrancisco_AlexPadillaMissionKids_06012021_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w",
"sizes": "(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)",
"isDecorative": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/020_SanFrancisco_AlexPadillaMissionKids_06012021_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12069031\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/020_SanFrancisco_AlexPadillaMissionKids_06012021_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/020_SanFrancisco_AlexPadillaMissionKids_06012021_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/020_SanFrancisco_AlexPadillaMissionKids_06012021_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Children at Mission Kids Preschool in San Francisco raise their hands to ask Senator Alex Padilla a question on June 1, 2021.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/020_SanFrancisco_AlexPadillaMissionKids_06012021_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12069031\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Children at Mission Kids Preschool in San Francisco raise their hands to ask Senator Alex Padilla a question on June 1, 2021.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Those changes include the expansion of the California State Preschool Program, or CSPP, which is free to income-eligible 3- and 4-year-olds, and the Local Control Funding Formula, which directs more resources to high-need students. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Those changes include the expansion of the California State Preschool Program, or CSPP, which is free to income-eligible 3- and 4-year-olds, and the Local Control Funding Formula, which directs more resources to high-need students. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s this trifecta of public policies — TK, State Preschool and more equitable school funding — that has been the catalyst accelerating young children’s growth,” said Rucker Johnson, an economist and public policy professor at UC Berkeley. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“It’s this trifecta of public policies — TK, State Preschool and more equitable school funding — that has been the catalyst accelerating young children’s growth,” said Rucker Johnson, an economist and public policy professor at UC Berkeley. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>California introduced transitional kindergarten to address disparities that begin even before children enter kindergarten. The state’s previous Dec. 2 cutoff date to begin kindergarten was among the latest in the nation, which meant that some kids who were turning 5 in the fall were entering kindergarten when they were still 4. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>California introduced transitional kindergarten to address disparities that begin even before children enter kindergarten. The state’s previous Dec. 2 cutoff date to begin kindergarten was among the latest in the nation, which meant that some kids who were turning 5 in the fall were entering kindergarten when they were still 4. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "kqed-v2/related-articles",
"attrs": {
"postIds": [
"news_12102861"
],
"label": "Related Articles",
"maxPosts": 1,
"showImages": false,
"heroImage": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260821-FamilyFriendlySF-JY-07.jpg",
"query": "",
"labelWasCleared": false,
"heroImageAlt": "",
"heroImageLink": "",
"labelLink": "",
"alignment": "right",
"target": "_self",
"manualLinks": [],
"posts": []
},
"innerHTML": "",
"innerContent": [],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This led families who could afford childcare or preschool on their own to delay entry, giving their kids a developmental advantage, while lower-income families typically couldn’t. By shifting the cutoff date to Sept. 1, and enrolling kids who were almost 5 in TK, lawmakers hoped that an extra year of early education would help them develop the necessary skills to succeed in kindergarten. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>This led families who could afford childcare or preschool on their own to delay entry, giving their kids a developmental advantage, while lower-income families typically couldn’t. By shifting the cutoff date to Sept. 1, and enrolling kids who were almost 5 in TK, lawmakers hoped that an extra year of early education would help them develop the necessary skills to succeed in kindergarten. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Johnson said his research found that TK alone doesn’t solve the achievement gap. Instead, its efficacy hinges on what happens to children before, during and after they complete the grade. The benefits of TK were greater for low-income kids who first attended CSPP when they were 3 and persisted when they were in elementary schools that had more resources. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Johnson said his research found that TK alone doesn’t solve the achievement gap. Instead, its efficacy hinges on what happens to children before, during and after they complete the grade. The benefits of TK were greater for low-income kids who first attended CSPP when they were 3 and persisted when they were in elementary schools that had more resources. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“You could think of each of these three policies having an independent effect that you could add, like two plus two plus two is six,” Johnson said. “But what we’re finding is that the effects are not additive but multiplicative. When you invest early, they actually make the efficacy of subsequent investments more effective. And so two plus two might equal eight.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“You could think of each of these three policies having an independent effect that you could add, like two plus two plus two is six,” Johnson said. “But what we’re finding is that the effects are not additive but multiplicative. When you invest early, they actually make the efficacy of subsequent investments more effective. And so two plus two might equal eight.”\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Austin Land, a policy analyst and co-author of the study, said the findings suggest that children who attended CSPP might have gotten more out of TK because they started in a high-quality program. The program is modeled after Head Start but is less known than the federal antipoverty program. It provides play-based learning and family support services. Classroom sizes are smaller than TK and are often staffed by educators who speak children’s home languages.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Austin Land, a policy analyst and co-author of the study, said the findings suggest that children who attended CSPP might have gotten more out of TK because they started in a high-quality program. The program is modeled after Head Start but is less known than the federal antipoverty program. It provides play-based learning and family support services. Classroom sizes are smaller than TK and are often staffed by educators who speak children’s home languages.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/image",
"attrs": {
"id": 12007545,
"sizeSlug": "full",
"linkDestination": "none",
"alt": "An adult's hands lay on top of a little kid's hands while making something with clay.",
"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/241002-CHILDCARE-AND-CLIMATE-CHANGE-MD-02-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/241002-CHILDCARE-AND-CLIMATE-CHANGE-MD-02-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/241002-CHILDCARE-AND-CLIMATE-CHANGE-MD-02-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/241002-CHILDCARE-AND-CLIMATE-CHANGE-MD-02-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/241002-CHILDCARE-AND-CLIMATE-CHANGE-MD-02-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/241002-CHILDCARE-AND-CLIMATE-CHANGE-MD-02-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w",
"sizes": "(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)",
"isDecorative": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/241002-CHILDCARE-AND-CLIMATE-CHANGE-MD-02-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"An adult's hands lay on top of a little kid's hands while making something with clay.\" class=\"wp-image-12007545\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/241002-CHILDCARE-AND-CLIMATE-CHANGE-MD-02-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/241002-CHILDCARE-AND-CLIMATE-CHANGE-MD-02-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/241002-CHILDCARE-AND-CLIMATE-CHANGE-MD-02-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/241002-CHILDCARE-AND-CLIMATE-CHANGE-MD-02-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/241002-CHILDCARE-AND-CLIMATE-CHANGE-MD-02-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/241002-CHILDCARE-AND-CLIMATE-CHANGE-MD-02-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Preschoolers work with clay and flowers under a tented canopy at the North Bay Children’s Center in Healdsburg on Oct. 2, 2024.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/241002-CHILDCARE-AND-CLIMATE-CHANGE-MD-02-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"An adult's hands lay on top of a little kid's hands while making something with clay.\" class=\"wp-image-12007545\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Preschoolers work with clay and flowers under a tented canopy at the North Bay Children’s Center in Healdsburg on Oct. 2, 2024.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“CSPP appears to have played an important role,” Land said. “If they have that year of preschool where it’s not so academic and they’re around other children their age before entering these more formal TK environments, that was important for them.” \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“CSPP appears to have played an important role,” Land said. “If they have that year of preschool where it’s not so academic and they’re around other children their age before entering these more formal TK environments, that was important for them.” \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Two years of early education made a difference for her family, said Selam Mulatu, a Bay Area mom who enrolled all three of her children in CSPP. She said her oldest, who is 9, began reading when he started kindergarten and now, “I can’t get him off of books.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Two years of early education made a difference for her family, said Selam Mulatu, a Bay Area mom who enrolled all three of her children in CSPP. She said her oldest, who is 9, began reading when he started kindergarten and now, “I can’t get him off of books.”\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“He really enjoyed the hands-on activities [in preschool],” Mulatu said. “He would come home with so many crafts and tracing and artwork. I think that really helped with coordination and just got him really excited to learn. We read a lot at home too — we’re big readers — so I think that contributes, as well.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“He really enjoyed the hands-on activities [in preschool],” Mulatu said. “He would come home with so many crafts and tracing and artwork. I think that really helped with coordination and just got him really excited to learn. We read a lot at home too — we’re big readers — so I think that contributes, as well.”\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Mulatu said when she became a first-time parent, she assumed that children couldn’t enroll in public schools until they were 6 years old. But a relative told her about Franklin Preschool, a CSPP program run by the Berkeley Unified School District, and she learned she qualified for it based on her income as a waitress.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Mulatu said when she became a first-time parent, she assumed that children couldn’t enroll in public schools until they were 6 years old. But a relative told her about Franklin Preschool, a CSPP program run by the Berkeley Unified School District, and she learned she qualified for it based on her income as a waitress.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The preschool does a great job exposing them to so many different activities like gardening, reading, socializing. You cannot do all of that as a working mother,” she said. “I think it’s so important to have these systems because they fill in the gap that parents cannot meet.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“The preschool does a great job exposing them to so many different activities like gardening, reading, socializing. You cannot do all of that as a working mother,” she said. “I think it’s so important to have these systems because they fill in the gap that parents cannot meet.”\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Despite the evidence of CSPP’s benefits, enrollment has declined since the COVID-19 pandemic. Recent data show only 18% of eligible 3-year-olds are enrolled in CSPP, even though in recent years the program has expanded to reach two-thirds of young children in California, including those from middle-income families, Land said.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Despite the evidence of CSPP’s benefits, enrollment has declined since the COVID-19 pandemic. Recent data show only 18% of eligible 3-year-olds are enrolled in CSPP, even though in recent years the program has expanded to reach two-thirds of young children in California, including those from middle-income families, Land said.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cd/ci/mb2603.asp\">Families who earn up to 100% of the state median income\u003c/a>, which is $136,044 for a family of four, qualify. The program can be offered in elementary schools, licensed child care centers or community-based organizations like the YMCA.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cd/ci/mb2603.asp\">Families who earn up to 100% of the state median income\u003c/a>, which is $136,044 for a family of four, qualify. The program can be offered in elementary schools, licensed child care centers or community-based organizations like the YMCA.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/image",
"attrs": {
"id": 12086449,
"sizeSlug": "full",
"linkDestination": "none",
"alt": "",
"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GettyImages-1408498187.jpg 1980w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GettyImages-1408498187-160x112.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GettyImages-1408498187-1536x1079.jpg 1536w",
"sizes": "(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)",
"isDecorative": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GettyImages-1408498187.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12086449\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GettyImages-1408498187.jpg 1980w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GettyImages-1408498187-160x112.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GettyImages-1408498187-1536x1079.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Chalk art decorates pavement outside of an old bus operating as a preschool at the Aspire Monarch Academy school in Oakland on Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2015.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Paul Chinn/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GettyImages-1408498187.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12086449\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Chalk art decorates pavement outside of an old bus operating as a preschool at the Aspire Monarch Academy school in Oakland on Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2015.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Paul Chinn/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Land said now that TK is universally available to all 4-year-olds, regardless of their family’s income, the state could focus on strengthening CSPP and getting more eligible 3-year-olds into the program.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Land said now that TK is universally available to all 4-year-olds, regardless of their family’s income, the state could focus on strengthening CSPP and getting more eligible 3-year-olds into the program.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Because enrollment is lower than the budget suggests it should be, I think there’s a temptation to say, ‘Oh, families don’t want that because they’re not showing up for it and we should fund other things,’” he said. “That would be a tragedy.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“Because enrollment is lower than the budget suggests it should be, I think there’s a temptation to say, ‘Oh, families don’t want that because they’re not showing up for it and we should fund other things,’” he said. “That would be a tragedy.”\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Johnson, meanwhile, said that given that more than half of young children in California are learning English alongside their home language, the state could do more to meet the needs of these dual language learners. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Johnson, meanwhile, said that given that more than half of young children in California are learning English alongside their home language, the state could do more to meet the needs of these dual language learners. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Research unrelated to this study has found that encouraging home language use in classrooms leads to stronger outcomes for these children. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Research unrelated to this study has found that encouraging home language use in classrooms leads to stronger outcomes for these children. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We put a lot of emphasis on making sure children are ready for school, but we want to make sure schools are ready for children,” he said. “We’re the largest and most diverse state system in the country, so the lessons that we’re drawing out for California are a roadmap for many other state systems.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“We put a lot of emphasis on making sure children are ready for school, but we want to make sure schools are ready for children,” he said. “We’re the largest and most diverse state system in the country, so the lessons that we’re drawing out for California are a roadmap for many other state systems.”\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
}
],
"excerpt": "UC Berkeley researchers found that children from lower-income families benefited the most from TK, and that those who got an extra year of preschool in addition to TK made even bigger strides.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1792695721,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 0,
"wordCount": 1178
},
"headData": {
"title": "New Study Shows Low-Income Students Gain Most From Transitional Kindergarten | KQED",
"description": "UC Berkeley researchers found that children from lower-income families benefited the most from TK, and that those who got an extra year of preschool in addition to TK made even bigger strides.",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "New Study Shows Low-Income Students Gain Most From Transitional Kindergarten",
"datePublished": "2026-10-22T12:01:53-07:00",
"dateModified": "2026-10-22T12:02:01-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"primaryCategory": {
"termId": 18540,
"slug": "education",
"name": "Education"
},
"audioUrl": "https://traffic.omny.fm/d/clips/0af137ef-751e-4b19-a055-aaef00d2d578/ffca7e9f-6831-41c5-bcaf-aaef00f5a073/afbe5e86-f12a-447c-8eeb-b4eb012194a9/audio.mp3",
"sticky": false,
"nprStoryId": "kqed-12105718",
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/news/12105718/new-study-shows-low-income-students-gain-most-from-transitional-kindergarten",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The first children to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12082904/as-transitional-kindergarten-grows-hundreds-of-child-care-centers-close\">attend transitional kindergarten\u003c/a> when it began in California public schools more than a decade ago made significant learning gains that persisted into later elementary school years, according to a new UC Berkeley study.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Children from lower-income families \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11989955/what-to-expect-when-enrolling-your-child-in-transitional-kindergarten\">benefited the most from TK\u003c/a>, according to \u003ca href=\"https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/product/universal-prek-california-education-reforms-brief\">a research brief published Thursday\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They gained about seven more months of learning in reading and math by third grade compared to students from the same school who did not attend TK. What’s more, the children who got an extra year of preschool in addition to TK made the biggest strides. The effects were larger and longer-lasting when they attended well-funded elementary schools. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Researchers said the evidence shows that two major education reforms that happened around the time TK started in 2012 combined to narrow deep and \u003ca href=\"https://www.ppic.org/publication/californias-k-12-test-scores/\">longstanding achievement gaps\u003c/a> in California schools. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/020_SanFrancisco_AlexPadillaMissionKids_06012021_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12069031\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/020_SanFrancisco_AlexPadillaMissionKids_06012021_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/020_SanFrancisco_AlexPadillaMissionKids_06012021_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/020_SanFrancisco_AlexPadillaMissionKids_06012021_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Children at Mission Kids Preschool in San Francisco raise their hands to ask Senator Alex Padilla a question on June 1, 2021. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Those changes include the expansion of the California State Preschool Program, or CSPP, which is free to income-eligible 3- and 4-year-olds, and the Local Control Funding Formula, which directs more resources to high-need students. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“It’s this trifecta of public policies — TK, State Preschool and more equitable school funding — that has been the catalyst accelerating young children’s growth,” said Rucker Johnson, an economist and public policy professor at UC Berkeley. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">California introduced transitional kindergarten to address disparities that begin even before children enter kindergarten. The state’s previous Dec. 2 cutoff date to begin kindergarten was among the latest in the nation, which meant that some kids who were turning 5 in the fall were entering kindergarten when they were still 4. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This led families who could afford childcare or preschool on their own to delay entry, giving their kids a developmental advantage, while lower-income families typically couldn’t. By shifting the cutoff date to Sept. 1, and enrolling kids who were almost 5 in TK, lawmakers hoped that an extra year of early education would help them develop the necessary skills to succeed in kindergarten. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Johnson said his research found that TK alone doesn’t solve the achievement gap. Instead, its efficacy hinges on what happens to children before, during and after they complete the grade. The benefits of TK were greater for low-income kids who first attended CSPP when they were 3 and persisted when they were in elementary schools that had more resources. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“You could think of each of these three policies having an independent effect that you could add, like two plus two plus two is six,” Johnson said. “But what we’re finding is that the effects are not additive but multiplicative. When you invest early, they actually make the efficacy of subsequent investments more effective. And so two plus two might equal eight.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Austin Land, a policy analyst and co-author of the study, said the findings suggest that children who attended CSPP might have gotten more out of TK because they started in a high-quality program. The program is modeled after Head Start but is less known than the federal antipoverty program. It provides play-based learning and family support services. Classroom sizes are smaller than TK and are often staffed by educators who speak children’s home languages.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/241002-CHILDCARE-AND-CLIMATE-CHANGE-MD-02-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"An adult's hands lay on top of a little kid's hands while making something with clay.\" class=\"wp-image-12007545\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/241002-CHILDCARE-AND-CLIMATE-CHANGE-MD-02-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/241002-CHILDCARE-AND-CLIMATE-CHANGE-MD-02-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/241002-CHILDCARE-AND-CLIMATE-CHANGE-MD-02-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/241002-CHILDCARE-AND-CLIMATE-CHANGE-MD-02-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/241002-CHILDCARE-AND-CLIMATE-CHANGE-MD-02-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/241002-CHILDCARE-AND-CLIMATE-CHANGE-MD-02-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Preschoolers work with clay and flowers under a tented canopy at the North Bay Children’s Center in Healdsburg on Oct. 2, 2024. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“CSPP appears to have played an important role,” Land said. “If they have that year of preschool where it’s not so academic and they’re around other children their age before entering these more formal TK environments, that was important for them.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Two years of early education made a difference for her family, said Selam Mulatu, a Bay Area mom who enrolled all three of her children in CSPP. She said her oldest, who is 9, began reading when he started kindergarten and now, “I can’t get him off of books.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“He really enjoyed the hands-on activities [in preschool],” Mulatu said. “He would come home with so many crafts and tracing and artwork. I think that really helped with coordination and just got him really excited to learn. We read a lot at home too — we’re big readers — so I think that contributes, as well.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mulatu said when she became a first-time parent, she assumed that children couldn’t enroll in public schools until they were 6 years old. But a relative told her about Franklin Preschool, a CSPP program run by the Berkeley Unified School District, and she learned she qualified for it based on her income as a waitress.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“The preschool does a great job exposing them to so many different activities like gardening, reading, socializing. You cannot do all of that as a working mother,” she said. “I think it’s so important to have these systems because they fill in the gap that parents cannot meet.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Despite the evidence of CSPP’s benefits, enrollment has declined since the COVID-19 pandemic. Recent data show only 18% of eligible 3-year-olds are enrolled in CSPP, even though in recent years the program has expanded to reach two-thirds of young children in California, including those from middle-income families, Land said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cd/ci/mb2603.asp\">Families who earn up to 100% of the state median income\u003c/a>, which is $136,044 for a family of four, qualify. The program can be offered in elementary schools, licensed child care centers or community-based organizations like the YMCA.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1980\" height=\"1391\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GettyImages-1408498187.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12086449\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GettyImages-1408498187.jpg 1980w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GettyImages-1408498187-160x112.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GettyImages-1408498187-1536x1079.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1980px) 100vw, 1980px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Chalk art decorates pavement outside of an old bus operating as a preschool at the Aspire Monarch Academy school in Oakland on Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2015. (Paul Chinn/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Land said now that TK is universally available to all 4-year-olds, regardless of their family’s income, the state could focus on strengthening CSPP and getting more eligible 3-year-olds into the program.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Because enrollment is lower than the budget suggests it should be, I think there’s a temptation to say, ‘Oh, families don’t want that because they’re not showing up for it and we should fund other things,’” he said. “That would be a tragedy.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Johnson, meanwhile, said that given that more than half of young children in California are learning English alongside their home language, the state could do more to meet the needs of these dual language learners. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Research unrelated to this study has found that encouraging home language use in classrooms leads to stronger outcomes for these children. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We put a lot of emphasis on making sure children are ready for school, but we want to make sure schools are ready for children,” he said. “We’re the largest and most diverse state system in the country, so the lessons that we’re drawing out for California are a roadmap for many other state systems.”\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/12105718/new-study-shows-low-income-students-gain-most-from-transitional-kindergarten",
"authors": [
"11829"
],
"categories": [
"news_31795",
"news_18540",
"news_28250",
"news_8"
],
"tags": [
"news_18538",
"news_20754",
"news_2043",
"news_32102",
"news_32928",
"news_29460",
"news_20013",
"news_27626",
"news_36314",
"news_17763",
"news_2252"
],
"featImg": "news_12096897",
"label": "news"
},
"news_12103510": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_12103510",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12103510",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1792692839000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "cornell-7-case-puts-spotlight-on-stanfords-move-to-halt-sexual-violence-resistance-training",
"title": "‘Cornell 7’ Case Puts Spotlight on Stanford’s Move to Halt Sexual Violence Resistance Training",
"publishDate": 1792692839,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "‘Cornell 7’ Case Puts Spotlight on Stanford’s Move to Halt Sexual Violence Resistance Training | KQED",
"labelTerm": {
"site": "news"
},
"content": "\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cem>Editor’s note, Oct. 21: Stanford University said last week it would reinstate the Flip the Script sexual violence prevention program, and confirmed that it would be funded for the next three years. For more updates on this story, listen to the audio featured above.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/stanford-university\">Stanford University\u003c/a>’s decision to pause a sexual violence resistance program — one of the very few that research shows significantly decreases the risk of campus sexual assault — has drawn new scrutiny from students after an investigation into an alleged gang rape at a fraternity house at Cornell University. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Enhanced Assess, Acknowledge, Act Sexual Assault Resistance Education program, also known as “Flip the Script,” teaches young women to identify and respond to risks, dissect relationships and learn the basics of physical defense. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cornell introduced the program last year, a year after the alleged assault inside the school’s Chi Phi fraternity house. Stanford has piloted and run the same training program in different formats since 2018, but officials put it on hold before fall quarter began last month, telling student workers that the decision was due to budget constraints. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“It was halfway through the summer that we got an email from our boss basically saying, ‘I’m really sorry, this is what’s happening around budget cuts, and for this reason the program will no longer be offered,’” said senior Kirsten Lees, who worked as a facilitator of the program last year. The university said in a statement that the pause was not primarily a budget decision.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-29-KQED-f52865f8.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104120\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-29-KQED-f52865f8.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-29-KQED-f52865f8-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-29-KQED-f52865f8-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The campus of Stanford University in Stanford on Oct. 12, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Students and professors who had fought to bring the program to campus were shocked and devastated. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then in September, the Cornell accuser, identified as “Jane Doe” in legal documents, sued the New York university and seven men who she alleges coerced her into taking ketamine and raped her in October 2024.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The shocking allegations thrust conversations about campus sexual violence and schools’ responses to it into the national spotlight — and compounded the Stanford students’ concerns.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I think the main question that a lot of people are wondering is … could this happen here? Is our culture and our fraternities any different?” said Pelagia Martin, a 21-year-old Stanford senior.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-19-KQED-30ff3d77.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104117\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-19-KQED-30ff3d77.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-19-KQED-30ff3d77-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-19-KQED-30ff3d77-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Stanford senior Pelagia Martin poses for a portrait at the Chanel Miller Contemplative Garden on the campus of Stanford University in Stanford on Oct. 12, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Until recently, Martin worked in the school’s Title IX and Title VI Office, known by the acronym SHARE for Sexual Harassment/Assault Response & Education. She said her resignation has a lot “to do with Flip the Script being cut.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The program, she said, “changed the way that people thought about sexual violence and taught them actionable skills.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“In a perfect world, it wouldn’t be on the survivor to protect themselves,” she told KQED. “But we don’t live in that kind of world, and it is a shame that we lost a program that allowed people to actually protect themselves.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Flip the Script’s origins\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2015, Chanel Miller’s assault outside a Stanford fraternity party spurred a nationwide reckoning around campus sexual violence.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That year, the university conducted an independent climate survey asking students about their experiences with prohibited sexual conduct, and found that just 1.9% of participants had experiences meeting Stanford’s definition of sexual assault. It caused \u003ca href=\"https://stanforddaily.com/2016/05/31/students-alumni-faculty-pressure-stanford-to-revisit-campus-climate-survey/\">widespread outrage\u003c/a> from students and faculty who said the results underrepresented students’ experiences because of the language of questions and narrow definition of assault. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2019, Stanford participated in an Association of American Universities climate survey that found \u003ca href=\"https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2019/10/aau-2019-survey-sexual-assault-harassment-stanford\">38.5% of undergraduate women\u003c/a> in their fourth year had experienced some form of sexual violence since entering college. A similar study in 2024 found that figure was only slightly lower, \u003ca href=\"https://irds.stanford.edu/sexual-assault-surveys/2024\">at 32.3%\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-23-KQED-83778d3d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104119\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-23-KQED-83778d3d.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-23-KQED-83778d3d-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-23-KQED-83778d3d-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Chanel Miller Contemplative Garden on the campus of Stanford University in Stanford on Oct. 12, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“It’s heartbreaking,” said Stanford professor Michele Dauber, who was instrumental in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11673193/total-recall-judge-aaron-persky-voted-out\">successful recall\u003c/a> of Superior Court Judge Aaron Persky, who presided over the trial of Miller’s attacker, Brock Turner. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dauber began advocating to implement Flip the Script after seeing results from its first randomized control trial in 2015, which found that the 12-hour informational and resistance training course geared toward college women reduced instances of rape by almost 50% and attempted sexual assaults by more than 60% among participants.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Those outcomes were “unheard of,” according to Dr. Clea Sarnquist, who researches gender-based violence intervention at Stanford Medicine.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“There’s really no other programming that has that level of evidence,” she told KQED.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2018, Stanford introduced Flip the Script as a research project. During the first year, 81 students completed the training.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Researchers intended to roll out a larger trial the following year, but that effort was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-12-KQED-b8cd0da6.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104116\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-12-KQED-b8cd0da6.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-12-KQED-b8cd0da6-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-12-KQED-b8cd0da6-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Chanel Miller Contemplative Garden on the campus of Stanford University in Stanford on Oct. 12, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It’s been offered intermittently since. Sarnquist said the program returned to campus in the fall of 2022 as part of a multi-site trial, but that effort was defunded in late 2023 due to “changing funder priorities.” In the fall of 2025, Stanford’s SHARE Office reinstated Flip the Script as an optional training available to students.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lees said at first, it was difficult to get the reinstated program off the ground. It had just four participants that fall, according to the university.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But after increasing outreach and introducing a for-credit class option, five enrolled in the winter and 14 completed the training in the spring.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We had a motto toward the end of the year of just keeping our foot on the gas,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We had a lot of plans around how to bring Flip the Script to other aspects of campus, whether that be having dorm-led sessions, bringing it to sororities as part of their onboarding training, having the Women’s Community Center host workshops,” she continued. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then, while Lees was completing her thesis in Cape Town over the summer, she got the email that the program would no longer be offered. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘We pleaded with her’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the years since Miller’s assault on campus, Dauber has remained a leading critic of Stanford’s efforts to prevent sexual violence. In 2024, before retiring, she urged the campus to expand Flip the Script. She and a colleague met with Provost Jenny Martinez to share the details of the program and research showing its efficacy.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We pleaded with her,” Dauber said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While Martinez didn’t tell the professors that she planned to expand Flip the Script, according to Dauber, she did indicate at that meeting that she would retain it as an optional program. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-36-KQED-223af1c4.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104122\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-36-KQED-223af1c4.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-36-KQED-223af1c4-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-36-KQED-223af1c4-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Stanford Daily issue published on Oct. 9, 2026, on the campus of Stanford University in Stanford on Oct. 12, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dauber said she found out last week, through \u003ca href=\"https://stanforddaily.com/2026/10/01/sexual-assault-awareness-program-cut/\">reporting by the \u003cem>Stanford Daily\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, that it had been cut.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“She never suggested that she would eliminate it, ever,” Dauber said. “Had she suggested that she would eliminate it, I think faculty and students would have reacted very strongly to that, and possibly applied enough pressure to prevent the cancellation.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A Stanford spokesperson said that the program was paused because of last year’s low enrollment. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Given those numbers, we are reassessing how the program fits within Stanford’s broader portfolio of trainings and whether changes would help impact more students,” Angie Davis said via email. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She also said that students have felt that a program geared toward women “places the burden in the wrong place.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We recognize the importance of awareness and self-defense skills and want students to have access to them, but it shouldn’t be the sole focus of our prevention work,” she wrote.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But Dauber said that no one has found an evidence-backed way to do that yet.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Meanwhile, 32% of women at Stanford are being assaulted, and we have it in our power to prevent half of that,” she said. “Are we supposed to wait and just let all that assault continue year after year until someone invents a way to train men not to assault that has an equally strong success rate validated by research?”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Flip the Script does require some investment: Lees had to complete a two-week training over the summer to become a facilitator, student participants are required to make a 12-hour commitment, and according to estimates from the Canada-based Sexual Assault Resistance Education Centre, which facilitates Flip the Script, training 160 women would \u003ca href=\"https://www.blueprintsprograms.org/programs/1032999999/eaaa-enhanced-assess-acknowledge-act-sexual-assault-resistance-education/\">cost about $39,000 in total\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But Dauber said it isn’t difficult to scale, especially given the return on investment.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Stanford is one of the richest educational institutions on earth, and it absolutely can do this,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Current programs\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In addition to Flip the Script, Stanford canceled a program called “Beyond Sex Ed,” which was a mandatory part of new student orientation, last spring. The programming included Stanford students speaking to freshmen about their experiences with relationships, consent, sex and sexuality throughout college. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“This was a really great equalizer for all incoming frosh to get exposure to talking about sex and positive sexuality and consent,” Martin said. “Now that we’ve lost that program, we don’t have a replacement and students continue to lack this sort of education at the very worst times. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Right after orientation, you have your first parties, your first hanging out with people in the dorm, and violence happens quickly,” she continued.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-4-KQED-c6bb3c39.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104115\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-4-KQED-c6bb3c39.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-4-KQED-c6bb3c39-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-4-KQED-c6bb3c39-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Stanford’s Title IX office inside the Kingscote Gardens office building on the campus of Stanford University in Stanford on Oct. 12, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Davis said the Title IX and VI Office is focused on “holistic education,” including mandatory Title IX training for all incoming students. It also introduced a new 90-minute upstander training course to students and student groups by request this fall, and the office has hired an assistant director for culture and connection, who will develop “additional programming” and is holding drop-in hours at residence halls, sororities and fraternities.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sarnquist said that the new upstander training “is a great supplement,” but she doesn’t think it is sufficient as comprehensive sexual violence prevention programming.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We’re an R1 institution,” she said, referring to the highest tier of research universities in the U.S. “We expect our students and our faculty and our staff to meet these incredibly high levels of scholarship and rigor. And so I think we probably owe it to our community to have health and wellbeing programming that meets similarly highly evidence-based [standards].”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Stanford also has a Confidential Support Team for students affected by sexual assault and relationship violence, and offers consent and communication workshops through the Office of Substance Use Programs Education and Resources (SUPER).\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-32-KQED-662d5581.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104121\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-32-KQED-662d5581.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-32-KQED-662d5581-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-32-KQED-662d5581-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The campus of Stanford University in Stanford on Oct. 12, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In fall of 2025, a year after Jane Doe’s alleged rape occurred, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.actompkins.org/evidence-based-sexual-violence-intervention-program-returns-to-cornell/\">Advocacy Center of Tompkins County\u003c/a> announced that Cornell would pilot Flip the Script for campus sorority members, along with a parallel program for fraternities. Student leaders \u003ca href=\"https://health.cornell.edu/sites/health/files/docs/Matt%20Klein%20award/2026-MKleinerAward-EmilyLui-AnyaGowda.pdf\">completed two training cohorts in the spring\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Like Stanford, the school had previously piloted the program before COVID-19, but hadn’t reinstated it after the pandemic until last year.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“What the Cornell case really shows is the economic inefficiency and the moral insufficiency of canceling the one program that actually prevents rape on campus,” Dauber said. “From a fiscal perspective, Cornell and Stanford would be way better off preventing these assaults than trying to address the costs after they occur. From a moral perspective, it’s indefensible.”\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Editor’s note, Oct. 21: Stanford University said last week it would reinstate the Flip the Script sexual violence prevention program, and confirmed that it would be funded for the next three years. For more updates on this story, listen to the audio featured above.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Editor’s note, Oct. 21: Stanford University said last week it would reinstate the Flip the Script sexual violence prevention program, and confirmed that it would be funded for the next three years. For more updates on this story, listen to the audio featured above.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/stanford-university\">Stanford University\u003c/a>’s decision to pause a sexual violence resistance program — one of the very few that research shows significantly decreases the risk of campus sexual assault — has drawn new scrutiny from students after an investigation into an alleged gang rape at a fraternity house at Cornell University. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/stanford-university\">Stanford University\u003c/a>’s decision to pause a sexual violence resistance program — one of the very few that research shows significantly decreases the risk of campus sexual assault — has drawn new scrutiny from students after an investigation into an alleged gang rape at a fraternity house at Cornell University. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Enhanced Assess, Acknowledge, Act Sexual Assault Resistance Education program, also known as “Flip the Script,” teaches young women to identify and respond to risks, dissect relationships and learn the basics of physical defense. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>The Enhanced Assess, Acknowledge, Act Sexual Assault Resistance Education program, also known as “Flip the Script,” teaches young women to identify and respond to risks, dissect relationships and learn the basics of physical defense. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Cornell introduced the program last year, a year after the alleged assault inside the school’s Chi Phi fraternity house. Stanford has piloted and run the same training program in different formats since 2018, but officials put it on hold before fall quarter began last month, telling student workers that the decision was due to budget constraints. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Cornell introduced the program last year, a year after the alleged assault inside the school’s Chi Phi fraternity house. Stanford has piloted and run the same training program in different formats since 2018, but officials put it on hold before fall quarter began last month, telling student workers that the decision was due to budget constraints. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It was halfway through the summer that we got an email from our boss basically saying, ‘I’m really sorry, this is what’s happening around budget cuts, and for this reason the program will no longer be offered,’” said senior Kirsten Lees, who worked as a facilitator of the program last year. The university said in a statement that the pause was not primarily a budget decision.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“It was halfway through the summer that we got an email from our boss basically saying, ‘I’m really sorry, this is what’s happening around budget cuts, and for this reason the program will no longer be offered,’” said senior Kirsten Lees, who worked as a facilitator of the program last year. The university said in a statement that the pause was not primarily a budget decision.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/image",
"attrs": {
"id": 12104120,
"sizeSlug": "full",
"linkDestination": "none",
"align": "center",
"alt": "",
"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-29-KQED-f52865f8.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-29-KQED-f52865f8-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-29-KQED-f52865f8-1536x1024.jpg 1536w",
"sizes": "(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)",
"isDecorative": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-29-KQED-f52865f8.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104120\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-29-KQED-f52865f8.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-29-KQED-f52865f8-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-29-KQED-f52865f8-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The campus of Stanford University in Stanford on Oct. 12, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-29-KQED-f52865f8.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104120\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The campus of Stanford University in Stanford on Oct. 12, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Students and professors who had fought to bring the program to campus were shocked and devastated. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Students and professors who had fought to bring the program to campus were shocked and devastated. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Then in September, the Cornell accuser, identified as “Jane Doe” in legal documents, sued the New York university and seven men who she alleges coerced her into taking ketamine and raped her in October 2024.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Then in September, the Cornell accuser, identified as “Jane Doe” in legal documents, sued the New York university and seven men who she alleges coerced her into taking ketamine and raped her in October 2024.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The shocking allegations thrust conversations about campus sexual violence and schools’ responses to it into the national spotlight — and compounded the Stanford students’ concerns.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>The shocking allegations thrust conversations about campus sexual violence and schools’ responses to it into the national spotlight — and compounded the Stanford students’ concerns.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I think the main question that a lot of people are wondering is … could this happen here? Is our culture and our fraternities any different?” said Pelagia Martin, a 21-year-old Stanford senior.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“I think the main question that a lot of people are wondering is … could this happen here? Is our culture and our fraternities any different?” said Pelagia Martin, a 21-year-old Stanford senior.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/image",
"attrs": {
"id": 12104117,
"sizeSlug": "full",
"linkDestination": "none",
"align": "center",
"alt": "",
"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-19-KQED-30ff3d77.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-19-KQED-30ff3d77-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-19-KQED-30ff3d77-1536x1024.jpg 1536w",
"sizes": "(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)",
"isDecorative": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-19-KQED-30ff3d77.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104117\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-19-KQED-30ff3d77.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-19-KQED-30ff3d77-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-19-KQED-30ff3d77-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Stanford senior Pelagia Martin poses for a portrait at the Chanel Miller Contemplative Garden on the campus of Stanford University in Stanford on Oct. 12, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-19-KQED-30ff3d77.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104117\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Stanford senior Pelagia Martin poses for a portrait at the Chanel Miller Contemplative Garden on the campus of Stanford University in Stanford on Oct. 12, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Until recently, Martin worked in the school’s Title IX and Title VI Office, known by the acronym SHARE for Sexual Harassment/Assault Response & Education. She said her resignation has a lot “to do with Flip the Script being cut.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Until recently, Martin worked in the school’s Title IX and Title VI Office, known by the acronym SHARE for Sexual Harassment/Assault Response & Education. She said her resignation has a lot “to do with Flip the Script being cut.”\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The program, she said, “changed the way that people thought about sexual violence and taught them actionable skills.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>The program, she said, “changed the way that people thought about sexual violence and taught them actionable skills.”\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“In a perfect world, it wouldn’t be on the survivor to protect themselves,” she told KQED. “But we don’t live in that kind of world, and it is a shame that we lost a program that allowed people to actually protect themselves.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“In a perfect world, it wouldn’t be on the survivor to protect themselves,” she told KQED. “But we don’t live in that kind of world, and it is a shame that we lost a program that allowed people to actually protect themselves.”\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "Flip the Script’s origins",
"level": 2
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Flip the Script’s origins\u003c/h2>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Flip the Script’s origins\u003c/h2>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In 2015, Chanel Miller’s assault outside a Stanford fraternity party spurred a nationwide reckoning around campus sexual violence.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>In 2015, Chanel Miller’s assault outside a Stanford fraternity party spurred a nationwide reckoning around campus sexual violence.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That year, the university conducted an independent climate survey asking students about their experiences with prohibited sexual conduct, and found that just 1.9% of participants had experiences meeting Stanford’s definition of sexual assault. It caused \u003ca href=\"https://stanforddaily.com/2016/05/31/students-alumni-faculty-pressure-stanford-to-revisit-campus-climate-survey/\">widespread outrage\u003c/a> from students and faculty who said the results underrepresented students’ experiences because of the language of questions and narrow definition of assault. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>That year, the university conducted an independent climate survey asking students about their experiences with prohibited sexual conduct, and found that just 1.9% of participants had experiences meeting Stanford’s definition of sexual assault. It caused \u003ca href=\"https://stanforddaily.com/2016/05/31/students-alumni-faculty-pressure-stanford-to-revisit-campus-climate-survey/\">widespread outrage\u003c/a> from students and faculty who said the results underrepresented students’ experiences because of the language of questions and narrow definition of assault. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In 2019, Stanford participated in an Association of American Universities climate survey that found \u003ca href=\"https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2019/10/aau-2019-survey-sexual-assault-harassment-stanford\">38.5% of undergraduate women\u003c/a> in their fourth year had experienced some form of sexual violence since entering college. A similar study in 2024 found that figure was only slightly lower, \u003ca href=\"https://irds.stanford.edu/sexual-assault-surveys/2024\">at 32.3%\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>In 2019, Stanford participated in an Association of American Universities climate survey that found \u003ca href=\"https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2019/10/aau-2019-survey-sexual-assault-harassment-stanford\">38.5% of undergraduate women\u003c/a> in their fourth year had experienced some form of sexual violence since entering college. A similar study in 2024 found that figure was only slightly lower, \u003ca href=\"https://irds.stanford.edu/sexual-assault-surveys/2024\">at 32.3%\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/image",
"attrs": {
"id": 12104119,
"sizeSlug": "full",
"linkDestination": "none",
"align": "center",
"alt": "",
"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-23-KQED-83778d3d.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-23-KQED-83778d3d-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-23-KQED-83778d3d-1536x1024.jpg 1536w",
"sizes": "(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)",
"isDecorative": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-23-KQED-83778d3d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104119\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-23-KQED-83778d3d.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-23-KQED-83778d3d-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-23-KQED-83778d3d-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Chanel Miller Contemplative Garden on the campus of Stanford University in Stanford on Oct. 12, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-23-KQED-83778d3d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104119\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Chanel Miller Contemplative Garden on the campus of Stanford University in Stanford on Oct. 12, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s heartbreaking,” said Stanford professor Michele Dauber, who was instrumental in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11673193/total-recall-judge-aaron-persky-voted-out\">successful recall\u003c/a> of Superior Court Judge Aaron Persky, who presided over the trial of Miller’s attacker, Brock Turner. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“It’s heartbreaking,” said Stanford professor Michele Dauber, who was instrumental in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11673193/total-recall-judge-aaron-persky-voted-out\">successful recall\u003c/a> of Superior Court Judge Aaron Persky, who presided over the trial of Miller’s attacker, Brock Turner. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Dauber began advocating to implement Flip the Script after seeing results from its first randomized control trial in 2015, which found that the 12-hour informational and resistance training course geared toward college women reduced instances of rape by almost 50% and attempted sexual assaults by more than 60% among participants.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Dauber began advocating to implement Flip the Script after seeing results from its first randomized control trial in 2015, which found that the 12-hour informational and resistance training course geared toward college women reduced instances of rape by almost 50% and attempted sexual assaults by more than 60% among participants.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Those outcomes were “unheard of,” according to Dr. Clea Sarnquist, who researches gender-based violence intervention at Stanford Medicine.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Those outcomes were “unheard of,” according to Dr. Clea Sarnquist, who researches gender-based violence intervention at Stanford Medicine.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“There’s really no other programming that has that level of evidence,” she told KQED.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“There’s really no other programming that has that level of evidence,” she told KQED.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In 2018, Stanford introduced Flip the Script as a research project. During the first year, 81 students completed the training.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>In 2018, Stanford introduced Flip the Script as a research project. During the first year, 81 students completed the training.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Researchers intended to roll out a larger trial the following year, but that effort was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Researchers intended to roll out a larger trial the following year, but that effort was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/image",
"attrs": {
"id": 12104116,
"sizeSlug": "full",
"linkDestination": "none",
"align": "center",
"alt": "",
"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-12-KQED-b8cd0da6.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-12-KQED-b8cd0da6-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-12-KQED-b8cd0da6-1536x1024.jpg 1536w",
"sizes": "(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)",
"isDecorative": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-12-KQED-b8cd0da6.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104116\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-12-KQED-b8cd0da6.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-12-KQED-b8cd0da6-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-12-KQED-b8cd0da6-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Chanel Miller Contemplative Garden on the campus of Stanford University in Stanford on Oct. 12, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-12-KQED-b8cd0da6.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104116\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Chanel Miller Contemplative Garden on the campus of Stanford University in Stanford on Oct. 12, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It’s been offered intermittently since. Sarnquist said the program returned to campus in the fall of 2022 as part of a multi-site trial, but that effort was defunded in late 2023 due to “changing funder priorities.” In the fall of 2025, Stanford’s SHARE Office reinstated Flip the Script as an optional training available to students.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>It’s been offered intermittently since. Sarnquist said the program returned to campus in the fall of 2022 as part of a multi-site trial, but that effort was defunded in late 2023 due to “changing funder priorities.” In the fall of 2025, Stanford’s SHARE Office reinstated Flip the Script as an optional training available to students.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Lees said at first, it was difficult to get the reinstated program off the ground. It had just four participants that fall, according to the university.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Lees said at first, it was difficult to get the reinstated program off the ground. It had just four participants that fall, according to the university.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But after increasing outreach and introducing a for-credit class option, five enrolled in the winter and 14 completed the training in the spring.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>But after increasing outreach and introducing a for-credit class option, five enrolled in the winter and 14 completed the training in the spring.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We had a motto toward the end of the year of just keeping our foot on the gas,” she said. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“We had a motto toward the end of the year of just keeping our foot on the gas,” she said. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We had a lot of plans around how to bring Flip the Script to other aspects of campus, whether that be having dorm-led sessions, bringing it to sororities as part of their onboarding training, having the Women’s Community Center host workshops,” she continued. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“We had a lot of plans around how to bring Flip the Script to other aspects of campus, whether that be having dorm-led sessions, bringing it to sororities as part of their onboarding training, having the Women’s Community Center host workshops,” she continued. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Then, while Lees was completing her thesis in Cape Town over the summer, she got the email that the program would no longer be offered. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Then, while Lees was completing her thesis in Cape Town over the summer, she got the email that the program would no longer be offered. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "‘We pleaded with her’",
"level": 2
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘We pleaded with her’\u003c/h2>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘We pleaded with her’\u003c/h2>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the years since Miller’s assault on campus, Dauber has remained a leading critic of Stanford’s efforts to prevent sexual violence. In 2024, before retiring, she urged the campus to expand Flip the Script. She and a colleague met with Provost Jenny Martinez to share the details of the program and research showing its efficacy.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>In the years since Miller’s assault on campus, Dauber has remained a leading critic of Stanford’s efforts to prevent sexual violence. In 2024, before retiring, she urged the campus to expand Flip the Script. She and a colleague met with Provost Jenny Martinez to share the details of the program and research showing its efficacy.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We pleaded with her,” Dauber said.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“We pleaded with her,” Dauber said.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While Martinez didn’t tell the professors that she planned to expand Flip the Script, according to Dauber, she did indicate at that meeting that she would retain it as an optional program. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>While Martinez didn’t tell the professors that she planned to expand Flip the Script, according to Dauber, she did indicate at that meeting that she would retain it as an optional program. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/image",
"attrs": {
"id": 12104122,
"sizeSlug": "full",
"linkDestination": "none",
"align": "center",
"alt": "",
"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-36-KQED-223af1c4.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-36-KQED-223af1c4-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-36-KQED-223af1c4-1536x1024.jpg 1536w",
"sizes": "(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)",
"isDecorative": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-36-KQED-223af1c4.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104122\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-36-KQED-223af1c4.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-36-KQED-223af1c4-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-36-KQED-223af1c4-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Stanford Daily issue published on Oct. 9, 2026, on the campus of Stanford University in Stanford on Oct. 12, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-36-KQED-223af1c4.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104122\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Stanford Daily issue published on Oct. 9, 2026, on the campus of Stanford University in Stanford on Oct. 12, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Dauber said she found out last week, through \u003ca href=\"https://stanforddaily.com/2026/10/01/sexual-assault-awareness-program-cut/\">reporting by the \u003cem>Stanford Daily\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, that it had been cut.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Dauber said she found out last week, through \u003ca href=\"https://stanforddaily.com/2026/10/01/sexual-assault-awareness-program-cut/\">reporting by the \u003cem>Stanford Daily\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, that it had been cut.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“She never suggested that she would eliminate it, ever,” Dauber said. “Had she suggested that she would eliminate it, I think faculty and students would have reacted very strongly to that, and possibly applied enough pressure to prevent the cancellation.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“She never suggested that she would eliminate it, ever,” Dauber said. “Had she suggested that she would eliminate it, I think faculty and students would have reacted very strongly to that, and possibly applied enough pressure to prevent the cancellation.”\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A Stanford spokesperson said that the program was paused because of last year’s low enrollment. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>A Stanford spokesperson said that the program was paused because of last year’s low enrollment. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Given those numbers, we are reassessing how the program fits within Stanford’s broader portfolio of trainings and whether changes would help impact more students,” Angie Davis said via email. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“Given those numbers, we are reassessing how the program fits within Stanford’s broader portfolio of trainings and whether changes would help impact more students,” Angie Davis said via email. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "kqed-v2/related-articles",
"attrs": {
"postIds": [
"news_12101196"
],
"label": "Related Articles",
"maxPosts": 1,
"showImages": false,
"heroImage": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/StanfordUniversity.jpg",
"query": "",
"labelWasCleared": false,
"heroImageAlt": "",
"heroImageLink": "",
"labelLink": "",
"alignment": "right",
"target": "_self",
"manualLinks": [],
"posts": []
},
"innerHTML": "",
"innerContent": [],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>She also said that students have felt that a program geared toward women “places the burden in the wrong place.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>She also said that students have felt that a program geared toward women “places the burden in the wrong place.”\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We recognize the importance of awareness and self-defense skills and want students to have access to them, but it shouldn’t be the sole focus of our prevention work,” she wrote.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“We recognize the importance of awareness and self-defense skills and want students to have access to them, but it shouldn’t be the sole focus of our prevention work,” she wrote.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But Dauber said that no one has found an evidence-backed way to do that yet.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>But Dauber said that no one has found an evidence-backed way to do that yet.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Meanwhile, 32% of women at Stanford are being assaulted, and we have it in our power to prevent half of that,” she said. “Are we supposed to wait and just let all that assault continue year after year until someone invents a way to train men not to assault that has an equally strong success rate validated by research?”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“Meanwhile, 32% of women at Stanford are being assaulted, and we have it in our power to prevent half of that,” she said. “Are we supposed to wait and just let all that assault continue year after year until someone invents a way to train men not to assault that has an equally strong success rate validated by research?”\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Flip the Script does require some investment: Lees had to complete a two-week training over the summer to become a facilitator, student participants are required to make a 12-hour commitment, and according to estimates from the Canada-based Sexual Assault Resistance Education Centre, which facilitates Flip the Script, training 160 women would \u003ca href=\"https://www.blueprintsprograms.org/programs/1032999999/eaaa-enhanced-assess-acknowledge-act-sexual-assault-resistance-education/\">cost about $39,000 in total\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Flip the Script does require some investment: Lees had to complete a two-week training over the summer to become a facilitator, student participants are required to make a 12-hour commitment, and according to estimates from the Canada-based Sexual Assault Resistance Education Centre, which facilitates Flip the Script, training 160 women would \u003ca href=\"https://www.blueprintsprograms.org/programs/1032999999/eaaa-enhanced-assess-acknowledge-act-sexual-assault-resistance-education/\">cost about $39,000 in total\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But Dauber said it isn’t difficult to scale, especially given the return on investment.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>But Dauber said it isn’t difficult to scale, especially given the return on investment.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Stanford is one of the richest educational institutions on earth, and it absolutely can do this,” she said. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“Stanford is one of the richest educational institutions on earth, and it absolutely can do this,” she said. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "Current programs",
"level": 2
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Current programs\u003c/h2>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Current programs\u003c/h2>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In addition to Flip the Script, Stanford canceled a program called “Beyond Sex Ed,” which was a mandatory part of new student orientation, last spring. The programming included Stanford students speaking to freshmen about their experiences with relationships, consent, sex and sexuality throughout college. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>In addition to Flip the Script, Stanford canceled a program called “Beyond Sex Ed,” which was a mandatory part of new student orientation, last spring. The programming included Stanford students speaking to freshmen about their experiences with relationships, consent, sex and sexuality throughout college. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This was a really great equalizer for all incoming frosh to get exposure to talking about sex and positive sexuality and consent,” Martin said. “Now that we’ve lost that program, we don’t have a replacement and students continue to lack this sort of education at the very worst times. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“This was a really great equalizer for all incoming frosh to get exposure to talking about sex and positive sexuality and consent,” Martin said. “Now that we’ve lost that program, we don’t have a replacement and students continue to lack this sort of education at the very worst times. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Right after orientation, you have your first parties, your first hanging out with people in the dorm, and violence happens quickly,” she continued.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“Right after orientation, you have your first parties, your first hanging out with people in the dorm, and violence happens quickly,” she continued.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/image",
"attrs": {
"id": 12104115,
"sizeSlug": "full",
"linkDestination": "none",
"align": "center",
"alt": "",
"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-4-KQED-c6bb3c39.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-4-KQED-c6bb3c39-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-4-KQED-c6bb3c39-1536x1024.jpg 1536w",
"sizes": "(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)",
"isDecorative": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-4-KQED-c6bb3c39.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104115\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-4-KQED-c6bb3c39.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-4-KQED-c6bb3c39-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-4-KQED-c6bb3c39-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Stanford’s Title IX office inside the Kingscote Gardens office building on the campus of Stanford University in Stanford on Oct. 12, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-4-KQED-c6bb3c39.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104115\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Stanford’s Title IX office inside the Kingscote Gardens office building on the campus of Stanford University in Stanford on Oct. 12, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Davis said the Title IX and VI Office is focused on “holistic education,” including mandatory Title IX training for all incoming students. It also introduced a new 90-minute upstander training course to students and student groups by request this fall, and the office has hired an assistant director for culture and connection, who will develop “additional programming” and is holding drop-in hours at residence halls, sororities and fraternities.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Davis said the Title IX and VI Office is focused on “holistic education,” including mandatory Title IX training for all incoming students. It also introduced a new 90-minute upstander training course to students and student groups by request this fall, and the office has hired an assistant director for culture and connection, who will develop “additional programming” and is holding drop-in hours at residence halls, sororities and fraternities.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Sarnquist said that the new upstander training “is a great supplement,” but she doesn’t think it is sufficient as comprehensive sexual violence prevention programming.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Sarnquist said that the new upstander training “is a great supplement,” but she doesn’t think it is sufficient as comprehensive sexual violence prevention programming.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We’re an R1 institution,” she said, referring to the highest tier of research universities in the U.S. “We expect our students and our faculty and our staff to meet these incredibly high levels of scholarship and rigor. And so I think we probably owe it to our community to have health and wellbeing programming that meets similarly highly evidence-based [standards].”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“We’re an R1 institution,” she said, referring to the highest tier of research universities in the U.S. “We expect our students and our faculty and our staff to meet these incredibly high levels of scholarship and rigor. And so I think we probably owe it to our community to have health and wellbeing programming that meets similarly highly evidence-based [standards].”\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Stanford also has a Confidential Support Team for students affected by sexual assault and relationship violence, and offers consent and communication workshops through the Office of Substance Use Programs Education and Resources (SUPER).\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Stanford also has a Confidential Support Team for students affected by sexual assault and relationship violence, and offers consent and communication workshops through the Office of Substance Use Programs Education and Resources (SUPER).\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/image",
"attrs": {
"id": 12104121,
"sizeSlug": "full",
"linkDestination": "none",
"align": "center",
"alt": "",
"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-32-KQED-662d5581.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-32-KQED-662d5581-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-32-KQED-662d5581-1536x1024.jpg 1536w",
"sizes": "(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)",
"isDecorative": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-32-KQED-662d5581.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104121\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-32-KQED-662d5581.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-32-KQED-662d5581-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-32-KQED-662d5581-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The campus of Stanford University in Stanford on Oct. 12, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-32-KQED-662d5581.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104121\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The campus of Stanford University in Stanford on Oct. 12, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In fall of 2025, a year after Jane Doe’s alleged rape occurred, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.actompkins.org/evidence-based-sexual-violence-intervention-program-returns-to-cornell/\">Advocacy Center of Tompkins County\u003c/a> announced that Cornell would pilot Flip the Script for campus sorority members, along with a parallel program for fraternities. Student leaders \u003ca href=\"https://health.cornell.edu/sites/health/files/docs/Matt%20Klein%20award/2026-MKleinerAward-EmilyLui-AnyaGowda.pdf\">completed two training cohorts in the spring\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>In fall of 2025, a year after Jane Doe’s alleged rape occurred, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.actompkins.org/evidence-based-sexual-violence-intervention-program-returns-to-cornell/\">Advocacy Center of Tompkins County\u003c/a> announced that Cornell would pilot Flip the Script for campus sorority members, along with a parallel program for fraternities. Student leaders \u003ca href=\"https://health.cornell.edu/sites/health/files/docs/Matt%20Klein%20award/2026-MKleinerAward-EmilyLui-AnyaGowda.pdf\">completed two training cohorts in the spring\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Like Stanford, the school had previously piloted the program before COVID-19, but hadn’t reinstated it after the pandemic until last year.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Like Stanford, the school had previously piloted the program before COVID-19, but hadn’t reinstated it after the pandemic until last year.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“What the Cornell case really shows is the economic inefficiency and the moral insufficiency of canceling the one program that actually prevents rape on campus,” Dauber said. “From a fiscal perspective, Cornell and Stanford would be way better off preventing these assaults than trying to address the costs after they occur. From a moral perspective, it’s indefensible.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“What the Cornell case really shows is the economic inefficiency and the moral insufficiency of canceling the one program that actually prevents rape on campus,” Dauber said. “From a fiscal perspective, Cornell and Stanford would be way better off preventing these assaults than trying to address the costs after they occur. From a moral perspective, it’s indefensible.”\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
}
],
"excerpt": "The Flip the Script program is one of the few shown to significantly decrease the risk of campus sexual assault among participants. Those who fought to bring it to Stanford were shocked when it was put on hold.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1792693397,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 0,
"wordCount": 1985
},
"headData": {
"title": "‘Cornell 7’ Case Puts Spotlight on Stanford’s Move to Halt Sexual Violence Resistance Training | KQED",
"description": "The Flip the Script program is one of the few shown to significantly decrease the risk of campus sexual assault among participants. Those who fought to bring it to Stanford were shocked when it was put on hold.",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "‘Cornell 7’ Case Puts Spotlight on Stanford’s Move to Halt Sexual Violence Resistance Training",
"datePublished": "2026-10-22T11:13:59-07:00",
"dateModified": "2026-10-22T11:23:17-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"primaryCategory": {
"termId": 18540,
"slug": "education",
"name": "Education"
},
"audioUrl": "https://traffic.omny.fm/d/clips/0af137ef-751e-4b19-a055-aaef00d2d578/ffca7e9f-6831-41c5-bcaf-aaef00f5a073/df9aa591-ba6b-4937-ba02-b4eb012194a5/audio.mp3",
"sticky": false,
"nprStoryId": "kqed-12103510",
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/news/12103510/cornell-7-case-puts-spotlight-on-stanfords-move-to-halt-sexual-violence-resistance-training",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cem>Editor’s note, Oct. 21: Stanford University said last week it would reinstate the Flip the Script sexual violence prevention program, and confirmed that it would be funded for the next three years. For more updates on this story, listen to the audio featured above.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/stanford-university\">Stanford University\u003c/a>’s decision to pause a sexual violence resistance program — one of the very few that research shows significantly decreases the risk of campus sexual assault — has drawn new scrutiny from students after an investigation into an alleged gang rape at a fraternity house at Cornell University. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Enhanced Assess, Acknowledge, Act Sexual Assault Resistance Education program, also known as “Flip the Script,” teaches young women to identify and respond to risks, dissect relationships and learn the basics of physical defense. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cornell introduced the program last year, a year after the alleged assault inside the school’s Chi Phi fraternity house. Stanford has piloted and run the same training program in different formats since 2018, but officials put it on hold before fall quarter began last month, telling student workers that the decision was due to budget constraints. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“It was halfway through the summer that we got an email from our boss basically saying, ‘I’m really sorry, this is what’s happening around budget cuts, and for this reason the program will no longer be offered,’” said senior Kirsten Lees, who worked as a facilitator of the program last year. The university said in a statement that the pause was not primarily a budget decision.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-29-KQED-f52865f8.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104120\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-29-KQED-f52865f8.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-29-KQED-f52865f8-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-29-KQED-f52865f8-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The campus of Stanford University in Stanford on Oct. 12, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Students and professors who had fought to bring the program to campus were shocked and devastated. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then in September, the Cornell accuser, identified as “Jane Doe” in legal documents, sued the New York university and seven men who she alleges coerced her into taking ketamine and raped her in October 2024.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The shocking allegations thrust conversations about campus sexual violence and schools’ responses to it into the national spotlight — and compounded the Stanford students’ concerns.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I think the main question that a lot of people are wondering is … could this happen here? Is our culture and our fraternities any different?” said Pelagia Martin, a 21-year-old Stanford senior.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-19-KQED-30ff3d77.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104117\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-19-KQED-30ff3d77.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-19-KQED-30ff3d77-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-19-KQED-30ff3d77-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Stanford senior Pelagia Martin poses for a portrait at the Chanel Miller Contemplative Garden on the campus of Stanford University in Stanford on Oct. 12, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Until recently, Martin worked in the school’s Title IX and Title VI Office, known by the acronym SHARE for Sexual Harassment/Assault Response & Education. She said her resignation has a lot “to do with Flip the Script being cut.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The program, she said, “changed the way that people thought about sexual violence and taught them actionable skills.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“In a perfect world, it wouldn’t be on the survivor to protect themselves,” she told KQED. “But we don’t live in that kind of world, and it is a shame that we lost a program that allowed people to actually protect themselves.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Flip the Script’s origins\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2015, Chanel Miller’s assault outside a Stanford fraternity party spurred a nationwide reckoning around campus sexual violence.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That year, the university conducted an independent climate survey asking students about their experiences with prohibited sexual conduct, and found that just 1.9% of participants had experiences meeting Stanford’s definition of sexual assault. It caused \u003ca href=\"https://stanforddaily.com/2016/05/31/students-alumni-faculty-pressure-stanford-to-revisit-campus-climate-survey/\">widespread outrage\u003c/a> from students and faculty who said the results underrepresented students’ experiences because of the language of questions and narrow definition of assault. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2019, Stanford participated in an Association of American Universities climate survey that found \u003ca href=\"https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2019/10/aau-2019-survey-sexual-assault-harassment-stanford\">38.5% of undergraduate women\u003c/a> in their fourth year had experienced some form of sexual violence since entering college. A similar study in 2024 found that figure was only slightly lower, \u003ca href=\"https://irds.stanford.edu/sexual-assault-surveys/2024\">at 32.3%\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-23-KQED-83778d3d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104119\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-23-KQED-83778d3d.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-23-KQED-83778d3d-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-23-KQED-83778d3d-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Chanel Miller Contemplative Garden on the campus of Stanford University in Stanford on Oct. 12, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“It’s heartbreaking,” said Stanford professor Michele Dauber, who was instrumental in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11673193/total-recall-judge-aaron-persky-voted-out\">successful recall\u003c/a> of Superior Court Judge Aaron Persky, who presided over the trial of Miller’s attacker, Brock Turner. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dauber began advocating to implement Flip the Script after seeing results from its first randomized control trial in 2015, which found that the 12-hour informational and resistance training course geared toward college women reduced instances of rape by almost 50% and attempted sexual assaults by more than 60% among participants.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Those outcomes were “unheard of,” according to Dr. Clea Sarnquist, who researches gender-based violence intervention at Stanford Medicine.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“There’s really no other programming that has that level of evidence,” she told KQED.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2018, Stanford introduced Flip the Script as a research project. During the first year, 81 students completed the training.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Researchers intended to roll out a larger trial the following year, but that effort was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-12-KQED-b8cd0da6.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104116\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-12-KQED-b8cd0da6.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-12-KQED-b8cd0da6-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-12-KQED-b8cd0da6-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Chanel Miller Contemplative Garden on the campus of Stanford University in Stanford on Oct. 12, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It’s been offered intermittently since. Sarnquist said the program returned to campus in the fall of 2022 as part of a multi-site trial, but that effort was defunded in late 2023 due to “changing funder priorities.” In the fall of 2025, Stanford’s SHARE Office reinstated Flip the Script as an optional training available to students.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lees said at first, it was difficult to get the reinstated program off the ground. It had just four participants that fall, according to the university.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But after increasing outreach and introducing a for-credit class option, five enrolled in the winter and 14 completed the training in the spring.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We had a motto toward the end of the year of just keeping our foot on the gas,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We had a lot of plans around how to bring Flip the Script to other aspects of campus, whether that be having dorm-led sessions, bringing it to sororities as part of their onboarding training, having the Women’s Community Center host workshops,” she continued. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then, while Lees was completing her thesis in Cape Town over the summer, she got the email that the program would no longer be offered. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘We pleaded with her’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the years since Miller’s assault on campus, Dauber has remained a leading critic of Stanford’s efforts to prevent sexual violence. In 2024, before retiring, she urged the campus to expand Flip the Script. She and a colleague met with Provost Jenny Martinez to share the details of the program and research showing its efficacy.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We pleaded with her,” Dauber said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While Martinez didn’t tell the professors that she planned to expand Flip the Script, according to Dauber, she did indicate at that meeting that she would retain it as an optional program. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-36-KQED-223af1c4.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104122\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-36-KQED-223af1c4.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-36-KQED-223af1c4-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-36-KQED-223af1c4-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Stanford Daily issue published on Oct. 9, 2026, on the campus of Stanford University in Stanford on Oct. 12, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dauber said she found out last week, through \u003ca href=\"https://stanforddaily.com/2026/10/01/sexual-assault-awareness-program-cut/\">reporting by the \u003cem>Stanford Daily\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, that it had been cut.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“She never suggested that she would eliminate it, ever,” Dauber said. “Had she suggested that she would eliminate it, I think faculty and students would have reacted very strongly to that, and possibly applied enough pressure to prevent the cancellation.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A Stanford spokesperson said that the program was paused because of last year’s low enrollment. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Given those numbers, we are reassessing how the program fits within Stanford’s broader portfolio of trainings and whether changes would help impact more students,” Angie Davis said via email. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She also said that students have felt that a program geared toward women “places the burden in the wrong place.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We recognize the importance of awareness and self-defense skills and want students to have access to them, but it shouldn’t be the sole focus of our prevention work,” she wrote.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But Dauber said that no one has found an evidence-backed way to do that yet.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Meanwhile, 32% of women at Stanford are being assaulted, and we have it in our power to prevent half of that,” she said. “Are we supposed to wait and just let all that assault continue year after year until someone invents a way to train men not to assault that has an equally strong success rate validated by research?”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Flip the Script does require some investment: Lees had to complete a two-week training over the summer to become a facilitator, student participants are required to make a 12-hour commitment, and according to estimates from the Canada-based Sexual Assault Resistance Education Centre, which facilitates Flip the Script, training 160 women would \u003ca href=\"https://www.blueprintsprograms.org/programs/1032999999/eaaa-enhanced-assess-acknowledge-act-sexual-assault-resistance-education/\">cost about $39,000 in total\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But Dauber said it isn’t difficult to scale, especially given the return on investment.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Stanford is one of the richest educational institutions on earth, and it absolutely can do this,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Current programs\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In addition to Flip the Script, Stanford canceled a program called “Beyond Sex Ed,” which was a mandatory part of new student orientation, last spring. The programming included Stanford students speaking to freshmen about their experiences with relationships, consent, sex and sexuality throughout college. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“This was a really great equalizer for all incoming frosh to get exposure to talking about sex and positive sexuality and consent,” Martin said. “Now that we’ve lost that program, we don’t have a replacement and students continue to lack this sort of education at the very worst times. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Right after orientation, you have your first parties, your first hanging out with people in the dorm, and violence happens quickly,” she continued.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-4-KQED-c6bb3c39.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104115\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-4-KQED-c6bb3c39.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-4-KQED-c6bb3c39-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-4-KQED-c6bb3c39-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Stanford’s Title IX office inside the Kingscote Gardens office building on the campus of Stanford University in Stanford on Oct. 12, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Davis said the Title IX and VI Office is focused on “holistic education,” including mandatory Title IX training for all incoming students. It also introduced a new 90-minute upstander training course to students and student groups by request this fall, and the office has hired an assistant director for culture and connection, who will develop “additional programming” and is holding drop-in hours at residence halls, sororities and fraternities.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sarnquist said that the new upstander training “is a great supplement,” but she doesn’t think it is sufficient as comprehensive sexual violence prevention programming.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We’re an R1 institution,” she said, referring to the highest tier of research universities in the U.S. “We expect our students and our faculty and our staff to meet these incredibly high levels of scholarship and rigor. And so I think we probably owe it to our community to have health and wellbeing programming that meets similarly highly evidence-based [standards].”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Stanford also has a Confidential Support Team for students affected by sexual assault and relationship violence, and offers consent and communication workshops through the Office of Substance Use Programs Education and Resources (SUPER).\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-32-KQED-662d5581.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104121\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-32-KQED-662d5581.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-32-KQED-662d5581-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261012-StanfordReax-NG-32-KQED-662d5581-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The campus of Stanford University in Stanford on Oct. 12, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In fall of 2025, a year after Jane Doe’s alleged rape occurred, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.actompkins.org/evidence-based-sexual-violence-intervention-program-returns-to-cornell/\">Advocacy Center of Tompkins County\u003c/a> announced that Cornell would pilot Flip the Script for campus sorority members, along with a parallel program for fraternities. Student leaders \u003ca href=\"https://health.cornell.edu/sites/health/files/docs/Matt%20Klein%20award/2026-MKleinerAward-EmilyLui-AnyaGowda.pdf\">completed two training cohorts in the spring\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Like Stanford, the school had previously piloted the program before COVID-19, but hadn’t reinstated it after the pandemic until last year.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“What the Cornell case really shows is the economic inefficiency and the moral insufficiency of canceling the one program that actually prevents rape on campus,” Dauber said. “From a fiscal perspective, Cornell and Stanford would be way better off preventing these assaults than trying to address the costs after they occur. From a moral perspective, it’s indefensible.”\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/12103510/cornell-7-case-puts-spotlight-on-stanfords-move-to-halt-sexual-violence-resistance-training",
"authors": [
"11913"
],
"categories": [
"news_34169",
"news_18540",
"news_28250",
"news_8"
],
"tags": [
"news_37276",
"news_18085",
"news_36084",
"news_20013",
"news_4843",
"news_1527",
"news_20614",
"news_178",
"news_1928"
],
"featImg": "news_12104114",
"label": "news"
},
"news_12105043": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_12105043",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12105043",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1792346400000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "california-school-test-scores-up-but-just-a-little-as-progress-slows-in-k-12-classes",
"title": "California School Test Scores Up, but Just a Little, as Progress Slows in K-12 Classes",
"publishDate": 1792346400,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "California School Test Scores Up, but Just a Little, as Progress Slows in K-12 Classes | KQED",
"labelTerm": {},
"content": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a>’s K-12 student test scores improved slightly in almost all categories last year, but progress slowed following a post-pandemic surge, according to state data released this week.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s slow but steady improvement,” said Linda Darling-Hammond, president of the State Board of Education. “It suggests we’re continuing to come out of the pandemic, and there’s still a lot of work to do.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The percentage of students proficient in math jumped just over 1 percentage point – to 38.5% – and the number of students proficient in English language arts rose half a percentage point, 49.3%. Science scores increased 3.3% percentage points, to 36%.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260603-BerkeleySchoolsLiteracy-04-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12086383\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260603-BerkeleySchoolsLiteracy-04-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260603-BerkeleySchoolsLiteracy-04-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260603-BerkeleySchoolsLiteracy-04-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Students read during class at Sylvia Mendez Elementary School in Berkeley on June 3, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For the first time, the state released its \u003ca href=\"https://dq.cde.ca.gov/dataquest/\">enrollment\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://caaspp-elpac.ets.org/caaspp/\">test score\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.caschooldashboard.org/login\">California School Dashboard\u003c/a> data together, making it easier for school districts to communicate with parents and the public and for policymakers to analyze gains and declines across broad categories. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Despite the gains, though, scores were lower for some student groups, including white and Asian students, compared to 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic forced most schools to close for in-person learning. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Enrollment decline continues\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Statewide enrollment, which has been falling for a decade, plunged to 5.7 million – a loss of 74,000 students from last year. Because the state funds schools based on the number of students who show up every day, the declining numbers will mean less revenue for many districts.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Amid the enrollment numbers, a few changes stood out. The number of students with disabilities jumped 25% over the past decade, to 850,822. And the number of English learners dropped 30% over that same time period due to a decline in immigration among other factors. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Chronic absenteeism, \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/k-12-education/2023/09/soaring-chronic-absenteeism-in-california-schools-is-at-pivotal-moment/\">which hit 30%\u003c/a> just after the pandemic, dropped to 18% last year, a decline of more than 1 percentage point from the previous year. Prior to the pandemic, only about 12% of students were chronically absent, or gone from school at least 10% of the school year.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Test scores and just about every other academic indicator among California’s K-12 students collapsed during the COVID-19 pandemic, but rebounded significantly the first few years back to in-person learning. That progress appears to have settled, at least for now.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Darling-Hammond predicted English language arts scores will rise in the next few years, as a handful of sweeping state reforms go into effect: \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/k-12-education/2025/08/california-tk/\">transitional kindergarten\u003c/a>, dyslexia screening, \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/k-12-education/2026/07/literacy-california/\">literacy coaches\u003c/a> for elementary teachers and a \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/k-12-education/2026/07/literacy-california/\">phonics-based reading curriculum\u003c/a>, among others.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">More grads, better prepared\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/2026/09/highlands-charter-school-california/\">Highlands charter school\u003c/a>, the embattled Sacramento school for adults seeking high school diplomas, loomed large over the data. Last year, Highlands and its sister school, California Innovative Career Academy, had such high enrollments – 17,513 combined – and such low graduation rates – less than 2% – that they skewed graduation data for the entire state.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California Department of Education staff presented numbers with and without Highlands. Including Highlands, the state graduation rate was 87.9%, a slight increase from the previous year. Excluding Highlands, the rate was almost 2 percentage points higher – 89.7%, the highest rate in decades in California.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Highlands, under new leadership, winnowed its enrollment this year and is seeking to improve its outcomes after the State Auditor blasted it last year for alleged mismanagement.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The state’s high school graduates also showed improvements in college and career preparation. According to the dashboard, the percentage of students who completed a career pathway or the A-G classes required for admission to the state’s public universities climbed 2.2 percentage points, to 55.2%.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/k-12-education/2026/10/student-test-scores-california/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a>’s K-12 student test scores improved slightly in almost all categories last year, but progress slowed following a post-pandemic surge, according to state data released this week.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a>’s K-12 student test scores improved slightly in almost all categories last year, but progress slowed following a post-pandemic surge, according to state data released this week.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s slow but steady improvement,” said Linda Darling-Hammond, president of the State Board of Education. “It suggests we’re continuing to come out of the pandemic, and there’s still a lot of work to do.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“It’s slow but steady improvement,” said Linda Darling-Hammond, president of the State Board of Education. “It suggests we’re continuing to come out of the pandemic, and there’s still a lot of work to do.”\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The percentage of students proficient in math jumped just over 1 percentage point – to 38.5% – and the number of students proficient in English language arts rose half a percentage point, 49.3%. Science scores increased 3.3% percentage points, to 36%.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>The percentage of students proficient in math jumped just over 1 percentage point – to 38.5% – and the number of students proficient in English language arts rose half a percentage point, 49.3%. Science scores increased 3.3% percentage points, to 36%.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/image",
"attrs": {
"id": 12086383,
"sizeSlug": "full",
"linkDestination": "none",
"alt": "",
"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260603-BerkeleySchoolsLiteracy-04-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260603-BerkeleySchoolsLiteracy-04-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260603-BerkeleySchoolsLiteracy-04-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w",
"sizes": "(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)"
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260603-BerkeleySchoolsLiteracy-04-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12086383\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260603-BerkeleySchoolsLiteracy-04-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260603-BerkeleySchoolsLiteracy-04-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260603-BerkeleySchoolsLiteracy-04-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Students read during class at Sylvia Mendez Elementary School in Berkeley on June 3, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260603-BerkeleySchoolsLiteracy-04-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12086383\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Students read during class at Sylvia Mendez Elementary School in Berkeley on June 3, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For the first time, the state released its \u003ca href=\"https://dq.cde.ca.gov/dataquest/\">enrollment\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://caaspp-elpac.ets.org/caaspp/\">test score\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.caschooldashboard.org/login\">California School Dashboard\u003c/a> data together, making it easier for school districts to communicate with parents and the public and for policymakers to analyze gains and declines across broad categories. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>For the first time, the state released its \u003ca href=\"https://dq.cde.ca.gov/dataquest/\">enrollment\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://caaspp-elpac.ets.org/caaspp/\">test score\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.caschooldashboard.org/login\">California School Dashboard\u003c/a> data together, making it easier for school districts to communicate with parents and the public and for policymakers to analyze gains and declines across broad categories. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Despite the gains, though, scores were lower for some student groups, including white and Asian students, compared to 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic forced most schools to close for in-person learning. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Despite the gains, though, scores were lower for some student groups, including white and Asian students, compared to 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic forced most schools to close for in-person learning. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "Enrollment decline continues",
"level": 2
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Enrollment decline continues\u003c/h2>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Enrollment decline continues\u003c/h2>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Statewide enrollment, which has been falling for a decade, plunged to 5.7 million – a loss of 74,000 students from last year. Because the state funds schools based on the number of students who show up every day, the declining numbers will mean less revenue for many districts.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Statewide enrollment, which has been falling for a decade, plunged to 5.7 million – a loss of 74,000 students from last year. Because the state funds schools based on the number of students who show up every day, the declining numbers will mean less revenue for many districts.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Amid the enrollment numbers, a few changes stood out. The number of students with disabilities jumped 25% over the past decade, to 850,822. And the number of English learners dropped 30% over that same time period due to a decline in immigration among other factors. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Amid the enrollment numbers, a few changes stood out. The number of students with disabilities jumped 25% over the past decade, to 850,822. And the number of English learners dropped 30% over that same time period due to a decline in immigration among other factors. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "kqed-v2/related-articles",
"attrs": {
"postIds": [
"news_12099210"
],
"label": "Related Articles",
"maxPosts": 1,
"showImages": false,
"heroImage": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/CAMath1.jpg",
"query": "",
"labelWasCleared": false,
"heroImageAlt": "",
"heroImageLink": "",
"labelLink": "",
"alignment": "right",
"target": "_self",
"manualLinks": [],
"posts": []
},
"innerHTML": "",
"innerContent": [],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Chronic absenteeism, \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/k-12-education/2023/09/soaring-chronic-absenteeism-in-california-schools-is-at-pivotal-moment/\">which hit 30%\u003c/a> just after the pandemic, dropped to 18% last year, a decline of more than 1 percentage point from the previous year. Prior to the pandemic, only about 12% of students were chronically absent, or gone from school at least 10% of the school year.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Chronic absenteeism, \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/k-12-education/2023/09/soaring-chronic-absenteeism-in-california-schools-is-at-pivotal-moment/\">which hit 30%\u003c/a> just after the pandemic, dropped to 18% last year, a decline of more than 1 percentage point from the previous year. Prior to the pandemic, only about 12% of students were chronically absent, or gone from school at least 10% of the school year.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Test scores and just about every other academic indicator among California’s K-12 students collapsed during the COVID-19 pandemic, but rebounded significantly the first few years back to in-person learning. That progress appears to have settled, at least for now.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Test scores and just about every other academic indicator among California’s K-12 students collapsed during the COVID-19 pandemic, but rebounded significantly the first few years back to in-person learning. That progress appears to have settled, at least for now.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Darling-Hammond predicted English language arts scores will rise in the next few years, as a handful of sweeping state reforms go into effect: \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/k-12-education/2025/08/california-tk/\">transitional kindergarten\u003c/a>, dyslexia screening, \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/k-12-education/2026/07/literacy-california/\">literacy coaches\u003c/a> for elementary teachers and a \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/k-12-education/2026/07/literacy-california/\">phonics-based reading curriculum\u003c/a>, among others.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Darling-Hammond predicted English language arts scores will rise in the next few years, as a handful of sweeping state reforms go into effect: \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/k-12-education/2025/08/california-tk/\">transitional kindergarten\u003c/a>, dyslexia screening, \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/k-12-education/2026/07/literacy-california/\">literacy coaches\u003c/a> for elementary teachers and a \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/k-12-education/2026/07/literacy-california/\">phonics-based reading curriculum\u003c/a>, among others.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "More grads, better prepared",
"level": 2
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">More grads, better prepared\u003c/h2>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">More grads, better prepared\u003c/h2>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/2026/09/highlands-charter-school-california/\">Highlands charter school\u003c/a>, the embattled Sacramento school for adults seeking high school diplomas, loomed large over the data. Last year, Highlands and its sister school, California Innovative Career Academy, had such high enrollments – 17,513 combined – and such low graduation rates – less than 2% – that they skewed graduation data for the entire state.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/2026/09/highlands-charter-school-california/\">Highlands charter school\u003c/a>, the embattled Sacramento school for adults seeking high school diplomas, loomed large over the data. Last year, Highlands and its sister school, California Innovative Career Academy, had such high enrollments – 17,513 combined – and such low graduation rates – less than 2% – that they skewed graduation data for the entire state.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>California Department of Education staff presented numbers with and without Highlands. Including Highlands, the state graduation rate was 87.9%, a slight increase from the previous year. Excluding Highlands, the rate was almost 2 percentage points higher – 89.7%, the highest rate in decades in California.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>California Department of Education staff presented numbers with and without Highlands. Including Highlands, the state graduation rate was 87.9%, a slight increase from the previous year. Excluding Highlands, the rate was almost 2 percentage points higher – 89.7%, the highest rate in decades in California.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Highlands, under new leadership, winnowed its enrollment this year and is seeking to improve its outcomes after the State Auditor blasted it last year for alleged mismanagement.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Highlands, under new leadership, winnowed its enrollment this year and is seeking to improve its outcomes after the State Auditor blasted it last year for alleged mismanagement.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The state’s high school graduates also showed improvements in college and career preparation. According to the dashboard, the percentage of students who completed a career pathway or the A-G classes required for admission to the state’s public universities climbed 2.2 percentage points, to 55.2%.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>The state’s high school graduates also showed improvements in college and career preparation. According to the dashboard, the percentage of students who completed a career pathway or the A-G classes required for admission to the state’s public universities climbed 2.2 percentage points, to 55.2%.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/k-12-education/2026/10/student-test-scores-california/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/k-12-education/2026/10/student-test-scores-california/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
}
],
"excerpt": "K-12 student test scores rose slightly last year in California, while enrollment numbers dropped.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1792338819,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 16,
"wordCount": 644
},
"headData": {
"title": "California School Test Scores Up, but Just a Little, as Progress Slows in K-12 Classes | KQED",
"description": "K-12 student test scores rose slightly last year in California, while enrollment numbers dropped.",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "California School Test Scores Up, but Just a Little, as Progress Slows in K-12 Classes",
"datePublished": "2026-10-18T11:00:00-07:00",
"dateModified": "2026-10-18T08:53:39-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"primaryCategory": {
"termId": 18540,
"slug": "education",
"name": "Education"
},
"source": "CalMatters",
"sourceUrl": "https://calmatters.org/",
"sticky": false,
"nprByline": "Carolyn Jones, CalMatters",
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"showOnAuthorArchivePages": "No",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/news/12105043/california-school-test-scores-up-but-just-a-little-as-progress-slows-in-k-12-classes",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a>’s K-12 student test scores improved slightly in almost all categories last year, but progress slowed following a post-pandemic surge, according to state data released this week.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s slow but steady improvement,” said Linda Darling-Hammond, president of the State Board of Education. “It suggests we’re continuing to come out of the pandemic, and there’s still a lot of work to do.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The percentage of students proficient in math jumped just over 1 percentage point – to 38.5% – and the number of students proficient in English language arts rose half a percentage point, 49.3%. Science scores increased 3.3% percentage points, to 36%.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260603-BerkeleySchoolsLiteracy-04-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12086383\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260603-BerkeleySchoolsLiteracy-04-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260603-BerkeleySchoolsLiteracy-04-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260603-BerkeleySchoolsLiteracy-04-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Students read during class at Sylvia Mendez Elementary School in Berkeley on June 3, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For the first time, the state released its \u003ca href=\"https://dq.cde.ca.gov/dataquest/\">enrollment\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://caaspp-elpac.ets.org/caaspp/\">test score\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.caschooldashboard.org/login\">California School Dashboard\u003c/a> data together, making it easier for school districts to communicate with parents and the public and for policymakers to analyze gains and declines across broad categories. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Despite the gains, though, scores were lower for some student groups, including white and Asian students, compared to 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic forced most schools to close for in-person learning. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Enrollment decline continues\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Statewide enrollment, which has been falling for a decade, plunged to 5.7 million – a loss of 74,000 students from last year. Because the state funds schools based on the number of students who show up every day, the declining numbers will mean less revenue for many districts.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Amid the enrollment numbers, a few changes stood out. The number of students with disabilities jumped 25% over the past decade, to 850,822. And the number of English learners dropped 30% over that same time period due to a decline in immigration among other factors. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Chronic absenteeism, \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/k-12-education/2023/09/soaring-chronic-absenteeism-in-california-schools-is-at-pivotal-moment/\">which hit 30%\u003c/a> just after the pandemic, dropped to 18% last year, a decline of more than 1 percentage point from the previous year. Prior to the pandemic, only about 12% of students were chronically absent, or gone from school at least 10% of the school year.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Test scores and just about every other academic indicator among California’s K-12 students collapsed during the COVID-19 pandemic, but rebounded significantly the first few years back to in-person learning. That progress appears to have settled, at least for now.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Darling-Hammond predicted English language arts scores will rise in the next few years, as a handful of sweeping state reforms go into effect: \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/k-12-education/2025/08/california-tk/\">transitional kindergarten\u003c/a>, dyslexia screening, \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/k-12-education/2026/07/literacy-california/\">literacy coaches\u003c/a> for elementary teachers and a \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/k-12-education/2026/07/literacy-california/\">phonics-based reading curriculum\u003c/a>, among others.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">More grads, better prepared\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/2026/09/highlands-charter-school-california/\">Highlands charter school\u003c/a>, the embattled Sacramento school for adults seeking high school diplomas, loomed large over the data. Last year, Highlands and its sister school, California Innovative Career Academy, had such high enrollments – 17,513 combined – and such low graduation rates – less than 2% – that they skewed graduation data for the entire state.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California Department of Education staff presented numbers with and without Highlands. Including Highlands, the state graduation rate was 87.9%, a slight increase from the previous year. Excluding Highlands, the rate was almost 2 percentage points higher – 89.7%, the highest rate in decades in California.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Highlands, under new leadership, winnowed its enrollment this year and is seeking to improve its outcomes after the State Auditor blasted it last year for alleged mismanagement.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The state’s high school graduates also showed improvements in college and career preparation. According to the dashboard, the percentage of students who completed a career pathway or the A-G classes required for admission to the state’s public universities climbed 2.2 percentage points, to 55.2%.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/k-12-education/2026/10/student-test-scores-california/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/12105043/california-school-test-scores-up-but-just-a-little-as-progress-slows-in-k-12-classes",
"authors": [
"byline_news_12105043"
],
"categories": [
"news_31795",
"news_18540",
"news_8"
],
"tags": [
"news_18538",
"news_20013",
"news_27626",
"news_17996",
"news_31827",
"news_2998",
"news_24721"
],
"affiliates": [
"news_18481"
],
"featImg": "news_12095610",
"label": "source_news_12105043"
},
"news_12103823": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_12103823",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12103823",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1791997032000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "dont-skip-the-school-board-races-on-your-ballot-heres-why-they-could-be-pivotal",
"title": "Don’t Skip the School Board Races on Your Ballot. Here’s Why They Could Be Pivotal",
"publishDate": 1791997032,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "Don’t Skip the School Board Races on Your Ballot. Here’s Why They Could Be Pivotal | KQED",
"labelTerm": {
"site": "news"
},
"content": "\n\u003cp>In \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/educationnews\">school districts\u003c/a> across the Bay Area, years of declining enrollment are forcing major cuts and closures; students’ math and reading scores are in a \u003ca href=\"https://cepr.harvard.edu/news/2026/05/why-us-test-scores-are-generation-long-decline\">free fall\u003c/a>; and campuses are being confronted with many of our major political fights, from transgender rights to AI regulation. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But in many cases, the people elected to navigate these challenges earn that significant power by a margin as small as a couple hundred votes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>More than half of school board candidates across the U.S. run uncontested in an average election cycle, and voter turnout hovers between 5% and 10%. And school board races tend to be “low information,” meaning voters know little about who the candidates are or where they stand on key issues, many of which are similar across districts throughout the state.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>KQED asked \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide\">390 candidates vying for 109 school board seats\u003c/a> across the nine-county Bay Area in November for their stance on some of these topics, from potential school closures to cellphone use — information voters can use at a time that education experts say is pivotal to public schools’ success. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We have some unambiguously big problems for schools,” said Jon Valant, who directs the Brown Center on Education Policy at the Brookings Institution. “You can have a big impact, and you can have a big impact at a time when schools are facing a lot of important questions.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What do school boards actually do?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>School boards oversee large budgets, act as major employers and make policy and curriculum decisions that affect thousands of young people — and have rippling impacts on their wider communities.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“[Public schools] are the primary institutions that we have for preparing people to be contributing members of our society, democracy and economy,” Valant said. “When you’re participating in a school board election, you’re really having a say in the structure of our society more broadly.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-8-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12094191\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-8-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-8-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-8-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A classroom at Mission Bay Elementary School in San Francisco on Aug. 6, 2026. Mission Bay School is the first new public SFUSD school to open in 20 years. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The bodies have a few main functions: approving a school district’s budget — which for an urban district like San Francisco, tops $1.36 billion — and hiring and evaluating a superintendent, the person “who’s really responsible for running the system,” according to Julie Marsh, a faculty director at Policy Analysis for California Education.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>School boards set priorities, such as student outcome goals and community values, that are supposed to guide decision-making by the superintendent and district staff. They also approve curriculum and labor contracts and can steer high-level policy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Culture war battlegrounds\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Less officially, school boards have also become political arenas.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Schools and particularly school boards have really become some of the country’s main battlegrounds for its culture wars,” Valant said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He traces the trend back to the COVID-19 pandemic, when some groups of parents began organizing and rallying against masking and vaccine mandates.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1571\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/MomsLibertyGetty-52a1d437.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103881\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/MomsLibertyGetty-52a1d437.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/MomsLibertyGetty-52a1d437-160x126.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/MomsLibertyGetty-52a1d437-1536x1207.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Martha Aguilera, left, with Karen Frost of Moms for Liberty, speaks at the California Policy Center and PERK (Protection of the Educational Rights of Kids) event, “A Line in the Sand, A Rally for Parental Rights,” at Rancho Madera Community Park in Simi Valley, California, on Sept. 26, 2023. (Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Around the same time, groups like \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101904708/conservative-mothers-as-a-political-force-in-california\">Moms for Liberty\u003c/a> were on the rise, advocating against curriculum that teaches about LGBTQ rights and race and ethnicity. They began running school board candidates and establishing a sustained presence at school board meetings, sowing fear that public schools are pushing “woke indoctrination.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’ve seen far-right leaders who have been quite successful with this approach where they run well-funded groups, organize and run a candidate on an ideological platform,” Marsh said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She and other experts said the rise of candidates running for the nonpartisan roles backed by political interest groups became especially prominent in the early 2020s. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While these groups’ influence on school board races seems to be dying down in California, Valant said a recent national Brookings survey found that school board members still feel their governance has become more political and partisan in recent years. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Marsh said that conservative groups have also used the tactic to upend trust in school systems more broadly and “mobilize their base.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There’s a whole strategy of creating a bench for potential candidates for higher office,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1372\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Sonja-Shaw-Getty-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12086196\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Sonja-Shaw-Getty-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Sonja-Shaw-Getty-1-160x110.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Sonja-Shaw-Getty-1-1536x1054.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sonja Shaw, Chino Valley Unified School District Board President, speaks at the California Policy Center and PERK (Protection of the Educational Rights of Kids) event, “A Line in the Sand: A Rally for Parental Rights,” at Rancho Madera Community Park in Simi Valley, California, on Sept. 26, 2023. (Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Sonja Shaw, who is in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086044/conservative-activist-sonja-shaw-advances-in-state-superintendent-race\">runoff election for California state superintendent\u003c/a> this November, rose to notoriety as Chino Valley’s school board president in 2023, when she pushed for a policy that would require school staff to notify parents of any change in their children’s gender identity. Shaw made headlines after current state Superintendent Tony Thurmond was heckled and removed from her district’s board meeting after he expressed opposition to the policy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The policy was permanently halted in 2024, after a lawsuit from Attorney General Rob Bonta, along with similar campaigns to implement “forced outing” in Rocklin and counties in Southern California.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>President Donald Trump also harnessed fear surrounding schools’ policies around LGBTQ students in the final stretch of his 2024 reelection campaign, telling a crowd of about 20,000 at Madison Square Garden, “we will get … transgender insanity the hell out of our schools.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He repeatedly told voters: “your kid goes to school and comes home a few days later with an operation,” changing their sex.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘Big, big issues’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While “culture war politics” draw attention and tend to spur single-issue candidates to run for school boards, Valant said, “we need really to be focused on some of the core issues in education.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“[Artificial intelligence] has kind of landed on schools’ laps, and questions about how technology should be embedded into the school day,” he said. “We’ve seen achievement declines across the country and growing gaps between the highest- and lowest-scoring students. We’ve seen chronic absenteeism and enrollment declines.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“And, we’ve seen a growing attack on public education across the country,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/LAUSDScreenTimeGetty-d975feb9.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103883\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/LAUSDScreenTimeGetty-d975feb9.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/LAUSDScreenTimeGetty-d975feb9-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/LAUSDScreenTimeGetty-d975feb9-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Nick Melvoin, Member of the Los Angeles Unified School District, speaks during a board meeting at the LAUSD headquarters on April 21, 2026, in Los Angeles, California. The LAUSD met to discuss a resolution calling for development of a Screen Time Policy setting time limits by grade, including elimination of student digital devices for early education through first grade, prohibiting device use by elementary and middle school students during passing periods, lunch and recess. The board unanimously voted to approve Board Member Melvoin’s Resolution to limit student screen time. (Kayla Bartkowski/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Many of the boards elected this November will be tasked with deciding how their districts will weather shrinking student bodies, and whether to close schools as part of that process.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/school-closures\">closure process\u003c/a> is almost always met with strong opposition from families and teachers, but how districts approach it can significantly change how it affects enrollment and trust.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>San Francisco’s former superintendent \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12010008/sf-schools-crisis-is-spiraling-with-top-official-to-resign-heres-all-thats-happened\">resigned under pressure\u003c/a> in 2024 after a botched closure process that strained relationships with the district’s labor unions and many families. But earlier this year, the school board \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12095382/as-sfusd-welcomes-back-students-officials-plan-to-revamp-enrollment-consider-closures\">reopened the question of school consolidations\u003c/a>, giving Superintendent Maria Su a strict deadline of 2030 to decide whether campuses should shutter. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The board — including the three members who will be elected this fall — will have final approval over her plan.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Campus closures can upend longstanding school communities, and National School Board Association president Verjeana McCotter-Jacobs said they have rippling effects on nearby businesses, property values and neighborhood populations if they spur families to move.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Of the 140 Bay Area school board candidates who responded to KQED’s question about school closures, 57% said they would consider supporting a proposal from their district to close schools, while 43% said they would oppose the practice.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Boards are also setting the course for the future of technology in classrooms, as parent-led backlash expands across the country, blaming overreliance on screens and artificial intelligence for poor learning outcomes. According to a joint Education Scorecard project from researchers at Stanford, Harvard and Dartmouth universities, falling test scores reflect a \u003ca href=\"https://cepr.harvard.edu/news/2026/05/why-us-test-scores-are-generation-long-decline\">decadelong “learning recession.”\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the spring, the Los Angeles Unified School District board passed a slate of historic tech-limiting policies, proposed by board member Nick Melvoin, with advocacy group Schools Beyond Screens. Districts across the country have moved quickly to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12096557/a-chromebook-in-the-hand-of-every-child-did-schools-go-too-far\">replicate their model\u003c/a>, including in the Bay Area, from San José to Marin.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Last week, the Oakland school board approved new technology restrictions, proposed by board member Rachel Latta, that prohibit students from using individual devices during lunch and passing periods, and mandate training for teachers to reduce 1:1 device use by the fall of 2027. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Other districts in San Francisco, San Mateo and Palo Alto have formed ad hoc committees or working groups to consider stricter tech policies, which will be presented to their new boards in the spring.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>San Francisco’s public school district is relatively behind on limiting tech use — the current board allowed administrators to punt on a stricter cellphone policy last spring, and it uses a controversial AI-assisted reading assessment and tutoring tool with kindergarteners.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Combatting federal attacks\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Voters aren’t just choosing who will make major instructional decisions at their local school districts; Valant said voting in school board elections this November will send an important message amid what he calls a “federal attack” on public schools.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Staying engaged with school boards, with education, with your local public school, is just really important in communicating that public schools are institutions that mean a lot to this country,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Since taking office last year, Trump has signed an executive order directing the dismantling of the Department of Education and created a federal \u003ca href=\"https://www.ed.gov/media/document/education-freedom-tax-credit-fact-sheet-113147.pdf\">Education Freedom Scholarship Program\u003c/a>, which aims to expand parents’ school choice by allowing them to receive tax credits up to $1,700 that can be used to pay for private school tuition, home-schooling costs, and other educational support.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/GettyImages-2285787606-scaled-e1791586238561.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091600\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">U.S. President Donald Trump addresses the nation from the East Room of the White House on July 16, 2026, in Washington, D.C. (Saul Loeb/Pool via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Those together are the biggest change in school policy since at least the early 1990s,” said professor Doug Harris, the director of the National Center for Research on Education Access and Choice at Tulane University. “The idea of open access or universal access to schools is upended. Public education has always involved some public governance, and this eliminates [that].”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Valant called the universal private school choice policies, adopted by more than half of U.S. states, not including California, “intentionally hostile to public schools.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While the federal government has suggested that school choice increases competition and will improve public schools, Valant and others worry it will siphon funds away from the public system and toward schools that are able to select which students they serve — and often teach religious material.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Trump administration has also threatened to withhold federal dollars from school districts that teach about diversity, equity and inclusion, or promote policies that protect transgender students. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In June, the Department of Education launched compliance reviews into SFUSD and three Monterey County school districts over their policies and materials related to gender identity and sexual orientation.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/MariaSuAP2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12086920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/MariaSuAP2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/MariaSuAP2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/MariaSuAP2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San Francisco Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Maria Su testifies during a House Education and Workforce Committee hearing on parental rights and school content policies, on June 10, 2026, in Washington. (Kevin Wolf/AP Photo)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Later that month, San Francisco Superintendent Su was \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086522/congress-to-grill-san-francisco-schools-chief-maria-su-about-gender-ethnic-studies\">called to testify\u003c/a> before Congress about parental rights and “inappropriate” course curriculum.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>All of that adds up to a current moment that Marsh described as an attack on public education and democracy at large, adding that voting is essential to maintain those institutions.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“A democracy that focuses on the common good … actually requires people to look out for other kids, not just their own families,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“School boards are one of our few local institutions that are both defending democracy and public education,” she said. “The federal government can’t do anything about our boards — the school board system is well established, and I think we need to defend that.”\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/educationnews\">school districts\u003c/a> across the Bay Area, years of declining enrollment are forcing major cuts and closures; students’ math and reading scores are in a \u003ca href=\"https://cepr.harvard.edu/news/2026/05/why-us-test-scores-are-generation-long-decline\">free fall\u003c/a>; and campuses are being confronted with many of our major political fights, from transgender rights to AI regulation. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>In \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/educationnews\">school districts\u003c/a> across the Bay Area, years of declining enrollment are forcing major cuts and closures; students’ math and reading scores are in a \u003ca href=\"https://cepr.harvard.edu/news/2026/05/why-us-test-scores-are-generation-long-decline\">free fall\u003c/a>; and campuses are being confronted with many of our major political fights, from transgender rights to AI regulation. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But in many cases, the people elected to navigate these challenges earn that significant power by a margin as small as a couple hundred votes. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>But in many cases, the people elected to navigate these challenges earn that significant power by a margin as small as a couple hundred votes. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>More than half of school board candidates across the U.S. run uncontested in an average election cycle, and voter turnout hovers between 5% and 10%. And school board races tend to be “low information,” meaning voters know little about who the candidates are or where they stand on key issues, many of which are similar across districts throughout the state.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>More than half of school board candidates across the U.S. run uncontested in an average election cycle, and voter turnout hovers between 5% and 10%. And school board races tend to be “low information,” meaning voters know little about who the candidates are or where they stand on key issues, many of which are similar across districts throughout the state.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>KQED asked \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide\">390 candidates vying for 109 school board seats\u003c/a> across the nine-county Bay Area in November for their stance on some of these topics, from potential school closures to cellphone use — information voters can use at a time that education experts say is pivotal to public schools’ success. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>KQED asked \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide\">390 candidates vying for 109 school board seats\u003c/a> across the nine-county Bay Area in November for their stance on some of these topics, from potential school closures to cellphone use — information voters can use at a time that education experts say is pivotal to public schools’ success. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We have some unambiguously big problems for schools,” said Jon Valant, who directs the Brown Center on Education Policy at the Brookings Institution. “You can have a big impact, and you can have a big impact at a time when schools are facing a lot of important questions.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“We have some unambiguously big problems for schools,” said Jon Valant, who directs the Brown Center on Education Policy at the Brookings Institution. “You can have a big impact, and you can have a big impact at a time when schools are facing a lot of important questions.”\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "What do school boards actually do?",
"level": 2
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What do school boards actually do?\u003c/h2>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What do school boards actually do?\u003c/h2>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>School boards oversee large budgets, act as major employers and make policy and curriculum decisions that affect thousands of young people — and have rippling impacts on their wider communities.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>School boards oversee large budgets, act as major employers and make policy and curriculum decisions that affect thousands of young people — and have rippling impacts on their wider communities.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“[Public schools] are the primary institutions that we have for preparing people to be contributing members of our society, democracy and economy,” Valant said. “When you’re participating in a school board election, you’re really having a say in the structure of our society more broadly.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“[Public schools] are the primary institutions that we have for preparing people to be contributing members of our society, democracy and economy,” Valant said. “When you’re participating in a school board election, you’re really having a say in the structure of our society more broadly.”\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/image",
"attrs": {
"id": 12094191,
"sizeSlug": "full",
"linkDestination": "none",
"alt": "",
"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-8-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-8-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-8-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w",
"sizes": "(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)"
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-8-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12094191\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-8-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-8-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-8-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A classroom at Mission Bay Elementary School in San Francisco on Aug. 6, 2026. Mission Bay School is the first new public SFUSD school to open in 20 years.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-8-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12094191\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A classroom at Mission Bay Elementary School in San Francisco on Aug. 6, 2026. Mission Bay School is the first new public SFUSD school to open in 20 years.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The bodies have a few main functions: approving a school district’s budget — which for an urban district like San Francisco, tops $1.36 billion — and hiring and evaluating a superintendent, the person “who’s really responsible for running the system,” according to Julie Marsh, a faculty director at Policy Analysis for California Education.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>The bodies have a few main functions: approving a school district’s budget — which for an urban district like San Francisco, tops $1.36 billion — and hiring and evaluating a superintendent, the person “who’s really responsible for running the system,” according to Julie Marsh, a faculty director at Policy Analysis for California Education.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>School boards set priorities, such as student outcome goals and community values, that are supposed to guide decision-making by the superintendent and district staff. They also approve curriculum and labor contracts and can steer high-level policy. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>School boards set priorities, such as student outcome goals and community values, that are supposed to guide decision-making by the superintendent and district staff. They also approve curriculum and labor contracts and can steer high-level policy. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "Culture war battlegrounds",
"level": 2
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Culture war battlegrounds\u003c/h2>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Culture war battlegrounds\u003c/h2>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Less officially, school boards have also become political arenas.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Less officially, school boards have also become political arenas.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Schools and particularly school boards have really become some of the country’s main battlegrounds for its culture wars,” Valant said. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“Schools and particularly school boards have really become some of the country’s main battlegrounds for its culture wars,” Valant said. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He traces the trend back to the COVID-19 pandemic, when some groups of parents began organizing and rallying against masking and vaccine mandates.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>He traces the trend back to the COVID-19 pandemic, when some groups of parents began organizing and rallying against masking and vaccine mandates.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/image",
"attrs": {
"id": 12103881,
"sizeSlug": "full",
"linkDestination": "none",
"alt": "",
"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/MomsLibertyGetty-52a1d437.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/MomsLibertyGetty-52a1d437-160x126.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/MomsLibertyGetty-52a1d437-1536x1207.jpg 1536w",
"sizes": "(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)"
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/MomsLibertyGetty-52a1d437.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103881\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/MomsLibertyGetty-52a1d437.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/MomsLibertyGetty-52a1d437-160x126.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/MomsLibertyGetty-52a1d437-1536x1207.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Martha Aguilera, left, with Karen Frost of Moms for Liberty, speaks at the California Policy Center and PERK (Protection of the Educational Rights of Kids) event, “A Line in the Sand, A Rally for Parental Rights,” at Rancho Madera Community Park in Simi Valley, California, on Sept. 26, 2023.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/MomsLibertyGetty-52a1d437.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103881\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Martha Aguilera, left, with Karen Frost of Moms for Liberty, speaks at the California Policy Center and PERK (Protection of the Educational Rights of Kids) event, “A Line in the Sand, A Rally for Parental Rights,” at Rancho Madera Community Park in Simi Valley, California, on Sept. 26, 2023.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Around the same time, groups like \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101904708/conservative-mothers-as-a-political-force-in-california\">Moms for Liberty\u003c/a> were on the rise, advocating against curriculum that teaches about LGBTQ rights and race and ethnicity. They began running school board candidates and establishing a sustained presence at school board meetings, sowing fear that public schools are pushing “woke indoctrination.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Around the same time, groups like \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101904708/conservative-mothers-as-a-political-force-in-california\">Moms for Liberty\u003c/a> were on the rise, advocating against curriculum that teaches about LGBTQ rights and race and ethnicity. They began running school board candidates and establishing a sustained presence at school board meetings, sowing fear that public schools are pushing “woke indoctrination.”\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We’ve seen far-right leaders who have been quite successful with this approach where they run well-funded groups, organize and run a candidate on an ideological platform,” Marsh said. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“We’ve seen far-right leaders who have been quite successful with this approach where they run well-funded groups, organize and run a candidate on an ideological platform,” Marsh said. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>She and other experts said the rise of candidates running for the nonpartisan roles backed by political interest groups became especially prominent in the early 2020s. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>She and other experts said the rise of candidates running for the nonpartisan roles backed by political interest groups became especially prominent in the early 2020s. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While these groups’ influence on school board races seems to be dying down in California, Valant said a recent national Brookings survey found that school board members still feel their governance has become more political and partisan in recent years. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>While these groups’ influence on school board races seems to be dying down in California, Valant said a recent national Brookings survey found that school board members still feel their governance has become more political and partisan in recent years. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Marsh said that conservative groups have also used the tactic to upend trust in school systems more broadly and “mobilize their base.” \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Marsh said that conservative groups have also used the tactic to upend trust in school systems more broadly and “mobilize their base.” \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“There’s a whole strategy of creating a bench for potential candidates for higher office,” she said.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“There’s a whole strategy of creating a bench for potential candidates for higher office,” she said.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/image",
"attrs": {
"id": 12086196,
"sizeSlug": "full",
"linkDestination": "none",
"alt": "",
"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Sonja-Shaw-Getty-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Sonja-Shaw-Getty-1-160x110.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Sonja-Shaw-Getty-1-1536x1054.jpg 1536w",
"sizes": "(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)"
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Sonja-Shaw-Getty-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12086196\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Sonja-Shaw-Getty-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Sonja-Shaw-Getty-1-160x110.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Sonja-Shaw-Getty-1-1536x1054.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sonja Shaw, Chino Valley Unified School District Board President, speaks at the California Policy Center and PERK (Protection of the Educational Rights of Kids) event, “A Line in the Sand: A Rally for Parental Rights,” at Rancho Madera Community Park in Simi Valley, California, on Sept. 26, 2023.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Sonja-Shaw-Getty-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12086196\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sonja Shaw, Chino Valley Unified School District Board President, speaks at the California Policy Center and PERK (Protection of the Educational Rights of Kids) event, “A Line in the Sand: A Rally for Parental Rights,” at Rancho Madera Community Park in Simi Valley, California, on Sept. 26, 2023.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Sonja Shaw, who is in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086044/conservative-activist-sonja-shaw-advances-in-state-superintendent-race\">runoff election for California state superintendent\u003c/a> this November, rose to notoriety as Chino Valley’s school board president in 2023, when she pushed for a policy that would require school staff to notify parents of any change in their children’s gender identity. Shaw made headlines after current state Superintendent Tony Thurmond was heckled and removed from her district’s board meeting after he expressed opposition to the policy. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Sonja Shaw, who is in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086044/conservative-activist-sonja-shaw-advances-in-state-superintendent-race\">runoff election for California state superintendent\u003c/a> this November, rose to notoriety as Chino Valley’s school board president in 2023, when she pushed for a policy that would require school staff to notify parents of any change in their children’s gender identity. Shaw made headlines after current state Superintendent Tony Thurmond was heckled and removed from her district’s board meeting after he expressed opposition to the policy. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The policy was permanently halted in 2024, after a lawsuit from Attorney General Rob Bonta, along with similar campaigns to implement “forced outing” in Rocklin and counties in Southern California.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>The policy was permanently halted in 2024, after a lawsuit from Attorney General Rob Bonta, along with similar campaigns to implement “forced outing” in Rocklin and counties in Southern California.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>President Donald Trump also harnessed fear surrounding schools’ policies around LGBTQ students in the final stretch of his 2024 reelection campaign, telling a crowd of about 20,000 at Madison Square Garden, “we will get … transgender insanity the hell out of our schools.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>President Donald Trump also harnessed fear surrounding schools’ policies around LGBTQ students in the final stretch of his 2024 reelection campaign, telling a crowd of about 20,000 at Madison Square Garden, “we will get … transgender insanity the hell out of our schools.”\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He repeatedly told voters: “your kid goes to school and comes home a few days later with an operation,” changing their sex.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>He repeatedly told voters: “your kid goes to school and comes home a few days later with an operation,” changing their sex.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "‘Big, big issues’",
"level": 2
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘Big, big issues’\u003c/h2>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘Big, big issues’\u003c/h2>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While “culture war politics” draw attention and tend to spur single-issue candidates to run for school boards, Valant said, “we need really to be focused on some of the core issues in education.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>While “culture war politics” draw attention and tend to spur single-issue candidates to run for school boards, Valant said, “we need really to be focused on some of the core issues in education.”\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“[Artificial intelligence] has kind of landed on schools’ laps, and questions about how technology should be embedded into the school day,” he said. “We’ve seen achievement declines across the country and growing gaps between the highest- and lowest-scoring students. We’ve seen chronic absenteeism and enrollment declines.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“[Artificial intelligence] has kind of landed on schools’ laps, and questions about how technology should be embedded into the school day,” he said. “We’ve seen achievement declines across the country and growing gaps between the highest- and lowest-scoring students. We’ve seen chronic absenteeism and enrollment declines.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“And, we’ve seen a growing attack on public education across the country,” he said.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“And, we’ve seen a growing attack on public education across the country,” he said.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/image",
"attrs": {
"id": 12103883,
"sizeSlug": "full",
"linkDestination": "none",
"alt": "",
"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/LAUSDScreenTimeGetty-d975feb9.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/LAUSDScreenTimeGetty-d975feb9-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/LAUSDScreenTimeGetty-d975feb9-1536x1024.jpg 1536w",
"sizes": "(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)"
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/LAUSDScreenTimeGetty-d975feb9.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103883\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/LAUSDScreenTimeGetty-d975feb9.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/LAUSDScreenTimeGetty-d975feb9-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/LAUSDScreenTimeGetty-d975feb9-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Nick Melvoin, Member of the Los Angeles Unified School District, speaks during a board meeting at the LAUSD headquarters on April 21, 2026, in Los Angeles, California. The LAUSD met to discuss a resolution calling for development of a Screen Time Policy setting time limits by grade, including elimination of student digital devices for early education through first grade, prohibiting device use by elementary and middle school students during passing periods, lunch and recess. The board unanimously voted to approve Board Member Melvoin’s Resolution to limit student screen time.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Kayla Bartkowski/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/LAUSDScreenTimeGetty-d975feb9.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103883\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Nick Melvoin, Member of the Los Angeles Unified School District, speaks during a board meeting at the LAUSD headquarters on April 21, 2026, in Los Angeles, California. The LAUSD met to discuss a resolution calling for development of a Screen Time Policy setting time limits by grade, including elimination of student digital devices for early education through first grade, prohibiting device use by elementary and middle school students during passing periods, lunch and recess. The board unanimously voted to approve Board Member Melvoin’s Resolution to limit student screen time.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Kayla Bartkowski/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Many of the boards elected this November will be tasked with deciding how their districts will weather shrinking student bodies, and whether to close schools as part of that process.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Many of the boards elected this November will be tasked with deciding how their districts will weather shrinking student bodies, and whether to close schools as part of that process.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/school-closures\">closure process\u003c/a> is almost always met with strong opposition from families and teachers, but how districts approach it can significantly change how it affects enrollment and trust.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/school-closures\">closure process\u003c/a> is almost always met with strong opposition from families and teachers, but how districts approach it can significantly change how it affects enrollment and trust.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>San Francisco’s former superintendent \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12010008/sf-schools-crisis-is-spiraling-with-top-official-to-resign-heres-all-thats-happened\">resigned under pressure\u003c/a> in 2024 after a botched closure process that strained relationships with the district’s labor unions and many families. But earlier this year, the school board \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12095382/as-sfusd-welcomes-back-students-officials-plan-to-revamp-enrollment-consider-closures\">reopened the question of school consolidations\u003c/a>, giving Superintendent Maria Su a strict deadline of 2030 to decide whether campuses should shutter. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>San Francisco’s former superintendent \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12010008/sf-schools-crisis-is-spiraling-with-top-official-to-resign-heres-all-thats-happened\">resigned under pressure\u003c/a> in 2024 after a botched closure process that strained relationships with the district’s labor unions and many families. But earlier this year, the school board \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12095382/as-sfusd-welcomes-back-students-officials-plan-to-revamp-enrollment-consider-closures\">reopened the question of school consolidations\u003c/a>, giving Superintendent Maria Su a strict deadline of 2030 to decide whether campuses should shutter. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The board — including the three members who will be elected this fall — will have final approval over her plan.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>The board — including the three members who will be elected this fall — will have final approval over her plan.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Campus closures can upend longstanding school communities, and National School Board Association president Verjeana McCotter-Jacobs said they have rippling effects on nearby businesses, property values and neighborhood populations if they spur families to move.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Campus closures can upend longstanding school communities, and National School Board Association president Verjeana McCotter-Jacobs said they have rippling effects on nearby businesses, property values and neighborhood populations if they spur families to move.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "kqed-v2/related-articles",
"attrs": {
"label": "2026 Bay Area Voter Guide",
"heroImage": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/80/2026/09/Aside-Bay-Area-Voter-Guide-2026-Midterm-Election-1200x1200@2x.png",
"heroImageLink": "https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/bayarea",
"manualLinks": [
{
"url": "https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/bayarea",
"title": "Learn about key races and measures across the nine Bay Area counties"
}
],
"query": "",
"postIds": [],
"labelWasCleared": false,
"maxPosts": 3,
"showImages": true,
"heroImageAlt": "",
"labelLink": "",
"alignment": "right",
"target": "_self",
"posts": []
},
"innerHTML": "",
"innerContent": [],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Of the 140 Bay Area school board candidates who responded to KQED’s question about school closures, 57% said they would consider supporting a proposal from their district to close schools, while 43% said they would oppose the practice.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Of the 140 Bay Area school board candidates who responded to KQED’s question about school closures, 57% said they would consider supporting a proposal from their district to close schools, while 43% said they would oppose the practice.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Boards are also setting the course for the future of technology in classrooms, as parent-led backlash expands across the country, blaming overreliance on screens and artificial intelligence for poor learning outcomes. According to a joint Education Scorecard project from researchers at Stanford, Harvard and Dartmouth universities, falling test scores reflect a \u003ca href=\"https://cepr.harvard.edu/news/2026/05/why-us-test-scores-are-generation-long-decline\">decadelong “learning recession.”\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Boards are also setting the course for the future of technology in classrooms, as parent-led backlash expands across the country, blaming overreliance on screens and artificial intelligence for poor learning outcomes. According to a joint Education Scorecard project from researchers at Stanford, Harvard and Dartmouth universities, falling test scores reflect a \u003ca href=\"https://cepr.harvard.edu/news/2026/05/why-us-test-scores-are-generation-long-decline\">decadelong “learning recession.”\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the spring, the Los Angeles Unified School District board passed a slate of historic tech-limiting policies, proposed by board member Nick Melvoin, with advocacy group Schools Beyond Screens. Districts across the country have moved quickly to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12096557/a-chromebook-in-the-hand-of-every-child-did-schools-go-too-far\">replicate their model\u003c/a>, including in the Bay Area, from San José to Marin.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>In the spring, the Los Angeles Unified School District board passed a slate of historic tech-limiting policies, proposed by board member Nick Melvoin, with advocacy group Schools Beyond Screens. Districts across the country have moved quickly to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12096557/a-chromebook-in-the-hand-of-every-child-did-schools-go-too-far\">replicate their model\u003c/a>, including in the Bay Area, from San José to Marin.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Last week, the Oakland school board approved new technology restrictions, proposed by board member Rachel Latta, that prohibit students from using individual devices during lunch and passing periods, and mandate training for teachers to reduce 1:1 device use by the fall of 2027. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Last week, the Oakland school board approved new technology restrictions, proposed by board member Rachel Latta, that prohibit students from using individual devices during lunch and passing periods, and mandate training for teachers to reduce 1:1 device use by the fall of 2027. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Other districts in San Francisco, San Mateo and Palo Alto have formed ad hoc committees or working groups to consider stricter tech policies, which will be presented to their new boards in the spring.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Other districts in San Francisco, San Mateo and Palo Alto have formed ad hoc committees or working groups to consider stricter tech policies, which will be presented to their new boards in the spring.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>San Francisco’s public school district is relatively behind on limiting tech use — the current board allowed administrators to punt on a stricter cellphone policy last spring, and it uses a controversial AI-assisted reading assessment and tutoring tool with kindergarteners.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>San Francisco’s public school district is relatively behind on limiting tech use — the current board allowed administrators to punt on a stricter cellphone policy last spring, and it uses a controversial AI-assisted reading assessment and tutoring tool with kindergarteners.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "Combatting federal attacks",
"level": 2
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Combatting federal attacks\u003c/h2>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Combatting federal attacks\u003c/h2>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Voters aren’t just choosing who will make major instructional decisions at their local school districts; Valant said voting in school board elections this November will send an important message amid what he calls a “federal attack” on public schools.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Voters aren’t just choosing who will make major instructional decisions at their local school districts; Valant said voting in school board elections this November will send an important message amid what he calls a “federal attack” on public schools.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Staying engaged with school boards, with education, with your local public school, is just really important in communicating that public schools are institutions that mean a lot to this country,” he said. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“Staying engaged with school boards, with education, with your local public school, is just really important in communicating that public schools are institutions that mean a lot to this country,” he said. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Since taking office last year, Trump has signed an executive order directing the dismantling of the Department of Education and created a federal \u003ca href=\"https://www.ed.gov/media/document/education-freedom-tax-credit-fact-sheet-113147.pdf\">Education Freedom Scholarship Program\u003c/a>, which aims to expand parents’ school choice by allowing them to receive tax credits up to $1,700 that can be used to pay for private school tuition, home-schooling costs, and other educational support.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Since taking office last year, Trump has signed an executive order directing the dismantling of the Department of Education and created a federal \u003ca href=\"https://www.ed.gov/media/document/education-freedom-tax-credit-fact-sheet-113147.pdf\">Education Freedom Scholarship Program\u003c/a>, which aims to expand parents’ school choice by allowing them to receive tax credits up to $1,700 that can be used to pay for private school tuition, home-schooling costs, and other educational support.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/image",
"attrs": {
"id": 12091600,
"sizeSlug": "full",
"linkDestination": "none",
"alt": ""
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/GettyImages-2285787606-scaled-e1791586238561.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091600\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">U.S. President Donald Trump addresses the nation from the East Room of the White House on July 16, 2026, in Washington, D.C. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Saul Loeb/Pool via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/GettyImages-2285787606-scaled-e1791586238561.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091600\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">U.S. President Donald Trump addresses the nation from the East Room of the White House on July 16, 2026, in Washington, D.C. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Saul Loeb/Pool via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Those together are the biggest change in school policy since at least the early 1990s,” said professor Doug Harris, the director of the National Center for Research on Education Access and Choice at Tulane University. “The idea of open access or universal access to schools is upended. Public education has always involved some public governance, and this eliminates [that].”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“Those together are the biggest change in school policy since at least the early 1990s,” said professor Doug Harris, the director of the National Center for Research on Education Access and Choice at Tulane University. “The idea of open access or universal access to schools is upended. Public education has always involved some public governance, and this eliminates [that].”\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Valant called the universal private school choice policies, adopted by more than half of U.S. states, not including California, “intentionally hostile to public schools.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Valant called the universal private school choice policies, adopted by more than half of U.S. states, not including California, “intentionally hostile to public schools.”\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While the federal government has suggested that school choice increases competition and will improve public schools, Valant and others worry it will siphon funds away from the public system and toward schools that are able to select which students they serve — and often teach religious material.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>While the federal government has suggested that school choice increases competition and will improve public schools, Valant and others worry it will siphon funds away from the public system and toward schools that are able to select which students they serve — and often teach religious material.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Trump administration has also threatened to withhold federal dollars from school districts that teach about diversity, equity and inclusion, or promote policies that protect transgender students. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>The Trump administration has also threatened to withhold federal dollars from school districts that teach about diversity, equity and inclusion, or promote policies that protect transgender students. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In June, the Department of Education launched compliance reviews into SFUSD and three Monterey County school districts over their policies and materials related to gender identity and sexual orientation.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>In June, the Department of Education launched compliance reviews into SFUSD and three Monterey County school districts over their policies and materials related to gender identity and sexual orientation.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/image",
"attrs": {
"id": 12086920,
"sizeSlug": "full",
"linkDestination": "none",
"alt": "",
"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/MariaSuAP2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/MariaSuAP2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/MariaSuAP2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w",
"sizes": "(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)"
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/MariaSuAP2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12086920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/MariaSuAP2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/MariaSuAP2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/MariaSuAP2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San Francisco Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Maria Su testifies during a House Education and Workforce Committee hearing on parental rights and school content policies, on June 10, 2026, in Washington. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Kevin Wolf/AP Photo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/MariaSuAP2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12086920\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San Francisco Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Maria Su testifies during a House Education and Workforce Committee hearing on parental rights and school content policies, on June 10, 2026, in Washington. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Kevin Wolf/AP Photo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Later that month, San Francisco Superintendent Su was \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086522/congress-to-grill-san-francisco-schools-chief-maria-su-about-gender-ethnic-studies\">called to testify\u003c/a> before Congress about parental rights and “inappropriate” course curriculum.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Later that month, San Francisco Superintendent Su was \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086522/congress-to-grill-san-francisco-schools-chief-maria-su-about-gender-ethnic-studies\">called to testify\u003c/a> before Congress about parental rights and “inappropriate” course curriculum.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>All of that adds up to a current moment that Marsh described as an attack on public education and democracy at large, adding that voting is essential to maintain those institutions.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>All of that adds up to a current moment that Marsh described as an attack on public education and democracy at large, adding that voting is essential to maintain those institutions.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“A democracy that focuses on the common good … actually requires people to look out for other kids, not just their own families,” she said.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“A democracy that focuses on the common good … actually requires people to look out for other kids, not just their own families,” she said.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“School boards are one of our few local institutions that are both defending democracy and public education,” she said. “The federal government can’t do anything about our boards — the school board system is well established, and I think we need to defend that.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“School boards are one of our few local institutions that are both defending democracy and public education,” she said. “The federal government can’t do anything about our boards — the school board system is well established, and I think we need to defend that.”\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
}
],
"excerpt": "Public schools across the Bay Area are facing “some unambiguously big problems,” education experts say, but the elections for local school boards often fly under the radar.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1792103348,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 48,
"wordCount": 2125
},
"headData": {
"title": "Don’t Skip the School Board Races on Your Ballot. Here’s Why They Could Be Pivotal | KQED",
"description": "Public schools across the Bay Area are facing “some unambiguously big problems,” education experts say, but the elections for local school boards often fly under the radar.",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "Don’t Skip the School Board Races on Your Ballot. Here’s Why They Could Be Pivotal",
"datePublished": "2026-10-14T09:57:12-07:00",
"dateModified": "2026-10-15T15:29:08-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"primaryCategory": {
"termId": 18540,
"slug": "education",
"name": "Education"
},
"audioUrl": "https://traffic.omny.fm/d/clips/0af137ef-751e-4b19-a055-aaef00d2d578/ffca7e9f-6831-41c5-bcaf-aaef00f5a073/cee07060-4f5e-4038-9505-b4e3011ccb5e/audio.mp3",
"sticky": false,
"nprStoryId": "kqed-12103823",
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/news/12103823/dont-skip-the-school-board-races-on-your-ballot-heres-why-they-could-be-pivotal",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>In \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/educationnews\">school districts\u003c/a> across the Bay Area, years of declining enrollment are forcing major cuts and closures; students’ math and reading scores are in a \u003ca href=\"https://cepr.harvard.edu/news/2026/05/why-us-test-scores-are-generation-long-decline\">free fall\u003c/a>; and campuses are being confronted with many of our major political fights, from transgender rights to AI regulation. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But in many cases, the people elected to navigate these challenges earn that significant power by a margin as small as a couple hundred votes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>More than half of school board candidates across the U.S. run uncontested in an average election cycle, and voter turnout hovers between 5% and 10%. And school board races tend to be “low information,” meaning voters know little about who the candidates are or where they stand on key issues, many of which are similar across districts throughout the state.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>KQED asked \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide\">390 candidates vying for 109 school board seats\u003c/a> across the nine-county Bay Area in November for their stance on some of these topics, from potential school closures to cellphone use — information voters can use at a time that education experts say is pivotal to public schools’ success. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We have some unambiguously big problems for schools,” said Jon Valant, who directs the Brown Center on Education Policy at the Brookings Institution. “You can have a big impact, and you can have a big impact at a time when schools are facing a lot of important questions.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What do school boards actually do?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>School boards oversee large budgets, act as major employers and make policy and curriculum decisions that affect thousands of young people — and have rippling impacts on their wider communities.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“[Public schools] are the primary institutions that we have for preparing people to be contributing members of our society, democracy and economy,” Valant said. “When you’re participating in a school board election, you’re really having a say in the structure of our society more broadly.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-8-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12094191\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-8-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-8-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-8-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A classroom at Mission Bay Elementary School in San Francisco on Aug. 6, 2026. Mission Bay School is the first new public SFUSD school to open in 20 years. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The bodies have a few main functions: approving a school district’s budget — which for an urban district like San Francisco, tops $1.36 billion — and hiring and evaluating a superintendent, the person “who’s really responsible for running the system,” according to Julie Marsh, a faculty director at Policy Analysis for California Education.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>School boards set priorities, such as student outcome goals and community values, that are supposed to guide decision-making by the superintendent and district staff. They also approve curriculum and labor contracts and can steer high-level policy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Culture war battlegrounds\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Less officially, school boards have also become political arenas.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Schools and particularly school boards have really become some of the country’s main battlegrounds for its culture wars,” Valant said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He traces the trend back to the COVID-19 pandemic, when some groups of parents began organizing and rallying against masking and vaccine mandates.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1571\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/MomsLibertyGetty-52a1d437.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103881\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/MomsLibertyGetty-52a1d437.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/MomsLibertyGetty-52a1d437-160x126.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/MomsLibertyGetty-52a1d437-1536x1207.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Martha Aguilera, left, with Karen Frost of Moms for Liberty, speaks at the California Policy Center and PERK (Protection of the Educational Rights of Kids) event, “A Line in the Sand, A Rally for Parental Rights,” at Rancho Madera Community Park in Simi Valley, California, on Sept. 26, 2023. (Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Around the same time, groups like \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101904708/conservative-mothers-as-a-political-force-in-california\">Moms for Liberty\u003c/a> were on the rise, advocating against curriculum that teaches about LGBTQ rights and race and ethnicity. They began running school board candidates and establishing a sustained presence at school board meetings, sowing fear that public schools are pushing “woke indoctrination.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’ve seen far-right leaders who have been quite successful with this approach where they run well-funded groups, organize and run a candidate on an ideological platform,” Marsh said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She and other experts said the rise of candidates running for the nonpartisan roles backed by political interest groups became especially prominent in the early 2020s. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While these groups’ influence on school board races seems to be dying down in California, Valant said a recent national Brookings survey found that school board members still feel their governance has become more political and partisan in recent years. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Marsh said that conservative groups have also used the tactic to upend trust in school systems more broadly and “mobilize their base.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There’s a whole strategy of creating a bench for potential candidates for higher office,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1372\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Sonja-Shaw-Getty-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12086196\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Sonja-Shaw-Getty-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Sonja-Shaw-Getty-1-160x110.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Sonja-Shaw-Getty-1-1536x1054.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sonja Shaw, Chino Valley Unified School District Board President, speaks at the California Policy Center and PERK (Protection of the Educational Rights of Kids) event, “A Line in the Sand: A Rally for Parental Rights,” at Rancho Madera Community Park in Simi Valley, California, on Sept. 26, 2023. (Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Sonja Shaw, who is in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086044/conservative-activist-sonja-shaw-advances-in-state-superintendent-race\">runoff election for California state superintendent\u003c/a> this November, rose to notoriety as Chino Valley’s school board president in 2023, when she pushed for a policy that would require school staff to notify parents of any change in their children’s gender identity. Shaw made headlines after current state Superintendent Tony Thurmond was heckled and removed from her district’s board meeting after he expressed opposition to the policy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The policy was permanently halted in 2024, after a lawsuit from Attorney General Rob Bonta, along with similar campaigns to implement “forced outing” in Rocklin and counties in Southern California.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>President Donald Trump also harnessed fear surrounding schools’ policies around LGBTQ students in the final stretch of his 2024 reelection campaign, telling a crowd of about 20,000 at Madison Square Garden, “we will get … transgender insanity the hell out of our schools.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He repeatedly told voters: “your kid goes to school and comes home a few days later with an operation,” changing their sex.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘Big, big issues’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While “culture war politics” draw attention and tend to spur single-issue candidates to run for school boards, Valant said, “we need really to be focused on some of the core issues in education.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“[Artificial intelligence] has kind of landed on schools’ laps, and questions about how technology should be embedded into the school day,” he said. “We’ve seen achievement declines across the country and growing gaps between the highest- and lowest-scoring students. We’ve seen chronic absenteeism and enrollment declines.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“And, we’ve seen a growing attack on public education across the country,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/LAUSDScreenTimeGetty-d975feb9.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103883\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/LAUSDScreenTimeGetty-d975feb9.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/LAUSDScreenTimeGetty-d975feb9-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/LAUSDScreenTimeGetty-d975feb9-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Nick Melvoin, Member of the Los Angeles Unified School District, speaks during a board meeting at the LAUSD headquarters on April 21, 2026, in Los Angeles, California. The LAUSD met to discuss a resolution calling for development of a Screen Time Policy setting time limits by grade, including elimination of student digital devices for early education through first grade, prohibiting device use by elementary and middle school students during passing periods, lunch and recess. The board unanimously voted to approve Board Member Melvoin’s Resolution to limit student screen time. (Kayla Bartkowski/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Many of the boards elected this November will be tasked with deciding how their districts will weather shrinking student bodies, and whether to close schools as part of that process.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/school-closures\">closure process\u003c/a> is almost always met with strong opposition from families and teachers, but how districts approach it can significantly change how it affects enrollment and trust.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>San Francisco’s former superintendent \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12010008/sf-schools-crisis-is-spiraling-with-top-official-to-resign-heres-all-thats-happened\">resigned under pressure\u003c/a> in 2024 after a botched closure process that strained relationships with the district’s labor unions and many families. But earlier this year, the school board \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12095382/as-sfusd-welcomes-back-students-officials-plan-to-revamp-enrollment-consider-closures\">reopened the question of school consolidations\u003c/a>, giving Superintendent Maria Su a strict deadline of 2030 to decide whether campuses should shutter. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The board — including the three members who will be elected this fall — will have final approval over her plan.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Campus closures can upend longstanding school communities, and National School Board Association president Verjeana McCotter-Jacobs said they have rippling effects on nearby businesses, property values and neighborhood populations if they spur families to move.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Of the 140 Bay Area school board candidates who responded to KQED’s question about school closures, 57% said they would consider supporting a proposal from their district to close schools, while 43% said they would oppose the practice.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Boards are also setting the course for the future of technology in classrooms, as parent-led backlash expands across the country, blaming overreliance on screens and artificial intelligence for poor learning outcomes. According to a joint Education Scorecard project from researchers at Stanford, Harvard and Dartmouth universities, falling test scores reflect a \u003ca href=\"https://cepr.harvard.edu/news/2026/05/why-us-test-scores-are-generation-long-decline\">decadelong “learning recession.”\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the spring, the Los Angeles Unified School District board passed a slate of historic tech-limiting policies, proposed by board member Nick Melvoin, with advocacy group Schools Beyond Screens. Districts across the country have moved quickly to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12096557/a-chromebook-in-the-hand-of-every-child-did-schools-go-too-far\">replicate their model\u003c/a>, including in the Bay Area, from San José to Marin.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Last week, the Oakland school board approved new technology restrictions, proposed by board member Rachel Latta, that prohibit students from using individual devices during lunch and passing periods, and mandate training for teachers to reduce 1:1 device use by the fall of 2027. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Other districts in San Francisco, San Mateo and Palo Alto have formed ad hoc committees or working groups to consider stricter tech policies, which will be presented to their new boards in the spring.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>San Francisco’s public school district is relatively behind on limiting tech use — the current board allowed administrators to punt on a stricter cellphone policy last spring, and it uses a controversial AI-assisted reading assessment and tutoring tool with kindergarteners.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Combatting federal attacks\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Voters aren’t just choosing who will make major instructional decisions at their local school districts; Valant said voting in school board elections this November will send an important message amid what he calls a “federal attack” on public schools.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Staying engaged with school boards, with education, with your local public school, is just really important in communicating that public schools are institutions that mean a lot to this country,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Since taking office last year, Trump has signed an executive order directing the dismantling of the Department of Education and created a federal \u003ca href=\"https://www.ed.gov/media/document/education-freedom-tax-credit-fact-sheet-113147.pdf\">Education Freedom Scholarship Program\u003c/a>, which aims to expand parents’ school choice by allowing them to receive tax credits up to $1,700 that can be used to pay for private school tuition, home-schooling costs, and other educational support.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/GettyImages-2285787606-scaled-e1791586238561.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091600\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">U.S. President Donald Trump addresses the nation from the East Room of the White House on July 16, 2026, in Washington, D.C. (Saul Loeb/Pool via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Those together are the biggest change in school policy since at least the early 1990s,” said professor Doug Harris, the director of the National Center for Research on Education Access and Choice at Tulane University. “The idea of open access or universal access to schools is upended. Public education has always involved some public governance, and this eliminates [that].”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Valant called the universal private school choice policies, adopted by more than half of U.S. states, not including California, “intentionally hostile to public schools.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While the federal government has suggested that school choice increases competition and will improve public schools, Valant and others worry it will siphon funds away from the public system and toward schools that are able to select which students they serve — and often teach religious material.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Trump administration has also threatened to withhold federal dollars from school districts that teach about diversity, equity and inclusion, or promote policies that protect transgender students. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In June, the Department of Education launched compliance reviews into SFUSD and three Monterey County school districts over their policies and materials related to gender identity and sexual orientation.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/MariaSuAP2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12086920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/MariaSuAP2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/MariaSuAP2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/MariaSuAP2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San Francisco Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Maria Su testifies during a House Education and Workforce Committee hearing on parental rights and school content policies, on June 10, 2026, in Washington. (Kevin Wolf/AP Photo)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Later that month, San Francisco Superintendent Su was \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086522/congress-to-grill-san-francisco-schools-chief-maria-su-about-gender-ethnic-studies\">called to testify\u003c/a> before Congress about parental rights and “inappropriate” course curriculum.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>All of that adds up to a current moment that Marsh described as an attack on public education and democracy at large, adding that voting is essential to maintain those institutions.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“A democracy that focuses on the common good … actually requires people to look out for other kids, not just their own families,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“School boards are one of our few local institutions that are both defending democracy and public education,” she said. “The federal government can’t do anything about our boards — the school board system is well established, and I think we need to defend that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/12103823/dont-skip-the-school-board-races-on-your-ballot-heres-why-they-could-be-pivotal",
"authors": [
"11913"
],
"categories": [
"news_18540",
"news_28250",
"news_8",
"news_13"
],
"tags": [
"news_35796",
"news_25184",
"news_34755",
"news_1386",
"news_1323",
"news_20013",
"news_36336",
"news_27626",
"news_34377",
"news_17968",
"news_37571",
"news_34139",
"news_31987",
"news_36929"
],
"featImg": "news_12095609",
"label": "news"
},
"news_12104230": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_12104230",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12104230",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1791990215000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "sfusd-moves-closer-to-neighborhood-based-enrollment-in-historic-vote",
"title": "SFUSD Moves Closer to Neighborhood-Based Enrollment in Historic Vote",
"publishDate": 1791990215,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "SFUSD Moves Closer to Neighborhood-Based Enrollment in Historic Vote | KQED",
"labelTerm": {
"site": "news"
},
"content": "\n\u003cp>San Francisco’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sfusd\">public schools\u003c/a> will officially move toward neighborhood-based enrollment after decades of giving families the choice over where they send their children.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The school board directed staff on Tuesday to propose an enrollment policy to take effect in fall 2028 that would ensure San Francisco Unified School District applicants a seat in a school by their home — but drastically reduce the number of campuses they can attend based on where they live.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The school board’s decision, which passed in a 5-2 vote, went against broad parent support to retain the option to apply to any San Francisco public school. But Superintendent Maria Su said she believes the pivot to neighborhood schools is necessary to improve educational quality across the city.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Families should not have to roll the dice and try their luck in our system,” Su said. “Families should not have to leave where they live to secure their child’s future. The school down the street should be a good option and a certain one.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1998\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFirstDay-20-MC_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095609\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFirstDay-20-MC_qed.jpg 1998w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFirstDay-20-MC_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFirstDay-20-MC_qed-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1998px) 100vw, 1998px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Students arrive at Jose Ortega Elementary School for the first day of their school year on Aug. 17, 2026, in San Francisco. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For years, San Francisco families and school district staff have lamented over the “lottery” enrollment system. Introduced in 2011, it aimed to give applicants a broad choice over where they attended school and reduce socio-economic segregation across campuses.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Each fall, prospective SFUSD applicants submit ranked lists of schools and programs in order of preference, and then wait for an assignment in the spring — determined by an algorithm that considers their home addresses, siblings’ schools and other factors. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It’s long been criticized as unpredictable, confusing, and frustrating enough to turn some families away from the city’s public school system entirely. But it’s also been seen as an “escape hatch” for others who don’t feel that the schools in their neighborhoods have the resources their kids need. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In 2018, the school board vowed to scrap the lottery, but putting a new policy in place has proven to be a Herculean task.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That’s now expected to change in fall of 2028. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Students entering SFUSD elementary schools that year will automatically be assigned to a school near their home — their neighborhood school — first. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If they choose to accept that placement, their enrollment process will end there.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>However, if they would like to apply to a citywide program that the district offers, like its language pathways or kindergarten through eighth grade campuses, they’ll have the option to do so. Like the lottery, there’s no guarantee they’ll nab a seat in one of those coveted schools. It’s unclear what factors will determine who is most likely to get their choice.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Su acknowledged that the selected proposal, known as “Option C,” wasn’t most parents’ top preference, but she called it the “bold” choice. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The alternative considered Tuesday, which was dubbed “Option B,” would also have first assigned students to a neighborhood school, but it would have then allowed them to apply to any other school in the district with open seats.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250825-SFUSDMISSIONEDCENTER-08-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12053561\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250825-SFUSDMISSIONEDCENTER-08-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250825-SFUSDMISSIONEDCENTER-08-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250825-SFUSDMISSIONEDCENTER-08-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Mission Education Center, a bilingual elementary school in the San Francisco Unified School District, in San Francisco’s Noe Valley neighborhood on Aug. 25, 2025. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While that system would have maintained more choice for applicants, Su said it would “keep the status quo.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Families who do not trust their neighborhood schools will continue to leave those schools,” she said. “Those schools will remain under-enrolled, and that pattern impacts our southeast neighborhoods the hardest.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Many of the parents who spoke at Tuesday’s packed board meeting voiced concerns about losing the choice that the lottery affords, especially for lower-income families and those who live in the southeast region of the city. And in an engagement survey conducted prior to the meeting, 72% of the nearly 3,000 respondents said Option B would meet their needs, while 48% approved of Option C.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There are big equity issues in the district, and when you create a system that favors neighborhood schools with very limited choice, it forces families who are living nearest to those struggling schools to not have options,” said Rebecca Kee, the executive director of the SF Parent Coalition. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Option B was also supported by board members Alida Fisher and Supriya Ray, who voted against Option C. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The board previously considered multiple options that would have created enrollment zones, similar to a 2020 policy passed but never adopted, but those were abandoned in earlier discussions. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFIRSTDAY-02-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095558\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFIRSTDAY-02-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFIRSTDAY-02-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFIRSTDAY-02-MC-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Students arrive at Jose Ortega Elementary School for the first day of their school year on Aug. 17, 2026, in San Francisco. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For decades, SFUSD has struggled to ensure that schools in lower-income neighborhoods and where students have had lower academic performance rates receive equitable resources, staff and programs — creating a loop of underenrollment, and thus, a lack of funding, for schools with the most acute needs.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Under the current system, one of the tiebreakers that determines who gets a seat at their requested school when it has more requests than seats available is called “CTIP1,” or test score area. Students who live in the census tracts in the city with the lowest average test scores get priority access to a seat, after students with a sibling already in the school, and Pre-K or transitional kindergarten students who live in the school’s attendance area.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Many of the board members acknowledged that the lottery provides some students the opportunity to move into better resourced schools. However, Commissioner Matt Alexander said, not all get to do so. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The choice system creates an escape valve for the families that have the most … understand, the most ability to navigate the system,” he said. “But we’re still operating those schools.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Choice is not a solution, because it doesn’t offer a solution for all of the families,” Alexander continued.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tuesday’s vote only sets up a broad framework for the new policy. Staff will now begin to work with demographers to draw maps with attendance area boundaries, determine tiebreaker criteria for citywide school seats and draft a strategic investment plan for next year to begin redistributing district resources. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-8-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12094191\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-8-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-8-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-8-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A classroom at Mission Bay Elementary School in San Francisco on Aug. 6, 2026. Mission Bay School is the first new public SFUSD school to open in 20 years. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One of the biggest challenges they’ll face is ensuring that each attendance zone has enough seats in neighborhood schools for the students who live there. Modeling with the district’s current attendance boundaries, 19 of the 58 zones, or about 32%, will be short of kindergarten general education seats based on projected residents in 2033.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Staff said that by moving attendance boundaries with new maps, they will be able to eliminate some, but not all, of that shortfall.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Other levers they might use to increase the number of seats in neighborhoods that fall short are: transitioning a citywide school to a neighborhood school, moving language pathways to schools with seat surpluses, or assigning students to a neighborhood school outside of their attendance zone.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The board will meet again in November to hash out other details, and is expected to vote on the final policy in April.\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>San Francisco’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sfusd\">public schools\u003c/a> will officially move toward neighborhood-based enrollment after decades of giving families the choice over where they send their children.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>San Francisco’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sfusd\">public schools\u003c/a> will officially move toward neighborhood-based enrollment after decades of giving families the choice over where they send their children.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The school board directed staff on Tuesday to propose an enrollment policy to take effect in fall 2028 that would ensure San Francisco Unified School District applicants a seat in a school by their home — but drastically reduce the number of campuses they can attend based on where they live.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>The school board directed staff on Tuesday to propose an enrollment policy to take effect in fall 2028 that would ensure San Francisco Unified School District applicants a seat in a school by their home — but drastically reduce the number of campuses they can attend based on where they live.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The school board’s decision, which passed in a 5-2 vote, went against broad parent support to retain the option to apply to any San Francisco public school. But Superintendent Maria Su said she believes the pivot to neighborhood schools is necessary to improve educational quality across the city.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>The school board’s decision, which passed in a 5-2 vote, went against broad parent support to retain the option to apply to any San Francisco public school. But Superintendent Maria Su said she believes the pivot to neighborhood schools is necessary to improve educational quality across the city.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Families should not have to roll the dice and try their luck in our system,” Su said. “Families should not have to leave where they live to secure their child’s future. The school down the street should be a good option and a certain one.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“Families should not have to roll the dice and try their luck in our system,” Su said. “Families should not have to leave where they live to secure their child’s future. The school down the street should be a good option and a certain one.”\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/image",
"attrs": {
"id": 12095609,
"sizeSlug": "full",
"linkDestination": "none",
"alt": "",
"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFirstDay-20-MC_qed.jpg 1998w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFirstDay-20-MC_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFirstDay-20-MC_qed-1536x1025.jpg 1536w",
"sizes": "(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)"
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFirstDay-20-MC_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095609\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFirstDay-20-MC_qed.jpg 1998w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFirstDay-20-MC_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFirstDay-20-MC_qed-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Students arrive at Jose Ortega Elementary School for the first day of their school year on Aug. 17, 2026, in San Francisco.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFirstDay-20-MC_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095609\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Students arrive at Jose Ortega Elementary School for the first day of their school year on Aug. 17, 2026, in San Francisco.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For years, San Francisco families and school district staff have lamented over the “lottery” enrollment system. Introduced in 2011, it aimed to give applicants a broad choice over where they attended school and reduce socio-economic segregation across campuses.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>For years, San Francisco families and school district staff have lamented over the “lottery” enrollment system. Introduced in 2011, it aimed to give applicants a broad choice over where they attended school and reduce socio-economic segregation across campuses.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Each fall, prospective SFUSD applicants submit ranked lists of schools and programs in order of preference, and then wait for an assignment in the spring — determined by an algorithm that considers their home addresses, siblings’ schools and other factors. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Each fall, prospective SFUSD applicants submit ranked lists of schools and programs in order of preference, and then wait for an assignment in the spring — determined by an algorithm that considers their home addresses, siblings’ schools and other factors. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It’s long been criticized as unpredictable, confusing, and frustrating enough to turn some families away from the city’s public school system entirely. But it’s also been seen as an “escape hatch” for others who don’t feel that the schools in their neighborhoods have the resources their kids need. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>It’s long been criticized as unpredictable, confusing, and frustrating enough to turn some families away from the city’s public school system entirely. But it’s also been seen as an “escape hatch” for others who don’t feel that the schools in their neighborhoods have the resources their kids need. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "kqed-v2/related-articles",
"attrs": {
"postIds": [
"news_12104056"
],
"label": "Related Articles",
"maxPosts": 1,
"showImages": false,
"heroImage": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-23-KQED.jpg",
"query": "",
"labelWasCleared": false,
"heroImageAlt": "",
"heroImageLink": "",
"labelLink": "",
"alignment": "right",
"target": "_self",
"manualLinks": [],
"posts": []
},
"innerHTML": "",
"innerContent": [],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In 2018, the school board vowed to scrap the lottery, but putting a new policy in place has proven to be a Herculean task.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>In 2018, the school board vowed to scrap the lottery, but putting a new policy in place has proven to be a Herculean task.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That’s now expected to change in fall of 2028. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>That’s now expected to change in fall of 2028. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Students entering SFUSD elementary schools that year will automatically be assigned to a school near their home — their neighborhood school — first. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Students entering SFUSD elementary schools that year will automatically be assigned to a school near their home — their neighborhood school — first. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If they choose to accept that placement, their enrollment process will end there.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>If they choose to accept that placement, their enrollment process will end there.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>However, if they would like to apply to a citywide program that the district offers, like its language pathways or kindergarten through eighth grade campuses, they’ll have the option to do so. Like the lottery, there’s no guarantee they’ll nab a seat in one of those coveted schools. It’s unclear what factors will determine who is most likely to get their choice.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>However, if they would like to apply to a citywide program that the district offers, like its language pathways or kindergarten through eighth grade campuses, they’ll have the option to do so. Like the lottery, there’s no guarantee they’ll nab a seat in one of those coveted schools. It’s unclear what factors will determine who is most likely to get their choice.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Su acknowledged that the selected proposal, known as “Option C,” wasn’t most parents’ top preference, but she called it the “bold” choice. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Su acknowledged that the selected proposal, known as “Option C,” wasn’t most parents’ top preference, but she called it the “bold” choice. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The alternative considered Tuesday, which was dubbed “Option B,” would also have first assigned students to a neighborhood school, but it would have then allowed them to apply to any other school in the district with open seats.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>The alternative considered Tuesday, which was dubbed “Option B,” would also have first assigned students to a neighborhood school, but it would have then allowed them to apply to any other school in the district with open seats.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/image",
"attrs": {
"id": 12053561,
"sizeSlug": "full",
"linkDestination": "none",
"alt": "",
"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250825-SFUSDMISSIONEDCENTER-08-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250825-SFUSDMISSIONEDCENTER-08-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250825-SFUSDMISSIONEDCENTER-08-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w",
"sizes": "(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)"
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250825-SFUSDMISSIONEDCENTER-08-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12053561\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250825-SFUSDMISSIONEDCENTER-08-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250825-SFUSDMISSIONEDCENTER-08-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250825-SFUSDMISSIONEDCENTER-08-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Mission Education Center, a bilingual elementary school in the San Francisco Unified School District, in San Francisco’s Noe Valley neighborhood on Aug. 25, 2025.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250825-SFUSDMISSIONEDCENTER-08-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12053561\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Mission Education Center, a bilingual elementary school in the San Francisco Unified School District, in San Francisco’s Noe Valley neighborhood on Aug. 25, 2025.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While that system would have maintained more choice for applicants, Su said it would “keep the status quo.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>While that system would have maintained more choice for applicants, Su said it would “keep the status quo.”\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Families who do not trust their neighborhood schools will continue to leave those schools,” she said. “Those schools will remain under-enrolled, and that pattern impacts our southeast neighborhoods the hardest.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“Families who do not trust their neighborhood schools will continue to leave those schools,” she said. “Those schools will remain under-enrolled, and that pattern impacts our southeast neighborhoods the hardest.”\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Many of the parents who spoke at Tuesday’s packed board meeting voiced concerns about losing the choice that the lottery affords, especially for lower-income families and those who live in the southeast region of the city. And in an engagement survey conducted prior to the meeting, 72% of the nearly 3,000 respondents said Option B would meet their needs, while 48% approved of Option C.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Many of the parents who spoke at Tuesday’s packed board meeting voiced concerns about losing the choice that the lottery affords, especially for lower-income families and those who live in the southeast region of the city. And in an engagement survey conducted prior to the meeting, 72% of the nearly 3,000 respondents said Option B would meet their needs, while 48% approved of Option C.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“There are big equity issues in the district, and when you create a system that favors neighborhood schools with very limited choice, it forces families who are living nearest to those struggling schools to not have options,” said Rebecca Kee, the executive director of the SF Parent Coalition. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“There are big equity issues in the district, and when you create a system that favors neighborhood schools with very limited choice, it forces families who are living nearest to those struggling schools to not have options,” said Rebecca Kee, the executive director of the SF Parent Coalition. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Option B was also supported by board members Alida Fisher and Supriya Ray, who voted against Option C. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Option B was also supported by board members Alida Fisher and Supriya Ray, who voted against Option C. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The board previously considered multiple options that would have created enrollment zones, similar to a 2020 policy passed but never adopted, but those were abandoned in earlier discussions. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>The board previously considered multiple options that would have created enrollment zones, similar to a 2020 policy passed but never adopted, but those were abandoned in earlier discussions. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/image",
"attrs": {
"id": 12095558,
"sizeSlug": "full",
"linkDestination": "none",
"alt": "",
"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFIRSTDAY-02-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFIRSTDAY-02-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFIRSTDAY-02-MC-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w",
"sizes": "(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)"
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFIRSTDAY-02-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095558\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFIRSTDAY-02-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFIRSTDAY-02-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFIRSTDAY-02-MC-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Students arrive at Jose Ortega Elementary School for the first day of their school year on Aug. 17, 2026, in San Francisco.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFIRSTDAY-02-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095558\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Students arrive at Jose Ortega Elementary School for the first day of their school year on Aug. 17, 2026, in San Francisco.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For decades, SFUSD has struggled to ensure that schools in lower-income neighborhoods and where students have had lower academic performance rates receive equitable resources, staff and programs — creating a loop of underenrollment, and thus, a lack of funding, for schools with the most acute needs.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>For decades, SFUSD has struggled to ensure that schools in lower-income neighborhoods and where students have had lower academic performance rates receive equitable resources, staff and programs — creating a loop of underenrollment, and thus, a lack of funding, for schools with the most acute needs.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Under the current system, one of the tiebreakers that determines who gets a seat at their requested school when it has more requests than seats available is called “CTIP1,” or test score area. Students who live in the census tracts in the city with the lowest average test scores get priority access to a seat, after students with a sibling already in the school, and Pre-K or transitional kindergarten students who live in the school’s attendance area.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Under the current system, one of the tiebreakers that determines who gets a seat at their requested school when it has more requests than seats available is called “CTIP1,” or test score area. Students who live in the census tracts in the city with the lowest average test scores get priority access to a seat, after students with a sibling already in the school, and Pre-K or transitional kindergarten students who live in the school’s attendance area.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Many of the board members acknowledged that the lottery provides some students the opportunity to move into better resourced schools. However, Commissioner Matt Alexander said, not all get to do so. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Many of the board members acknowledged that the lottery provides some students the opportunity to move into better resourced schools. However, Commissioner Matt Alexander said, not all get to do so. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The choice system creates an escape valve for the families that have the most … understand, the most ability to navigate the system,” he said. “But we’re still operating those schools.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“The choice system creates an escape valve for the families that have the most … understand, the most ability to navigate the system,” he said. “But we’re still operating those schools.”\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Choice is not a solution, because it doesn’t offer a solution for all of the families,” Alexander continued.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“Choice is not a solution, because it doesn’t offer a solution for all of the families,” Alexander continued.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Tuesday’s vote only sets up a broad framework for the new policy. Staff will now begin to work with demographers to draw maps with attendance area boundaries, determine tiebreaker criteria for citywide school seats and draft a strategic investment plan for next year to begin redistributing district resources. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Tuesday’s vote only sets up a broad framework for the new policy. Staff will now begin to work with demographers to draw maps with attendance area boundaries, determine tiebreaker criteria for citywide school seats and draft a strategic investment plan for next year to begin redistributing district resources. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/image",
"attrs": {
"id": 12094191,
"sizeSlug": "full",
"linkDestination": "none",
"alt": "",
"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-8-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-8-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-8-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w",
"sizes": "(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)"
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-8-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12094191\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-8-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-8-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-8-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A classroom at Mission Bay Elementary School in San Francisco on Aug. 6, 2026. Mission Bay School is the first new public SFUSD school to open in 20 years.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-8-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12094191\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A classroom at Mission Bay Elementary School in San Francisco on Aug. 6, 2026. Mission Bay School is the first new public SFUSD school to open in 20 years.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>One of the biggest challenges they’ll face is ensuring that each attendance zone has enough seats in neighborhood schools for the students who live there. Modeling with the district’s current attendance boundaries, 19 of the 58 zones, or about 32%, will be short of kindergarten general education seats based on projected residents in 2033.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>One of the biggest challenges they’ll face is ensuring that each attendance zone has enough seats in neighborhood schools for the students who live there. Modeling with the district’s current attendance boundaries, 19 of the 58 zones, or about 32%, will be short of kindergarten general education seats based on projected residents in 2033.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Staff said that by moving attendance boundaries with new maps, they will be able to eliminate some, but not all, of that shortfall.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Staff said that by moving attendance boundaries with new maps, they will be able to eliminate some, but not all, of that shortfall.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Other levers they might use to increase the number of seats in neighborhoods that fall short are: transitioning a citywide school to a neighborhood school, moving language pathways to schools with seat surpluses, or assigning students to a neighborhood school outside of their attendance zone.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Other levers they might use to increase the number of seats in neighborhoods that fall short are: transitioning a citywide school to a neighborhood school, moving language pathways to schools with seat surpluses, or assigning students to a neighborhood school outside of their attendance zone.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The board will meet again in November to hash out other details, and is expected to vote on the final policy in April.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>The board will meet again in November to hash out other details, and is expected to vote on the final policy in April.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
}
],
"excerpt": "In a 5-2 vote, the board moved to develop a neighborhood-based enrollment system for public school students — despite considerable opposition by parents districtwide.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1791999707,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 30,
"wordCount": 1232
},
"headData": {
"title": "SFUSD Moves Closer to Neighborhood-Based Enrollment in Historic Vote | KQED",
"description": "In a 5-2 vote, the board moved to develop a neighborhood-based enrollment system for public school students — despite considerable opposition by parents districtwide.",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "SFUSD Moves Closer to Neighborhood-Based Enrollment in Historic Vote",
"datePublished": "2026-10-14T08:03:35-07:00",
"dateModified": "2026-10-14T10:41:47-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"primaryCategory": {
"termId": 18540,
"slug": "education",
"name": "Education"
},
"sticky": false,
"nprStoryId": "kqed-12104230",
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/news/12104230/sfusd-moves-closer-to-neighborhood-based-enrollment-in-historic-vote",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>San Francisco’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sfusd\">public schools\u003c/a> will officially move toward neighborhood-based enrollment after decades of giving families the choice over where they send their children.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The school board directed staff on Tuesday to propose an enrollment policy to take effect in fall 2028 that would ensure San Francisco Unified School District applicants a seat in a school by their home — but drastically reduce the number of campuses they can attend based on where they live.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The school board’s decision, which passed in a 5-2 vote, went against broad parent support to retain the option to apply to any San Francisco public school. But Superintendent Maria Su said she believes the pivot to neighborhood schools is necessary to improve educational quality across the city.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Families should not have to roll the dice and try their luck in our system,” Su said. “Families should not have to leave where they live to secure their child’s future. The school down the street should be a good option and a certain one.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1998\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFirstDay-20-MC_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095609\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFirstDay-20-MC_qed.jpg 1998w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFirstDay-20-MC_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFirstDay-20-MC_qed-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1998px) 100vw, 1998px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Students arrive at Jose Ortega Elementary School for the first day of their school year on Aug. 17, 2026, in San Francisco. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For years, San Francisco families and school district staff have lamented over the “lottery” enrollment system. Introduced in 2011, it aimed to give applicants a broad choice over where they attended school and reduce socio-economic segregation across campuses.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Each fall, prospective SFUSD applicants submit ranked lists of schools and programs in order of preference, and then wait for an assignment in the spring — determined by an algorithm that considers their home addresses, siblings’ schools and other factors. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It’s long been criticized as unpredictable, confusing, and frustrating enough to turn some families away from the city’s public school system entirely. But it’s also been seen as an “escape hatch” for others who don’t feel that the schools in their neighborhoods have the resources their kids need. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In 2018, the school board vowed to scrap the lottery, but putting a new policy in place has proven to be a Herculean task.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That’s now expected to change in fall of 2028. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Students entering SFUSD elementary schools that year will automatically be assigned to a school near their home — their neighborhood school — first. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If they choose to accept that placement, their enrollment process will end there.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>However, if they would like to apply to a citywide program that the district offers, like its language pathways or kindergarten through eighth grade campuses, they’ll have the option to do so. Like the lottery, there’s no guarantee they’ll nab a seat in one of those coveted schools. It’s unclear what factors will determine who is most likely to get their choice.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Su acknowledged that the selected proposal, known as “Option C,” wasn’t most parents’ top preference, but she called it the “bold” choice. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The alternative considered Tuesday, which was dubbed “Option B,” would also have first assigned students to a neighborhood school, but it would have then allowed them to apply to any other school in the district with open seats.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250825-SFUSDMISSIONEDCENTER-08-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12053561\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250825-SFUSDMISSIONEDCENTER-08-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250825-SFUSDMISSIONEDCENTER-08-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250825-SFUSDMISSIONEDCENTER-08-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Mission Education Center, a bilingual elementary school in the San Francisco Unified School District, in San Francisco’s Noe Valley neighborhood on Aug. 25, 2025. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While that system would have maintained more choice for applicants, Su said it would “keep the status quo.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Families who do not trust their neighborhood schools will continue to leave those schools,” she said. “Those schools will remain under-enrolled, and that pattern impacts our southeast neighborhoods the hardest.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Many of the parents who spoke at Tuesday’s packed board meeting voiced concerns about losing the choice that the lottery affords, especially for lower-income families and those who live in the southeast region of the city. And in an engagement survey conducted prior to the meeting, 72% of the nearly 3,000 respondents said Option B would meet their needs, while 48% approved of Option C.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There are big equity issues in the district, and when you create a system that favors neighborhood schools with very limited choice, it forces families who are living nearest to those struggling schools to not have options,” said Rebecca Kee, the executive director of the SF Parent Coalition. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Option B was also supported by board members Alida Fisher and Supriya Ray, who voted against Option C. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The board previously considered multiple options that would have created enrollment zones, similar to a 2020 policy passed but never adopted, but those were abandoned in earlier discussions. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFIRSTDAY-02-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095558\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFIRSTDAY-02-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFIRSTDAY-02-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFIRSTDAY-02-MC-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Students arrive at Jose Ortega Elementary School for the first day of their school year on Aug. 17, 2026, in San Francisco. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For decades, SFUSD has struggled to ensure that schools in lower-income neighborhoods and where students have had lower academic performance rates receive equitable resources, staff and programs — creating a loop of underenrollment, and thus, a lack of funding, for schools with the most acute needs.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Under the current system, one of the tiebreakers that determines who gets a seat at their requested school when it has more requests than seats available is called “CTIP1,” or test score area. Students who live in the census tracts in the city with the lowest average test scores get priority access to a seat, after students with a sibling already in the school, and Pre-K or transitional kindergarten students who live in the school’s attendance area.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Many of the board members acknowledged that the lottery provides some students the opportunity to move into better resourced schools. However, Commissioner Matt Alexander said, not all get to do so. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The choice system creates an escape valve for the families that have the most … understand, the most ability to navigate the system,” he said. “But we’re still operating those schools.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Choice is not a solution, because it doesn’t offer a solution for all of the families,” Alexander continued.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tuesday’s vote only sets up a broad framework for the new policy. Staff will now begin to work with demographers to draw maps with attendance area boundaries, determine tiebreaker criteria for citywide school seats and draft a strategic investment plan for next year to begin redistributing district resources. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-8-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12094191\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-8-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-8-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-8-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A classroom at Mission Bay Elementary School in San Francisco on Aug. 6, 2026. Mission Bay School is the first new public SFUSD school to open in 20 years. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One of the biggest challenges they’ll face is ensuring that each attendance zone has enough seats in neighborhood schools for the students who live there. Modeling with the district’s current attendance boundaries, 19 of the 58 zones, or about 32%, will be short of kindergarten general education seats based on projected residents in 2033.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Staff said that by moving attendance boundaries with new maps, they will be able to eliminate some, but not all, of that shortfall.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Other levers they might use to increase the number of seats in neighborhoods that fall short are: transitioning a citywide school to a neighborhood school, moving language pathways to schools with seat surpluses, or assigning students to a neighborhood school outside of their attendance zone.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The board will meet again in November to hash out other details, and is expected to vote on the final policy in April.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/12104230/sfusd-moves-closer-to-neighborhood-based-enrollment-in-historic-vote",
"authors": [
"11913"
],
"categories": [
"news_18540",
"news_28250",
"news_8"
],
"tags": [
"news_20013",
"news_27626",
"news_38",
"news_3946",
"news_34139",
"news_2998",
"news_1290"
],
"featImg": "news_12104237",
"label": "news"
},
"news_12104056": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_12104056",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12104056",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1791896400000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "san-francisco-prepares-to-end-its-public-school-lottery-system",
"title": "San Francisco Prepares to End Its Public School Lottery System",
"publishDate": 1791896400,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "San Francisco Prepares to End Its Public School Lottery System | KQED",
"labelTerm": {
"site": "news"
},
"content": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-francisco\">San Francisco\u003c/a>’s schools could soon pivot to neighborhood-based enrollment, 15 years after the controversial “lottery” system aimed to give families a sweeping choice of schools anywhere in the city, but offered little certainty of where their child would be placed. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The school board is expected to approve one of two plans that would overhaul the San Francisco Unified School District’s student assignment system in favor of a policy staff said will be more predictable and keep more students closer to home. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>SFUSD’s current enrollment system allows families to apply to any of its elementary school campuses across the city, but does not guarantee students’ acceptance in any specific one.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Critics have called the system stressful, confusing, and frustrating enough to turn some families away from the city’s public school system entirely. But others are wary of losing the element of choice, especially for families who live in neighborhoods where schools have weathered decades of underinvestment and underenrollment.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In recent weeks, SFUSD’s board and staff have spent late nights discussing possible enrollment options, narrowing down their choices to two last week. Both of the plans on the table on Tuesday night would guarantee students who apply by the enrollment deadline a seat in an assigned elementary school based on their address — and eliminate the requirement that families rank school choices in order to enroll in SFUSD.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1998\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFirstDay-33-MC_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095610\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFirstDay-33-MC_qed.jpg 1998w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFirstDay-33-MC_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFirstDay-33-MC_qed-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1998px) 100vw, 1998px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Leo Pham leads the way to his classroom after Jose Ortega Elementary School’s first morning circle of the school year on Aug. 17, 2026, in San Francisco. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The board is expected to direct staff to hammer out the details for one of those policies, called “Option B” and “Option C,” for approval by April.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Under Option B, students would be given the option to accept a seat at their neighborhood school. They would have the option of applying to other SFUSD schools and could be assigned if there are empty seats. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Option C would similarly give applicants the choice to accept their neighborhood school. They could also apply to other campuses, but only those that offer special programs like language pathways, newcomer services or a kindergarten through eighth grade model. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Last week, the board eliminated a third option, Option A, which would have created enrollment zones. Under that policy, students would have been guaranteed a seat in one of three to five elementary schools near their home, but not necessarily their first choice. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Option A was most similar to a policy the district approved in 2020, but never implemented after the COVID-19 pandemic and significant community pushback. That policy would have had applicants rank schools in their attendance zone and assign them based on that list, as well as diversity and tiebreaker considerations.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Board members expressed concerns that Option A would be difficult to implement before enrollment for fall of 2028 begins, and poses equity concerns between neighborhoods. It also wouldn’t eliminate some of the perils of the current system — applicants would need to rank multiple schools, likely tour multiple campuses and manage the stress of uncertainty while awaiting an assignment.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But Option A rivaled Option B in popularity among families who responded to a district engagement survey this fall.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Of more than 2,700 respondents, 73% said Option A would meet their needs, while 71% said Option B would. Option C received much lower approval, at just 48%. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Within those percentages, families’ preferences were starkly divided along neighborhood lines: west side and central neighborhoods favored Option A, while the Southeast leaned toward Option B.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Historically, students in the Sunset and Richmond have been more likely to favor neighborhood schools, while some in the Bayview, Mission Bay and Excelsior have preferred schools outside of their neighborhoods, worried that the schools closest to them don’t have the resources their kids need. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Mirna Vasquez, a Bayview resident whose three children have attended SFUSD schools, said choice remains a priority for her.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“My priority looking at schools [was] they provided a bilingual program,” she said. “I realized that schools near to my house, they don’t have it.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She also said she wanted to send her children to a campus that was “really funded” and had a full staff.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-36-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12094205\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-36-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-36-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-36-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Mission Bay Elementary School in San Francisco on Aug. 6, 2026. Mission Bay School is the first new public SFUSD school to open in 20 years. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Overwhelmingly, families who responded to the district’s survey said that for them to enroll a child in a school by their home, they would need an environment that felt safe, has strong math and reading instruction and a stable teaching staff. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Until they guarantee me as a parent, ‘we’re going to fund it,’ maybe I can enroll my children in my neighborhood schools. But if they don’t promise that … I don’t mind driving far away to make sure my kids have better access to, I don’t want to say better education, because I don’t know if that’s true, but more support,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Families who preferred Option A reported much higher levels of satisfaction with the schools near their homes: just 37% in favor of A responded that there was “no acceptable school nearby,” compared to 60% of those who preferred Option B.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For decades, the school district has struggled to ensure that schools in lower-income neighborhoods and where students have had lower academic performance rates receive equitable resources, staff and programs — creating a loop of underenrollment, and so, a lack of funding, for schools with the most acute needs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At their final study session before Tuesday’s vote, some board members expressed concerns that either policy could perpetuate the same issues: “I’m very concerned that we would expect similar patterns to repeat, of students from the southeast preferencing schools other than their neighborhood schools [and] going to open spots,” said Vice President Jaime Huling. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250818-SFUSDFIRSTDAY-03-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12052662\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250818-SFUSDFIRSTDAY-03-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250818-SFUSDFIRSTDAY-03-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250818-SFUSDFIRSTDAY-03-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Students at Sanchez Elementary School in San Francisco arrive for their first day of the school year on Aug. 18, 2025. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Then, having their schools be underenrolled even though that’s where the most students are, and being faced in April with making decisions about closing schools in the southeast,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Looming in the background is a mandate from the board for Superintendent Maria Su to propose possible school closures and mergers by 2030.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The district’s last attempt to close schools in 2024 was abandoned after parents, union representatives and city officials pushed back, in part because they said the campuses set to close or merge would disproportionately impact historically marginalized communities. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After Tuesday night’s decision, staff will move forward with redrawing attendance areas for neighborhood schools and making sure there are enough seats for all students. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The board will meet again in November to discuss more specifics, like tiebreaker metrics for assigning students to non-neighborhood schools. The current lottery gives priority to siblings of students enrolled at the school, and those who live in areas of the city with the lowest test scores, among other factors.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>They’ve also directed staff to implement the enrollment change in a way that creates strong, well-resourced schools in every neighborhood. Whether that’s possible under either proposed model, though, remains to be seen.\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-francisco\">San Francisco\u003c/a>’s schools could soon pivot to neighborhood-based enrollment, 15 years after the controversial “lottery” system aimed to give families a sweeping choice of schools anywhere in the city, but offered little certainty of where their child would be placed. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-francisco\">San Francisco\u003c/a>’s schools could soon pivot to neighborhood-based enrollment, 15 years after the controversial “lottery” system aimed to give families a sweeping choice of schools anywhere in the city, but offered little certainty of where their child would be placed. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The school board is expected to approve one of two plans that would overhaul the San Francisco Unified School District’s student assignment system in favor of a policy staff said will be more predictable and keep more students closer to home. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>The school board is expected to approve one of two plans that would overhaul the San Francisco Unified School District’s student assignment system in favor of a policy staff said will be more predictable and keep more students closer to home. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>SFUSD’s current enrollment system allows families to apply to any of its elementary school campuses across the city, but does not guarantee students’ acceptance in any specific one.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>SFUSD’s current enrollment system allows families to apply to any of its elementary school campuses across the city, but does not guarantee students’ acceptance in any specific one.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Critics have called the system stressful, confusing, and frustrating enough to turn some families away from the city’s public school system entirely. But others are wary of losing the element of choice, especially for families who live in neighborhoods where schools have weathered decades of underinvestment and underenrollment.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Critics have called the system stressful, confusing, and frustrating enough to turn some families away from the city’s public school system entirely. But others are wary of losing the element of choice, especially for families who live in neighborhoods where schools have weathered decades of underinvestment and underenrollment.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In recent weeks, SFUSD’s board and staff have spent late nights discussing possible enrollment options, narrowing down their choices to two last week. Both of the plans on the table on Tuesday night would guarantee students who apply by the enrollment deadline a seat in an assigned elementary school based on their address — and eliminate the requirement that families rank school choices in order to enroll in SFUSD.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>In recent weeks, SFUSD’s board and staff have spent late nights discussing possible enrollment options, narrowing down their choices to two last week. Both of the plans on the table on Tuesday night would guarantee students who apply by the enrollment deadline a seat in an assigned elementary school based on their address — and eliminate the requirement that families rank school choices in order to enroll in SFUSD.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/image",
"attrs": {
"id": 12095610,
"sizeSlug": "full",
"linkDestination": "none",
"alt": "",
"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFirstDay-33-MC_qed.jpg 1998w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFirstDay-33-MC_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFirstDay-33-MC_qed-1536x1025.jpg 1536w",
"sizes": "(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)"
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFirstDay-33-MC_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095610\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFirstDay-33-MC_qed.jpg 1998w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFirstDay-33-MC_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFirstDay-33-MC_qed-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Leo Pham leads the way to his classroom after Jose Ortega Elementary School’s first morning circle of the school year on Aug. 17, 2026, in San Francisco.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFirstDay-33-MC_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095610\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Leo Pham leads the way to his classroom after Jose Ortega Elementary School’s first morning circle of the school year on Aug. 17, 2026, in San Francisco.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The board is expected to direct staff to hammer out the details for one of those policies, called “Option B” and “Option C,” for approval by April.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>The board is expected to direct staff to hammer out the details for one of those policies, called “Option B” and “Option C,” for approval by April.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Under Option B, students would be given the option to accept a seat at their neighborhood school. They would have the option of applying to other SFUSD schools and could be assigned if there are empty seats. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Under Option B, students would be given the option to accept a seat at their neighborhood school. They would have the option of applying to other SFUSD schools and could be assigned if there are empty seats. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Option C would similarly give applicants the choice to accept their neighborhood school. They could also apply to other campuses, but only those that offer special programs like language pathways, newcomer services or a kindergarten through eighth grade model. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Option C would similarly give applicants the choice to accept their neighborhood school. They could also apply to other campuses, but only those that offer special programs like language pathways, newcomer services or a kindergarten through eighth grade model. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Last week, the board eliminated a third option, Option A, which would have created enrollment zones. Under that policy, students would have been guaranteed a seat in one of three to five elementary schools near their home, but not necessarily their first choice. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Last week, the board eliminated a third option, Option A, which would have created enrollment zones. Under that policy, students would have been guaranteed a seat in one of three to five elementary schools near their home, but not necessarily their first choice. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Option A was most similar to a policy the district approved in 2020, but never implemented after the COVID-19 pandemic and significant community pushback. That policy would have had applicants rank schools in their attendance zone and assign them based on that list, as well as diversity and tiebreaker considerations.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Option A was most similar to a policy the district approved in 2020, but never implemented after the COVID-19 pandemic and significant community pushback. That policy would have had applicants rank schools in their attendance zone and assign them based on that list, as well as diversity and tiebreaker considerations.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "kqed-v2/related-articles",
"attrs": {
"postIds": [
"news_12095382"
],
"label": "Related Articles",
"maxPosts": 1,
"showImages": false,
"heroImage": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFIRSTDAY-02-MC-KQED.jpg",
"query": "",
"labelWasCleared": false,
"heroImageAlt": "",
"heroImageLink": "",
"labelLink": "",
"alignment": "right",
"target": "_self",
"manualLinks": [],
"posts": []
},
"innerHTML": "",
"innerContent": [],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Board members expressed concerns that Option A would be difficult to implement before enrollment for fall of 2028 begins, and poses equity concerns between neighborhoods. It also wouldn’t eliminate some of the perils of the current system — applicants would need to rank multiple schools, likely tour multiple campuses and manage the stress of uncertainty while awaiting an assignment.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Board members expressed concerns that Option A would be difficult to implement before enrollment for fall of 2028 begins, and poses equity concerns between neighborhoods. It also wouldn’t eliminate some of the perils of the current system — applicants would need to rank multiple schools, likely tour multiple campuses and manage the stress of uncertainty while awaiting an assignment.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But Option A rivaled Option B in popularity among families who responded to a district engagement survey this fall.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>But Option A rivaled Option B in popularity among families who responded to a district engagement survey this fall.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Of more than 2,700 respondents, 73% said Option A would meet their needs, while 71% said Option B would. Option C received much lower approval, at just 48%. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Of more than 2,700 respondents, 73% said Option A would meet their needs, while 71% said Option B would. Option C received much lower approval, at just 48%. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Within those percentages, families’ preferences were starkly divided along neighborhood lines: west side and central neighborhoods favored Option A, while the Southeast leaned toward Option B.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Within those percentages, families’ preferences were starkly divided along neighborhood lines: west side and central neighborhoods favored Option A, while the Southeast leaned toward Option B.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Historically, students in the Sunset and Richmond have been more likely to favor neighborhood schools, while some in the Bayview, Mission Bay and Excelsior have preferred schools outside of their neighborhoods, worried that the schools closest to them don’t have the resources their kids need. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Historically, students in the Sunset and Richmond have been more likely to favor neighborhood schools, while some in the Bayview, Mission Bay and Excelsior have preferred schools outside of their neighborhoods, worried that the schools closest to them don’t have the resources their kids need. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Mirna Vasquez, a Bayview resident whose three children have attended SFUSD schools, said choice remains a priority for her.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Mirna Vasquez, a Bayview resident whose three children have attended SFUSD schools, said choice remains a priority for her.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“My priority looking at schools [was] they provided a bilingual program,” she said. “I realized that schools near to my house, they don’t have it.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“My priority looking at schools [was] they provided a bilingual program,” she said. “I realized that schools near to my house, they don’t have it.”\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>She also said she wanted to send her children to a campus that was “really funded” and had a full staff.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>She also said she wanted to send her children to a campus that was “really funded” and had a full staff.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/image",
"attrs": {
"id": 12094205,
"sizeSlug": "full",
"linkDestination": "none",
"alt": "",
"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-36-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-36-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-36-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w",
"sizes": "(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)"
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-36-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12094205\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-36-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-36-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-36-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Mission Bay Elementary School in San Francisco on Aug. 6, 2026. Mission Bay School is the first new public SFUSD school to open in 20 years.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-36-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12094205\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Mission Bay Elementary School in San Francisco on Aug. 6, 2026. Mission Bay School is the first new public SFUSD school to open in 20 years.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Overwhelmingly, families who responded to the district’s survey said that for them to enroll a child in a school by their home, they would need an environment that felt safe, has strong math and reading instruction and a stable teaching staff. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Overwhelmingly, families who responded to the district’s survey said that for them to enroll a child in a school by their home, they would need an environment that felt safe, has strong math and reading instruction and a stable teaching staff. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Until they guarantee me as a parent, ‘we’re going to fund it,’ maybe I can enroll my children in my neighborhood schools. But if they don’t promise that … I don’t mind driving far away to make sure my kids have better access to, I don’t want to say better education, because I don’t know if that’s true, but more support,” she said. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“Until they guarantee me as a parent, ‘we’re going to fund it,’ maybe I can enroll my children in my neighborhood schools. But if they don’t promise that … I don’t mind driving far away to make sure my kids have better access to, I don’t want to say better education, because I don’t know if that’s true, but more support,” she said. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Families who preferred Option A reported much higher levels of satisfaction with the schools near their homes: just 37% in favor of A responded that there was “no acceptable school nearby,” compared to 60% of those who preferred Option B.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Families who preferred Option A reported much higher levels of satisfaction with the schools near their homes: just 37% in favor of A responded that there was “no acceptable school nearby,” compared to 60% of those who preferred Option B.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For decades, the school district has struggled to ensure that schools in lower-income neighborhoods and where students have had lower academic performance rates receive equitable resources, staff and programs — creating a loop of underenrollment, and so, a lack of funding, for schools with the most acute needs. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>For decades, the school district has struggled to ensure that schools in lower-income neighborhoods and where students have had lower academic performance rates receive equitable resources, staff and programs — creating a loop of underenrollment, and so, a lack of funding, for schools with the most acute needs. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>At their final study session before Tuesday’s vote, some board members expressed concerns that either policy could perpetuate the same issues: “I’m very concerned that we would expect similar patterns to repeat, of students from the southeast preferencing schools other than their neighborhood schools [and] going to open spots,” said Vice President Jaime Huling. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>At their final study session before Tuesday’s vote, some board members expressed concerns that either policy could perpetuate the same issues: “I’m very concerned that we would expect similar patterns to repeat, of students from the southeast preferencing schools other than their neighborhood schools [and] going to open spots,” said Vice President Jaime Huling. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/image",
"attrs": {
"id": 12052662,
"sizeSlug": "full",
"linkDestination": "none",
"alt": "",
"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250818-SFUSDFIRSTDAY-03-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250818-SFUSDFIRSTDAY-03-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250818-SFUSDFIRSTDAY-03-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w",
"sizes": "(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)"
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250818-SFUSDFIRSTDAY-03-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12052662\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250818-SFUSDFIRSTDAY-03-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250818-SFUSDFIRSTDAY-03-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250818-SFUSDFIRSTDAY-03-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Students at Sanchez Elementary School in San Francisco arrive for their first day of the school year on Aug. 18, 2025.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250818-SFUSDFIRSTDAY-03-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12052662\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Students at Sanchez Elementary School in San Francisco arrive for their first day of the school year on Aug. 18, 2025.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Then, having their schools be underenrolled even though that’s where the most students are, and being faced in April with making decisions about closing schools in the southeast,” she said.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“Then, having their schools be underenrolled even though that’s where the most students are, and being faced in April with making decisions about closing schools in the southeast,” she said.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Looming in the background is a mandate from the board for Superintendent Maria Su to propose possible school closures and mergers by 2030.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Looming in the background is a mandate from the board for Superintendent Maria Su to propose possible school closures and mergers by 2030.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The district’s last attempt to close schools in 2024 was abandoned after parents, union representatives and city officials pushed back, in part because they said the campuses set to close or merge would disproportionately impact historically marginalized communities. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>The district’s last attempt to close schools in 2024 was abandoned after parents, union representatives and city officials pushed back, in part because they said the campuses set to close or merge would disproportionately impact historically marginalized communities. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>After Tuesday night’s decision, staff will move forward with redrawing attendance areas for neighborhood schools and making sure there are enough seats for all students. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>After Tuesday night’s decision, staff will move forward with redrawing attendance areas for neighborhood schools and making sure there are enough seats for all students. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The board will meet again in November to discuss more specifics, like tiebreaker metrics for assigning students to non-neighborhood schools. The current lottery gives priority to siblings of students enrolled at the school, and those who live in areas of the city with the lowest test scores, among other factors.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>The board will meet again in November to discuss more specifics, like tiebreaker metrics for assigning students to non-neighborhood schools. The current lottery gives priority to siblings of students enrolled at the school, and those who live in areas of the city with the lowest test scores, among other factors.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>They’ve also directed staff to implement the enrollment change in a way that creates strong, well-resourced schools in every neighborhood. Whether that’s possible under either proposed model, though, remains to be seen.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>They’ve also directed staff to implement the enrollment change in a way that creates strong, well-resourced schools in every neighborhood. Whether that’s possible under either proposed model, though, remains to be seen.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
}
],
"excerpt": "As SFUSD moves to replace its lottery with neighborhood schools, parents in underfunded areas worry the new policy could leave their local campuses behind. ",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1791990991,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 29,
"wordCount": 1236
},
"headData": {
"title": "San Francisco Prepares to End Its Public School Lottery System | KQED",
"description": "As SFUSD moves to replace its lottery with neighborhood schools, parents in underfunded areas worry the new policy could leave their local campuses behind. ",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "San Francisco Prepares to End Its Public School Lottery System",
"datePublished": "2026-10-13T06:00:00-07:00",
"dateModified": "2026-10-14T08:16:31-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"primaryCategory": {
"termId": 18540,
"slug": "education",
"name": "Education"
},
"sticky": false,
"nprStoryId": "kqed-12104056",
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/news/12104056/san-francisco-prepares-to-end-its-public-school-lottery-system",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-francisco\">San Francisco\u003c/a>’s schools could soon pivot to neighborhood-based enrollment, 15 years after the controversial “lottery” system aimed to give families a sweeping choice of schools anywhere in the city, but offered little certainty of where their child would be placed. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The school board is expected to approve one of two plans that would overhaul the San Francisco Unified School District’s student assignment system in favor of a policy staff said will be more predictable and keep more students closer to home. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>SFUSD’s current enrollment system allows families to apply to any of its elementary school campuses across the city, but does not guarantee students’ acceptance in any specific one.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Critics have called the system stressful, confusing, and frustrating enough to turn some families away from the city’s public school system entirely. But others are wary of losing the element of choice, especially for families who live in neighborhoods where schools have weathered decades of underinvestment and underenrollment.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In recent weeks, SFUSD’s board and staff have spent late nights discussing possible enrollment options, narrowing down their choices to two last week. Both of the plans on the table on Tuesday night would guarantee students who apply by the enrollment deadline a seat in an assigned elementary school based on their address — and eliminate the requirement that families rank school choices in order to enroll in SFUSD.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1998\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFirstDay-33-MC_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095610\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFirstDay-33-MC_qed.jpg 1998w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFirstDay-33-MC_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFirstDay-33-MC_qed-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1998px) 100vw, 1998px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Leo Pham leads the way to his classroom after Jose Ortega Elementary School’s first morning circle of the school year on Aug. 17, 2026, in San Francisco. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The board is expected to direct staff to hammer out the details for one of those policies, called “Option B” and “Option C,” for approval by April.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Under Option B, students would be given the option to accept a seat at their neighborhood school. They would have the option of applying to other SFUSD schools and could be assigned if there are empty seats. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Option C would similarly give applicants the choice to accept their neighborhood school. They could also apply to other campuses, but only those that offer special programs like language pathways, newcomer services or a kindergarten through eighth grade model. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Last week, the board eliminated a third option, Option A, which would have created enrollment zones. Under that policy, students would have been guaranteed a seat in one of three to five elementary schools near their home, but not necessarily their first choice. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Option A was most similar to a policy the district approved in 2020, but never implemented after the COVID-19 pandemic and significant community pushback. That policy would have had applicants rank schools in their attendance zone and assign them based on that list, as well as diversity and tiebreaker considerations.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Board members expressed concerns that Option A would be difficult to implement before enrollment for fall of 2028 begins, and poses equity concerns between neighborhoods. It also wouldn’t eliminate some of the perils of the current system — applicants would need to rank multiple schools, likely tour multiple campuses and manage the stress of uncertainty while awaiting an assignment.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But Option A rivaled Option B in popularity among families who responded to a district engagement survey this fall.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Of more than 2,700 respondents, 73% said Option A would meet their needs, while 71% said Option B would. Option C received much lower approval, at just 48%. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Within those percentages, families’ preferences were starkly divided along neighborhood lines: west side and central neighborhoods favored Option A, while the Southeast leaned toward Option B.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Historically, students in the Sunset and Richmond have been more likely to favor neighborhood schools, while some in the Bayview, Mission Bay and Excelsior have preferred schools outside of their neighborhoods, worried that the schools closest to them don’t have the resources their kids need. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Mirna Vasquez, a Bayview resident whose three children have attended SFUSD schools, said choice remains a priority for her.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“My priority looking at schools [was] they provided a bilingual program,” she said. “I realized that schools near to my house, they don’t have it.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She also said she wanted to send her children to a campus that was “really funded” and had a full staff.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-36-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12094205\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-36-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-36-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-36-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Mission Bay Elementary School in San Francisco on Aug. 6, 2026. Mission Bay School is the first new public SFUSD school to open in 20 years. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Overwhelmingly, families who responded to the district’s survey said that for them to enroll a child in a school by their home, they would need an environment that felt safe, has strong math and reading instruction and a stable teaching staff. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Until they guarantee me as a parent, ‘we’re going to fund it,’ maybe I can enroll my children in my neighborhood schools. But if they don’t promise that … I don’t mind driving far away to make sure my kids have better access to, I don’t want to say better education, because I don’t know if that’s true, but more support,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Families who preferred Option A reported much higher levels of satisfaction with the schools near their homes: just 37% in favor of A responded that there was “no acceptable school nearby,” compared to 60% of those who preferred Option B.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For decades, the school district has struggled to ensure that schools in lower-income neighborhoods and where students have had lower academic performance rates receive equitable resources, staff and programs — creating a loop of underenrollment, and so, a lack of funding, for schools with the most acute needs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At their final study session before Tuesday’s vote, some board members expressed concerns that either policy could perpetuate the same issues: “I’m very concerned that we would expect similar patterns to repeat, of students from the southeast preferencing schools other than their neighborhood schools [and] going to open spots,” said Vice President Jaime Huling. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250818-SFUSDFIRSTDAY-03-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12052662\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250818-SFUSDFIRSTDAY-03-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250818-SFUSDFIRSTDAY-03-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250818-SFUSDFIRSTDAY-03-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Students at Sanchez Elementary School in San Francisco arrive for their first day of the school year on Aug. 18, 2025. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Then, having their schools be underenrolled even though that’s where the most students are, and being faced in April with making decisions about closing schools in the southeast,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Looming in the background is a mandate from the board for Superintendent Maria Su to propose possible school closures and mergers by 2030.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The district’s last attempt to close schools in 2024 was abandoned after parents, union representatives and city officials pushed back, in part because they said the campuses set to close or merge would disproportionately impact historically marginalized communities. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After Tuesday night’s decision, staff will move forward with redrawing attendance areas for neighborhood schools and making sure there are enough seats for all students. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The board will meet again in November to discuss more specifics, like tiebreaker metrics for assigning students to non-neighborhood schools. The current lottery gives priority to siblings of students enrolled at the school, and those who live in areas of the city with the lowest test scores, among other factors.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>They’ve also directed staff to implement the enrollment change in a way that creates strong, well-resourced schools in every neighborhood. Whether that’s possible under either proposed model, though, remains to be seen.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/12104056/san-francisco-prepares-to-end-its-public-school-lottery-system",
"authors": [
"11913"
],
"categories": [
"news_18540",
"news_28250",
"news_8"
],
"tags": [
"news_1386",
"news_20013",
"news_38",
"news_3946",
"news_1290"
],
"featImg": "news_12094198",
"label": "news"
},
"news_12103722": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_12103722",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12103722",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1791576347000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "san-diego-at-the-heart-of-new-native-american-studies-curriculum",
"title": "San Diego at the Heart of New Native American Studies Curriculum",
"publishDate": 1791576347,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "San Diego at the Heart of New Native American Studies Curriculum | KQED",
"labelTerm": {},
"content": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Here are the morning’s top stories on Friday, October 9, 2026\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>California now has a statewide guide for teaching about Native American history and culture. In the community of Bonsall in San Diego County, a high school teacher \u003ca href=\"https://www.kpbs.org/news/education/2026/10/02/californias-new-native-american-studies-curriculum-comes-alive-in-a-bonsall-classroom\">is weaving the curriculum into his history class.\u003c/a> \u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Central Valley leaders are trying to assuage the anxieties of their constituents, who are worried about \u003ca href=\"https://www.kvpr.org/community/2026-10-08/immigration-sweeps-hit-central-californias-farming-region-as-diesel-costs-also-worry-farmers\">a reported ICE crackdown\u003c/a> in the area.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kpbs.org/news/education/2026/10/02/californias-new-native-american-studies-curriculum-comes-alive-in-a-bonsall-classroom\">California’s new Native American studies curriculum comes alive in a Bonsall classroom\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Can a government legitimately claim territory, even when other people already live there? If land is not being farmed or developed, does someone else have a right to use it?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Greg Hinchliff’s 11th-grade history students grappled with these questions on a recent morning at Bonsall High School. They moved to different parts of the room depending on what they thought, gathering around signs that ranged from “strongly agree” to “strongly disagree.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Then, they repeated the activity from the perspectives of Native Americans, European settlers, monarchs and religious leaders. “European religious leaders,” Hinchliff said to a group of students. “What would they say about this statement, that explorers can claim that land?”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“That they can claim it because they’re Christians, basically,” a student responded.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Right, because it goes back to that \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2023/03/30/1167056438/vatican-doctrine-of-discovery-colonialism-indigenous\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u003cu>doctrine of discovery\u003c/u>\u003c/a>,” Hinchliff said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The activity comes from California’s Native American Studies Model Curriculum. Published in 2025, it has hundreds of free lesson plans and teaching materials. Hinchliff helped write it. There are lessons \u003ca href=\"https://camodelcurricula.ucdavis.edu/native-american-studies/whats-in-a-name-native-place-names-and-perspectives\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">for elementary school students\u003c/a> about Indigenous and colonial place names. Eighth graders can learn about \u003ca href=\"https://camodelcurricula.ucdavis.edu/native-american-studies/tribal-governments-sovereignty-treaties-and-constitutions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">tribal sovereignty and federal recognition\u003c/a>. High schoolers can learn about cultural fire practices.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In 2021, the California Department of Education allocated $4 million to develop the curriculum. Joely Proudfit (Luiseño/Payómkawichum, Tongva), director of the California Indian Culture and Sovereignty Center at CSU San Marcos, was one of three people from across the state selected to lead the project. “We really wanted tribal communities to take the lead in helping us write this curriculum,” Proudfit said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>They held dozens of meetings with tribal communities throughout the state. There are 109 federally recognized tribes in California, plus many other tribal communities that aren’t recognized. “There’s not a lesson plan for every single tribe in the state,” Proudfit said. “This is merely the first step in the right direction.” Teachers can continue in the right direction, she said, by building relationships with members of local tribal communities.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kvpr.org/community/2026-10-08/immigration-sweeps-hit-central-californias-farming-region-as-diesel-costs-also-worry-farmers\">Immigration sweeps hit Central Valley\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>There have been \u003ca href=\"https://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article317542396.html\">reports this week\u003c/a> of a significant increase in immigration enforcement activity across the Central Valley.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a statement, State Senator Anna Caballero said her office has received reports that upwards of 60 people have been taken into ICE custody in her district in the past few days. Her district includes Fresno, Madera and Merced counties.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Fresno City Councilman Miguel Arias cautioned Latino residents in particular during a city council meeting on Thursday. “Stay home. It’s not safe for you to be out. They’re not just picking up criminals, they’re not just picking up people who don’t have legal status, they’re picking up everyone,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Arias expressed concerns about the Big Fresno Fair, which opened this week. But in a statement, fair officials said they work diligently to provide a safe environment for the community. They also said they have not received any information about planned federal activity at the Fair. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Immigration agents appear \u003ca href=\"https://www.kvpr.org/community/2026-10-08/immigration-sweeps-hit-central-californias-farming-region-as-diesel-costs-also-worry-farmers\">to be detaining farmworkers\u003c/a> along rural roads and others driving along busy city streets in Fresno County. Community-reported incidents of\u003ca href=\"https://iceout.org/en/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u003cu> immigration agents conducting traffic stops\u003c/u>\u003c/a> have sent shock through the community. The sweeps come as farmers gear up to finish harvest for most crops in the Valley. In a statement on Thursday, the Nisei Farmers League also called on ICE to respect “the rights of farmers, farmworkers and communities.”\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Here are the morning’s top stories on Friday, October 9, 2026\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Here are the morning’s top stories on Friday, October 9, 2026\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/list",
"attrs": {
"items": [
"California now has a statewide guide for teaching about Native American history and culture. In the community of Bonsall in San Diego County, a high school teacher is weaving the curriculum into his history class. ",
"Central Valley leaders are trying to assuage the anxieties of their constituents, who are worried about a reported ICE crackdown in the area."
],
"ordered": false,
"values": ""
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\n\u003c/ul>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">",
null,
"\n\n",
null,
"\u003c/ul>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": [
{
"blockName": "core/list-item",
"attrs": [],
"innerBlocks": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>California now has a statewide guide for teaching about Native American history and culture. In the community of Bonsall in San Diego County, a high school teacher \u003ca href=\"https://www.kpbs.org/news/education/2026/10/02/californias-new-native-american-studies-curriculum-comes-alive-in-a-bonsall-classroom\">is weaving the curriculum into his history class.\u003c/a> \u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>California now has a statewide guide for teaching about Native American history and culture. In the community of Bonsall in San Diego County, a high school teacher \u003ca href=\"https://www.kpbs.org/news/education/2026/10/02/californias-new-native-american-studies-curriculum-comes-alive-in-a-bonsall-classroom\">is weaving the curriculum into his history class.\u003c/a> \u003c/li>\n"
]
},
{
"blockName": "core/list-item",
"attrs": [],
"innerBlocks": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>Central Valley leaders are trying to assuage the anxieties of their constituents, who are worried about \u003ca href=\"https://www.kvpr.org/community/2026-10-08/immigration-sweeps-hit-central-californias-farming-region-as-diesel-costs-also-worry-farmers\">a reported ICE crackdown\u003c/a> in the area.\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>Central Valley leaders are trying to assuage the anxieties of their constituents, who are worried about \u003ca href=\"https://www.kvpr.org/community/2026-10-08/immigration-sweeps-hit-central-californias-farming-region-as-diesel-costs-also-worry-farmers\">a reported ICE crackdown\u003c/a> in the area.\u003c/li>\n"
]
}
]
},
{
"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "California’s new Native American studies curriculum comes alive in a Bonsall classroom",
"level": 2
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kpbs.org/news/education/2026/10/02/californias-new-native-american-studies-curriculum-comes-alive-in-a-bonsall-classroom\">California’s new Native American studies curriculum comes alive in a Bonsall classroom\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kpbs.org/news/education/2026/10/02/californias-new-native-american-studies-curriculum-comes-alive-in-a-bonsall-classroom\">California’s new Native American studies curriculum comes alive in a Bonsall classroom\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Can a government legitimately claim territory, even when other people already live there? If land is not being farmed or developed, does someone else have a right to use it?\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Can a government legitimately claim territory, even when other people already live there? If land is not being farmed or developed, does someone else have a right to use it?\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Greg Hinchliff’s 11th-grade history students grappled with these questions on a recent morning at Bonsall High School. They moved to different parts of the room depending on what they thought, gathering around signs that ranged from “strongly agree” to “strongly disagree.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Greg Hinchliff’s 11th-grade history students grappled with these questions on a recent morning at Bonsall High School. They moved to different parts of the room depending on what they thought, gathering around signs that ranged from “strongly agree” to “strongly disagree.”\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Then, they repeated the activity from the perspectives of Native Americans, European settlers, monarchs and religious leaders. “European religious leaders,” Hinchliff said to a group of students. “What would they say about this statement, that explorers can claim that land?”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Then, they repeated the activity from the perspectives of Native Americans, European settlers, monarchs and religious leaders. “European religious leaders,” Hinchliff said to a group of students. “What would they say about this statement, that explorers can claim that land?”\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“That they can claim it because they’re Christians, basically,” a student responded.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“That they can claim it because they’re Christians, basically,” a student responded.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Right, because it goes back to that \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2023/03/30/1167056438/vatican-doctrine-of-discovery-colonialism-indigenous\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u003cu>doctrine of discovery\u003c/u>\u003c/a>,” Hinchliff said.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“Right, because it goes back to that \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2023/03/30/1167056438/vatican-doctrine-of-discovery-colonialism-indigenous\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u003cu>doctrine of discovery\u003c/u>\u003c/a>,” Hinchliff said.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The activity comes from California’s Native American Studies Model Curriculum. Published in 2025, it has hundreds of free lesson plans and teaching materials. Hinchliff helped write it. There are lessons \u003ca href=\"https://camodelcurricula.ucdavis.edu/native-american-studies/whats-in-a-name-native-place-names-and-perspectives\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">for elementary school students\u003c/a> about Indigenous and colonial place names. Eighth graders can learn about \u003ca href=\"https://camodelcurricula.ucdavis.edu/native-american-studies/tribal-governments-sovereignty-treaties-and-constitutions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">tribal sovereignty and federal recognition\u003c/a>. High schoolers can learn about cultural fire practices.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>The activity comes from California’s Native American Studies Model Curriculum. Published in 2025, it has hundreds of free lesson plans and teaching materials. Hinchliff helped write it. There are lessons \u003ca href=\"https://camodelcurricula.ucdavis.edu/native-american-studies/whats-in-a-name-native-place-names-and-perspectives\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">for elementary school students\u003c/a> about Indigenous and colonial place names. Eighth graders can learn about \u003ca href=\"https://camodelcurricula.ucdavis.edu/native-american-studies/tribal-governments-sovereignty-treaties-and-constitutions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">tribal sovereignty and federal recognition\u003c/a>. High schoolers can learn about cultural fire practices.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In 2021, the California Department of Education allocated $4 million to develop the curriculum. Joely Proudfit (Luiseño/Payómkawichum, Tongva), director of the California Indian Culture and Sovereignty Center at CSU San Marcos, was one of three people from across the state selected to lead the project. “We really wanted tribal communities to take the lead in helping us write this curriculum,” Proudfit said.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>In 2021, the California Department of Education allocated $4 million to develop the curriculum. Joely Proudfit (Luiseño/Payómkawichum, Tongva), director of the California Indian Culture and Sovereignty Center at CSU San Marcos, was one of three people from across the state selected to lead the project. “We really wanted tribal communities to take the lead in helping us write this curriculum,” Proudfit said.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>They held dozens of meetings with tribal communities throughout the state. There are 109 federally recognized tribes in California, plus many other tribal communities that aren’t recognized. “There’s not a lesson plan for every single tribe in the state,” Proudfit said. “This is merely the first step in the right direction.” Teachers can continue in the right direction, she said, by building relationships with members of local tribal communities.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>They held dozens of meetings with tribal communities throughout the state. There are 109 federally recognized tribes in California, plus many other tribal communities that aren’t recognized. “There’s not a lesson plan for every single tribe in the state,” Proudfit said. “This is merely the first step in the right direction.” Teachers can continue in the right direction, she said, by building relationships with members of local tribal communities.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "Immigration sweeps hit Central Valley",
"level": 2
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kvpr.org/community/2026-10-08/immigration-sweeps-hit-central-californias-farming-region-as-diesel-costs-also-worry-farmers\">Immigration sweeps hit Central Valley\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kvpr.org/community/2026-10-08/immigration-sweeps-hit-central-californias-farming-region-as-diesel-costs-also-worry-farmers\">Immigration sweeps hit Central Valley\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>There have been \u003ca href=\"https://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article317542396.html\">reports this week\u003c/a> of a significant increase in immigration enforcement activity across the Central Valley.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>There have been \u003ca href=\"https://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article317542396.html\">reports this week\u003c/a> of a significant increase in immigration enforcement activity across the Central Valley.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In a statement, State Senator Anna Caballero said her office has received reports that upwards of 60 people have been taken into ICE custody in her district in the past few days. Her district includes Fresno, Madera and Merced counties.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>In a statement, State Senator Anna Caballero said her office has received reports that upwards of 60 people have been taken into ICE custody in her district in the past few days. Her district includes Fresno, Madera and Merced counties.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Fresno City Councilman Miguel Arias cautioned Latino residents in particular during a city council meeting on Thursday. “Stay home. It’s not safe for you to be out. They’re not just picking up criminals, they’re not just picking up people who don’t have legal status, they’re picking up everyone,” he said.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Fresno City Councilman Miguel Arias cautioned Latino residents in particular during a city council meeting on Thursday. “Stay home. It’s not safe for you to be out. They’re not just picking up criminals, they’re not just picking up people who don’t have legal status, they’re picking up everyone,” he said.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Arias expressed concerns about the Big Fresno Fair, which opened this week. But in a statement, fair officials said they work diligently to provide a safe environment for the community. They also said they have not received any information about planned federal activity at the Fair. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Arias expressed concerns about the Big Fresno Fair, which opened this week. But in a statement, fair officials said they work diligently to provide a safe environment for the community. They also said they have not received any information about planned federal activity at the Fair. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Immigration agents appear \u003ca href=\"https://www.kvpr.org/community/2026-10-08/immigration-sweeps-hit-central-californias-farming-region-as-diesel-costs-also-worry-farmers\">to be detaining farmworkers\u003c/a> along rural roads and others driving along busy city streets in Fresno County. Community-reported incidents of\u003ca href=\"https://iceout.org/en/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u003cu> immigration agents conducting traffic stops\u003c/u>\u003c/a> have sent shock through the community. The sweeps come as farmers gear up to finish harvest for most crops in the Valley. In a statement on Thursday, the Nisei Farmers League also called on ICE to respect “the rights of farmers, farmworkers and communities.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Immigration agents appear \u003ca href=\"https://www.kvpr.org/community/2026-10-08/immigration-sweeps-hit-central-californias-farming-region-as-diesel-costs-also-worry-farmers\">to be detaining farmworkers\u003c/a> along rural roads and others driving along busy city streets in Fresno County. Community-reported incidents of\u003ca href=\"https://iceout.org/en/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u003cu> immigration agents conducting traffic stops\u003c/u>\u003c/a> have sent shock through the community. The sweeps come as farmers gear up to finish harvest for most crops in the Valley. In a statement on Thursday, the Nisei Farmers League also called on ICE to respect “the rights of farmers, farmworkers and communities.”\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
}
],
"excerpt": "One high school teacher is weaving the curriculum into his history class.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1791576355,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 14,
"wordCount": 664
},
"headData": {
"title": "San Diego at the Heart of New Native American Studies Curriculum | KQED",
"description": "One high school teacher is weaving the curriculum into his history class.",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "San Diego at the Heart of New Native American Studies Curriculum",
"datePublished": "2026-10-09T13:05:47-07:00",
"dateModified": "2026-10-09T13:05:55-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"primaryCategory": {
"termId": 33520,
"slug": "podcast",
"name": "Podcast"
},
"source": "The California Report",
"sourceUrl": "https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/tcrarchive/",
"audioUrl": "https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/traffic.megaphone.fm/KQINC8882159788.mp3",
"sticky": false,
"nprStoryId": "kqed-12103722",
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/news/12103722/san-diego-at-the-heart-of-new-native-american-studies-curriculum",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Here are the morning’s top stories on Friday, October 9, 2026\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>California now has a statewide guide for teaching about Native American history and culture. In the community of Bonsall in San Diego County, a high school teacher \u003ca href=\"https://www.kpbs.org/news/education/2026/10/02/californias-new-native-american-studies-curriculum-comes-alive-in-a-bonsall-classroom\">is weaving the curriculum into his history class.\u003c/a> \u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Central Valley leaders are trying to assuage the anxieties of their constituents, who are worried about \u003ca href=\"https://www.kvpr.org/community/2026-10-08/immigration-sweeps-hit-central-californias-farming-region-as-diesel-costs-also-worry-farmers\">a reported ICE crackdown\u003c/a> in the area.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kpbs.org/news/education/2026/10/02/californias-new-native-american-studies-curriculum-comes-alive-in-a-bonsall-classroom\">California’s new Native American studies curriculum comes alive in a Bonsall classroom\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Can a government legitimately claim territory, even when other people already live there? If land is not being farmed or developed, does someone else have a right to use it?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Greg Hinchliff’s 11th-grade history students grappled with these questions on a recent morning at Bonsall High School. They moved to different parts of the room depending on what they thought, gathering around signs that ranged from “strongly agree” to “strongly disagree.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Then, they repeated the activity from the perspectives of Native Americans, European settlers, monarchs and religious leaders. “European religious leaders,” Hinchliff said to a group of students. “What would they say about this statement, that explorers can claim that land?”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“That they can claim it because they’re Christians, basically,” a student responded.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Right, because it goes back to that \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2023/03/30/1167056438/vatican-doctrine-of-discovery-colonialism-indigenous\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u003cu>doctrine of discovery\u003c/u>\u003c/a>,” Hinchliff said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The activity comes from California’s Native American Studies Model Curriculum. Published in 2025, it has hundreds of free lesson plans and teaching materials. Hinchliff helped write it. There are lessons \u003ca href=\"https://camodelcurricula.ucdavis.edu/native-american-studies/whats-in-a-name-native-place-names-and-perspectives\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">for elementary school students\u003c/a> about Indigenous and colonial place names. Eighth graders can learn about \u003ca href=\"https://camodelcurricula.ucdavis.edu/native-american-studies/tribal-governments-sovereignty-treaties-and-constitutions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">tribal sovereignty and federal recognition\u003c/a>. High schoolers can learn about cultural fire practices.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In 2021, the California Department of Education allocated $4 million to develop the curriculum. Joely Proudfit (Luiseño/Payómkawichum, Tongva), director of the California Indian Culture and Sovereignty Center at CSU San Marcos, was one of three people from across the state selected to lead the project. “We really wanted tribal communities to take the lead in helping us write this curriculum,” Proudfit said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>They held dozens of meetings with tribal communities throughout the state. There are 109 federally recognized tribes in California, plus many other tribal communities that aren’t recognized. “There’s not a lesson plan for every single tribe in the state,” Proudfit said. “This is merely the first step in the right direction.” Teachers can continue in the right direction, she said, by building relationships with members of local tribal communities.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kvpr.org/community/2026-10-08/immigration-sweeps-hit-central-californias-farming-region-as-diesel-costs-also-worry-farmers\">Immigration sweeps hit Central Valley\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>There have been \u003ca href=\"https://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article317542396.html\">reports this week\u003c/a> of a significant increase in immigration enforcement activity across the Central Valley.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a statement, State Senator Anna Caballero said her office has received reports that upwards of 60 people have been taken into ICE custody in her district in the past few days. Her district includes Fresno, Madera and Merced counties.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Fresno City Councilman Miguel Arias cautioned Latino residents in particular during a city council meeting on Thursday. “Stay home. It’s not safe for you to be out. They’re not just picking up criminals, they’re not just picking up people who don’t have legal status, they’re picking up everyone,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Arias expressed concerns about the Big Fresno Fair, which opened this week. But in a statement, fair officials said they work diligently to provide a safe environment for the community. They also said they have not received any information about planned federal activity at the Fair. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Immigration agents appear \u003ca href=\"https://www.kvpr.org/community/2026-10-08/immigration-sweeps-hit-central-californias-farming-region-as-diesel-costs-also-worry-farmers\">to be detaining farmworkers\u003c/a> along rural roads and others driving along busy city streets in Fresno County. Community-reported incidents of\u003ca href=\"https://iceout.org/en/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u003cu> immigration agents conducting traffic stops\u003c/u>\u003c/a> have sent shock through the community. The sweeps come as farmers gear up to finish harvest for most crops in the Valley. In a statement on Thursday, the Nisei Farmers League also called on ICE to respect “the rights of farmers, farmworkers and communities.”\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/12103722/san-diego-at-the-heart-of-new-native-american-studies-curriculum",
"authors": [
"11739"
],
"programs": [
"news_72"
],
"categories": [
"news_33520",
"news_34018"
],
"tags": [
"news_311",
"news_20013",
"news_18269",
"news_4922",
"news_17708",
"news_37570",
"news_35108",
"news_4486",
"news_21998",
"news_21268"
],
"featImg": "news_12103723",
"label": "source_news_12103722"
},
"news_12103202": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_12103202",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12103202",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1791325601000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "embattled-northern-california-charter-school-files-for-bankruptcy",
"title": "Embattled Northern California Charter School Files for Bankruptcy",
"publishDate": 1791325601,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "Embattled Northern California Charter School Files for Bankruptcy | KQED",
"labelTerm": {},
"content": "\u003cp>\u003c!-- Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ -->\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A beleaguered \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sacramento\">Sacramento\u003c/a> charter school, which the state last year accused of misspending $180 million, has filed for bankruptcy after the school said negotiations broke down over its repayment of the debt.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Highlands Community and Technical Schools, which serves about 2,000 adults at six campuses in the Sacramento area, remains open.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Highlands is taking this step to protect our students and preserve the future of our schools,” the school’s executive director, Jonathan Raymond, said in a written statement. “The reorganization process gives us the best opportunity to remain open and continue serving students while we address the disputed financial claims through an orderly, court-supervised process.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Relocation to Sutter County?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Highlands’s quest to \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/2026/09/highlands-charter-school-california/\">relocate to Sutter County\u003c/a> also remains in play. The school is awaiting a decision from the Sutter County Board of Education over its petition for a new charter, under a new name: California Learning Academy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yuba City Unified School District, where Highlands hoped to expand, denied the school’s charter request in July.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">[aside postID=news_12102861 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260821-FamilyFriendlySF-JY-07.jpg']\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The school filed for bankruptcy in U.S, District Court for the Eastern District of California on Sunday. A hearing is set for Thursday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In its filing, the school said it has between 1,000 and 5,000 creditors, including the California Department of Education and Twin Rivers Unified School District, which currently holds the school’s charter. The Department of Education is demanding $243 million, according to the filing, and Twin Rivers says it’s owed $2.4 million.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Highlands disputes the charges. The Department of Education had no comment on the matter and Twin Rivers Unified did not respond by deadline for a request for comment.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Auditor’s findings\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The case stems from a 2025 \u003ca href=\"https://www.auditor.ca.gov/reports/2024-106/\">California State Auditor report\u003c/a> that accused Highlands leadership of misstating the school’s attendance, essentially collecting state money for students who didn’t exist. The auditor also accused the school of hiring unqualified teachers and engaging in nepotism in hiring and contracting. Among other questionable expenses, the school spent $1.2 million at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in San Diego and paid for board trips to Paris and Hawaii, according to the auditor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The school has addressed 18 of the auditor’s 19 recommendations, Raymond said, and it appealed the remaining one, which is the alleged misuse of funds. The state’s Education Audit Appeals Panel is expected to release a ruling soon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since the audit, Highlands has replaced all of its senior staff and moved to replace unqualified teachers with those who have, or are working toward, credentials, Raymond said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Founded in 2014, Highlands serves adults seeking a high school diploma, English classes or job skills. Many of its students are immigrants.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/2026/10/highlands-charter-school-california-2/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "Highlands Community and Technical Schools last year was accused of misspending $180 million.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1791325601,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 16,
"wordCount": 499
},
"headData": {
"title": "Embattled Northern California Charter School Files for Bankruptcy | KQED",
"description": "Highlands Community and Technical Schools last year was accused of misspending $180 million.",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "Embattled Northern California Charter School Files for Bankruptcy",
"datePublished": "2026-10-06T15:26:41-07:00",
"dateModified": "2026-10-06T15:26:41-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"primaryCategory": {
"termId": 18540,
"slug": "education",
"name": "Education"
},
"source": "CalMatters",
"sourceUrl": "https://calmatters.org/",
"sticky": false,
"nprByline": "Carolyn Jones, CalMatters",
"nprStoryId": "kqed-12103202",
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"showOnAuthorArchivePages": "No",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/news/12103202/embattled-northern-california-charter-school-files-for-bankruptcy",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003c!-- Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ -->\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A beleaguered \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sacramento\">Sacramento\u003c/a> charter school, which the state last year accused of misspending $180 million, has filed for bankruptcy after the school said negotiations broke down over its repayment of the debt.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Highlands Community and Technical Schools, which serves about 2,000 adults at six campuses in the Sacramento area, remains open.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Highlands is taking this step to protect our students and preserve the future of our schools,” the school’s executive director, Jonathan Raymond, said in a written statement. “The reorganization process gives us the best opportunity to remain open and continue serving students while we address the disputed financial claims through an orderly, court-supervised process.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Relocation to Sutter County?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Highlands’s quest to \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/2026/09/highlands-charter-school-california/\">relocate to Sutter County\u003c/a> also remains in play. The school is awaiting a decision from the Sutter County Board of Education over its petition for a new charter, under a new name: California Learning Academy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yuba City Unified School District, where Highlands hoped to expand, denied the school’s charter request in July.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "news_12102861",
"hero": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260821-FamilyFriendlySF-JY-07.jpg",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The school filed for bankruptcy in U.S, District Court for the Eastern District of California on Sunday. A hearing is set for Thursday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In its filing, the school said it has between 1,000 and 5,000 creditors, including the California Department of Education and Twin Rivers Unified School District, which currently holds the school’s charter. The Department of Education is demanding $243 million, according to the filing, and Twin Rivers says it’s owed $2.4 million.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Highlands disputes the charges. The Department of Education had no comment on the matter and Twin Rivers Unified did not respond by deadline for a request for comment.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Auditor’s findings\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The case stems from a 2025 \u003ca href=\"https://www.auditor.ca.gov/reports/2024-106/\">California State Auditor report\u003c/a> that accused Highlands leadership of misstating the school’s attendance, essentially collecting state money for students who didn’t exist. The auditor also accused the school of hiring unqualified teachers and engaging in nepotism in hiring and contracting. Among other questionable expenses, the school spent $1.2 million at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in San Diego and paid for board trips to Paris and Hawaii, according to the auditor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The school has addressed 18 of the auditor’s 19 recommendations, Raymond said, and it appealed the remaining one, which is the alleged misuse of funds. The state’s Education Audit Appeals Panel is expected to release a ruling soon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since the audit, Highlands has replaced all of its senior staff and moved to replace unqualified teachers with those who have, or are working toward, credentials, Raymond said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Founded in 2014, Highlands serves adults seeking a high school diploma, English classes or job skills. Many of its students are immigrants.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/2026/10/highlands-charter-school-california-2/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/12103202/embattled-northern-california-charter-school-files-for-bankruptcy",
"authors": [
"byline_news_12103202"
],
"categories": [
"news_31795",
"news_18540",
"news_8"
],
"tags": [
"news_2632",
"news_18538",
"news_25612",
"news_20013",
"news_17708",
"news_95"
],
"affiliates": [
"news_18481"
],
"featImg": "news_12103208",
"label": "source_news_12103202"
},
"news_12102861": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_12102861",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12102861",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1791284400000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "sf-has-the-fewest-kids-city-leaders-hope-these-policies-will-help-families-stick-around",
"title": "SF Has the Fewest Kids. City Leaders Hope These Policies Will Help Families Stick Around",
"publishDate": 1791284400,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "SF Has the Fewest Kids. City Leaders Hope These Policies Will Help Families Stick Around | KQED",
"labelTerm": {
"site": "news"
},
"content": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of How We Get By, a KQED series exploring how people are coping with rising costs in the Bay Area and California. Find the \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">\u003cem>full series here\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After giving birth to her second child this Spring, Angelica Torres was able to take four months off work to care for herself and her baby.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It’s a luxury not all working parents can afford, but Torres was able to take advantage of a San Francisco law, which offers parents full paychecks while they miss work to bond with a new child. That benefit, plus another city program that offers free childcare for her 3-year-old daughter, gave her welcome financial relief as she navigated the additional cost of growing her family, she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“With everything getting so expensive, I feel that San Francisco does a lot to support families,” she said. “This is why we’re still here.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For at least a decade, San Francisco has had the fewest children of any major American city, with about 13% of residents under the age of 18 in 2025, according to U.S. Census data. The cost of raising a family has long been cited as one reason. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As the artificial intelligence boom fuels economic growth and stirs anxiety about the costs of living rising even higher, local leaders are trying to help families stay in San Francisco by making life a little more affordable.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260821-FamilyFriendlySF-JY-09.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12096525\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260821-FamilyFriendlySF-JY-09.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260821-FamilyFriendlySF-JY-09-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260821-FamilyFriendlySF-JY-09-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Angelica Torres and her children Valentina and Angel stand for a portrait in Torres’ mother’s home in San Francisco on Friday, Aug. 21, 2026. Torres and her family stay with her mother for childcare assistance. (Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There’s a joke about San Francisco having more dogs than kids, and that’s a little funny, but a little sad,” said Supervisor Danny Sauter, who pushed to expand the city’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.sf.gov/information--paid-parental-leave-ordinance\">paid parental leave ordinance\u003c/a> to make it easier for workers to qualify. “It’s our responsibility at City Hall to look to see if we can remove barriers, if we could lend a hand.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Since the beginning of this year, the city has focused on alleviating some of the largest expenses families face. In January, Mayor Daniel Lurie rolled out his “Family Opportunity Agenda,” which included \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12094257/san-francisco-child-care-free-elfa-discount-subsidies-how-to-apply-who-qualifies\">expanding the city’s subsidized childcare\u003c/a> to include higher-income earners — a family of four making up to $324,000 a year can now qualify — as well as growing the city’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.sf.gov/news-mayor-lurie-expands-access-to-affordable-after-school-care-for-san-francisco-families-following-major-expansion-of-early-childcare\">after-school programs\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Lurie is among a handful of mayors and state governors who’ve championed similar policies aimed at families, joining Delaware, Maine, Minnesota and Colorado in \u003ca href=\"https://www.parentoleave.com/blog/whats-changing-in-paid-family-leave-in-2026-your-complete-guide\">enacting or expanding paid parental leave\u003c/a> and New York City in rolling out \u003ca href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/newyork/2026/09/10/mamdani-2-k-program-launches-with-cost-savings-payment-delays/\">free childcare for 2-year-olds\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Those efforts come as the child population is trending down nationwide due to falling birth and fertility rates, and major cities \u003ca href=\"https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2026/vintage-2025-pop-estimates.html\">saw the biggest decline\u003c/a> in the past five years, according to Census data. Between 2010 and 2025, San Francisco’s under-18 population decreased numerically but \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/san-francisco-fewest-kids-data-21044908.php\">stayed relatively flat as a percentage of the overall population\u003c/a>. The portion of children under 5 had hovered around 4.5% between 2010 and 2020, but since the pandemic, it’s dropped to just under 4%.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr />\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"San Francisco's Under 18 and Under 5 Population\" aria-label=\"Area Chart\" id=\"datawrapper-chart-nMwbh\" src=\"https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/nMwbh/1/\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" 0=\"style="width:\" 1=\"0;\" 2=\"min-width:\" 3=\"100%\" width=\"100%\" height=\"500\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In speeches, Lurie and other city leaders echoed concerns about people delaying having children, if at all, or moving out of San Francisco after they have kids. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This is the greatest city in the world, but it can’t be great if the people that are living here today can’t afford to stay here tomorrow,” Lurie told KQED in a recent interview. “We know how expensive this city is to raise a family, and so we’re doing everything in our power to build more affordable housing, to make early childhood care and education accessible to every family.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>City leaders are focusing on the early years because Census surveys show that’s when families are most likely to leave. It’s also the most expensive phase of life, when childcare prices can consume a big chunk of a family’s income.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“One of the things that’s been true in San Francisco is that if you have a child [under] 5, you’re more likely to leave,” said Ted Egan, the city’s chief economist. “But if you have a child who’s over 5, you’re not — which basically means once people are settled in school, they’re less mobile.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>San Francisco first began using city funds to offer free preschool for 4-year-olds in 2004 and two decades later broadened that program by using revenue from a voter-approved tax to offer free or discounted early education and care for families, based on their income. Lurie stops short of calling it universal childcare, but said he wants San Francisco to become the first major city in the country to provide “access to childcare” for every family with a child under 5.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The city was also a leader in offering fully paid parental leave, becoming the first in the nation to do so in 2017. The ordinance built on California’s \u003ca href=\"https://edd.ca.gov/en/disability/paid-family-leave/\">paid family leave program\u003c/a>, which offers new parents between 60 and 70 percent of their wages for eight weeks, by requiring employers to cover the rest of workers’ paychecks. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260821-FamilyFriendlySF-JY-01.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12096522\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260821-FamilyFriendlySF-JY-01.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260821-FamilyFriendlySF-JY-01-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260821-FamilyFriendlySF-JY-01-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Angelica Torres holds her 5-month-old son Angel as her daughter Valentina works on a project for school in the kitchen of Torres’ mother’s home in San Francisco on Friday, Aug. 21, 2026. Torres’ mother helps out with childcare for her and her family. (Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11828551/who-benefits-from-san-franciscos-paid-leave-for-new-parents\">Studies have shown\u003c/a> that workers in industries with high turnover, like restaurants and hospitality, were least likely to opt in. A new update to the law makes employees who are starting a new job eligible for the benefit sooner — at 90 days, up from 180.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Torres said this change didn’t directly affect her, but she was glad to see her partner take time off his job as a restaurant cook to take care of their baby after she went back to work as a site supervisor at a preschool. It was a benefit he could have taken after their daughter was born, but didn’t, she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“He was like, ‘I cannot miss a lot of days of work. What is my boss going to say?’” Torres said. “This time around, I explained to him [he] could take some time off. It’s a law. He would go on walks with the baby and take care of our daughter. I feel like he was more connected to his children.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The subsidized childcare program, Early Learning For All, saves her more than $2,000 per month for her daughter’s full-time care, she said, and helps offset other rising costs. The program also boosts the pay of early childhood educators at its participating programs, including the preschool where Torres works, and that has increased her hourly wage from $28 to $36 per hour in the last few years. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While she’s grateful for the help, Torres said her biggest expense is still the rent. The couple shares a four-bedroom apartment with Torres’ parents and brother in the Excelsior District, a working-class neighborhood in the southeastern part of the city. Since the pandemic, the rent stayed at $4,000 until a couple of months ago, when Torres said the landlord bumped it up by 10%.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She said she hopes that city leaders “can target the bigger issues that people in San Francisco face like the rent.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Rent is really expensive. Super expensive,” she said. “I really love this city. I love the diversity, and I want my children to grow here.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘Hard to live here’ \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In several interviews, parents of young children echoed Torres’ concern, praising the family-friendly policies but citing the high cost of housing, limited availability of family-sized apartments and an unpopular school lottery as reasons they may eventually leave.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260821-FamilyFriendlySF-JY-03.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12096523\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260821-FamilyFriendlySF-JY-03.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260821-FamilyFriendlySF-JY-03-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260821-FamilyFriendlySF-JY-03-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Angelica Torres holds her 5-month-old son Angel in her mother’s kitchen in San Francisco on Friday, Aug. 21, 2026. (Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“People who locked in their [mortgage or rental] rates during the pandemic are happy to stay, but those that want to move or want to expand out of their one-bedroom or two-bedroom apartments really do find it hard to live here,” said Vai Sundaresan, a tech worker who was laid off when she was pregnant with her 1-year-old daughter. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She said one reason she and her husband, who also works in tech, can afford to live in San Francisco is that they bought their house four years ago. “But if we were to move now, it would be hard.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Sauter is keenly aware of this trend: In the 15 years he’s lived in San Francisco, he said he’s seen friends leave after they start a family. He became a dad himself more than a year ago and said he’s now getting a closer glimpse into the challenges of parenting in the city.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It almost feels destined when you have a first child, or certainly a second child, that you just expect someone to move away,” Sauter said. “That’s not healthy for a city.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>To encourage developers to build larger, family-sized apartments, Sauter co-authored an incentive to allow developers to add another floor if they build apartments with two or more bedrooms. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The incentive is part of a state-mandated effort to address California’s housing shortage. The city’s proposal, which Lurie branded the “Family Zoning Plan,” was approved in December 2025 and allows for the construction of some 36,000 additional homes and apartments, largely in neighborhoods with access to public transit, parks, retail, and community facilities.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In addition to championing the rezoning amendment and expanded paid parental leave, Sauter is also looking to add more diaper-changing tables and lactation rooms in public spaces and improve transit access for families with young kids. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But for some families, a bigger issue is the public school system.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hitomi Wada and EJ Macayan, a couple who own a small business in the Tenderloin District, said they’re grateful to save $3,000 per month in infant care under the city’s expanded Early Learning for All program but aren’t sure what they’ll do when their 1-year-old son reaches school age. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wada said she’s heard “nightmare stories” of navigating San Francisco Unified School District’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11641238/how-the-san-francisco-school-lottery-works-and-how-it-doesnt-2\">lottery\u003c/a> — a complicated assignment system intended to desegregate schools but one that has also led to long waitlists and confusion, leaving families anxious about whether they’ll get into their preferred school. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The district wants to overhaul the system but has \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12082156/sfusd-wants-to-fix-its-lottery-system-then-look-again-at-closing-schools\">repeatedly delayed replacing it\u003c/a>, though officials said this year, 65% of families got into their top-ranked school. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“He’s only 15 months old, but we’re already thinking, ‘What is our strategy for navigating that portion?’ and trying to figure out what best fits us,” Wada said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Lurie’s hands are tied when it comes to resolving this problem: By law, an elected school board governs the district, which is funded by the state.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He said the city does set aside around $100 million annually from its general fund to support public school libraries and the district’s arts, sports and college readiness programs. The city also increased access to free or discounted after-school care “to help bridge the gap between the time that school ends and parents are done with their job,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We have more work to do, but we’ve made some progress, especially on this early childhood [initiative],” Lurie said. “We’re going to lean in on transit; we’re going to lean in on building more affordable housing.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wada and Macayan said their heart is in San Francisco, but they’re not sure how long they can sustain their life in the city.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We do want to stay,” Wada said. “We want to make it work for as long as possible.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But as they look into the future, Wada said they’re already bracing themselves for what comes next: “When we do have to leave, where do we want to go?”\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of How We Get By, a KQED series exploring how people are coping with rising costs in the Bay Area and California. Find the \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">\u003cem>full series here\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of How We Get By, a KQED series exploring how people are coping with rising costs in the Bay Area and California. Find the \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">\u003cem>full series here\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>After giving birth to her second child this Spring, Angelica Torres was able to take four months off work to care for herself and her baby.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>After giving birth to her second child this Spring, Angelica Torres was able to take four months off work to care for herself and her baby.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It’s a luxury not all working parents can afford, but Torres was able to take advantage of a San Francisco law, which offers parents full paychecks while they miss work to bond with a new child. That benefit, plus another city program that offers free childcare for her 3-year-old daughter, gave her welcome financial relief as she navigated the additional cost of growing her family, she said.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>It’s a luxury not all working parents can afford, but Torres was able to take advantage of a San Francisco law, which offers parents full paychecks while they miss work to bond with a new child. That benefit, plus another city program that offers free childcare for her 3-year-old daughter, gave her welcome financial relief as she navigated the additional cost of growing her family, she said.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“With everything getting so expensive, I feel that San Francisco does a lot to support families,” she said. “This is why we’re still here.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“With everything getting so expensive, I feel that San Francisco does a lot to support families,” she said. “This is why we’re still here.”\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For at least a decade, San Francisco has had the fewest children of any major American city, with about 13% of residents under the age of 18 in 2025, according to U.S. Census data. The cost of raising a family has long been cited as one reason. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>For at least a decade, San Francisco has had the fewest children of any major American city, with about 13% of residents under the age of 18 in 2025, according to U.S. Census data. The cost of raising a family has long been cited as one reason. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As the artificial intelligence boom fuels economic growth and stirs anxiety about the costs of living rising even higher, local leaders are trying to help families stay in San Francisco by making life a little more affordable.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>As the artificial intelligence boom fuels economic growth and stirs anxiety about the costs of living rising even higher, local leaders are trying to help families stay in San Francisco by making life a little more affordable.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/image",
"attrs": {
"id": 12096525,
"sizeSlug": "full",
"linkDestination": "none",
"alt": "",
"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260821-FamilyFriendlySF-JY-09.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260821-FamilyFriendlySF-JY-09-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260821-FamilyFriendlySF-JY-09-1536x1024.jpg 1536w",
"sizes": "(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)"
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260821-FamilyFriendlySF-JY-09.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12096525\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260821-FamilyFriendlySF-JY-09.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260821-FamilyFriendlySF-JY-09-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260821-FamilyFriendlySF-JY-09-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Angelica Torres and her children Valentina and Angel stand for a portrait in Torres’ mother’s home in San Francisco on Friday, Aug. 21, 2026. Torres and her family stay with her mother for childcare assistance.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260821-FamilyFriendlySF-JY-09.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12096525\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Angelica Torres and her children Valentina and Angel stand for a portrait in Torres’ mother’s home in San Francisco on Friday, Aug. 21, 2026. Torres and her family stay with her mother for childcare assistance.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“There’s a joke about San Francisco having more dogs than kids, and that’s a little funny, but a little sad,” said Supervisor Danny Sauter, who pushed to expand the city’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.sf.gov/information--paid-parental-leave-ordinance\">paid parental leave ordinance\u003c/a> to make it easier for workers to qualify. “It’s our responsibility at City Hall to look to see if we can remove barriers, if we could lend a hand.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“There’s a joke about San Francisco having more dogs than kids, and that’s a little funny, but a little sad,” said Supervisor Danny Sauter, who pushed to expand the city’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.sf.gov/information--paid-parental-leave-ordinance\">paid parental leave ordinance\u003c/a> to make it easier for workers to qualify. “It’s our responsibility at City Hall to look to see if we can remove barriers, if we could lend a hand.”\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Since the beginning of this year, the city has focused on alleviating some of the largest expenses families face. In January, Mayor Daniel Lurie rolled out his “Family Opportunity Agenda,” which included \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12094257/san-francisco-child-care-free-elfa-discount-subsidies-how-to-apply-who-qualifies\">expanding the city’s subsidized childcare\u003c/a> to include higher-income earners — a family of four making up to $324,000 a year can now qualify — as well as growing the city’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.sf.gov/news-mayor-lurie-expands-access-to-affordable-after-school-care-for-san-francisco-families-following-major-expansion-of-early-childcare\">after-school programs\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Since the beginning of this year, the city has focused on alleviating some of the largest expenses families face. In January, Mayor Daniel Lurie rolled out his “Family Opportunity Agenda,” which included \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12094257/san-francisco-child-care-free-elfa-discount-subsidies-how-to-apply-who-qualifies\">expanding the city’s subsidized childcare\u003c/a> to include higher-income earners — a family of four making up to $324,000 a year can now qualify — as well as growing the city’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.sf.gov/news-mayor-lurie-expands-access-to-affordable-after-school-care-for-san-francisco-families-following-major-expansion-of-early-childcare\">after-school programs\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Lurie is among a handful of mayors and state governors who’ve championed similar policies aimed at families, joining Delaware, Maine, Minnesota and Colorado in \u003ca href=\"https://www.parentoleave.com/blog/whats-changing-in-paid-family-leave-in-2026-your-complete-guide\">enacting or expanding paid parental leave\u003c/a> and New York City in rolling out \u003ca href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/newyork/2026/09/10/mamdani-2-k-program-launches-with-cost-savings-payment-delays/\">free childcare for 2-year-olds\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Lurie is among a handful of mayors and state governors who’ve championed similar policies aimed at families, joining Delaware, Maine, Minnesota and Colorado in \u003ca href=\"https://www.parentoleave.com/blog/whats-changing-in-paid-family-leave-in-2026-your-complete-guide\">enacting or expanding paid parental leave\u003c/a> and New York City in rolling out \u003ca href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/newyork/2026/09/10/mamdani-2-k-program-launches-with-cost-savings-payment-delays/\">free childcare for 2-year-olds\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Those efforts come as the child population is trending down nationwide due to falling birth and fertility rates, and major cities \u003ca href=\"https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2026/vintage-2025-pop-estimates.html\">saw the biggest decline\u003c/a> in the past five years, according to Census data. Between 2010 and 2025, San Francisco’s under-18 population decreased numerically but \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/san-francisco-fewest-kids-data-21044908.php\">stayed relatively flat as a percentage of the overall population\u003c/a>. The portion of children under 5 had hovered around 4.5% between 2010 and 2020, but since the pandemic, it’s dropped to just under 4%.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Those efforts come as the child population is trending down nationwide due to falling birth and fertility rates, and major cities \u003ca href=\"https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2026/vintage-2025-pop-estimates.html\">saw the biggest decline\u003c/a> in the past five years, according to Census data. Between 2010 and 2025, San Francisco’s under-18 population decreased numerically but \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/san-francisco-fewest-kids-data-21044908.php\">stayed relatively flat as a percentage of the overall population\u003c/a>. The portion of children under 5 had hovered around 4.5% between 2010 and 2020, but since the pandemic, it’s dropped to just under 4%.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/shortcode",
"attrs": {
"0": "style=\"width:",
"1": "0;",
"2": "min-width:",
"3": "100%",
"shortcode_type": "self_closing",
"shortcode_name": "iframe",
"title": "San Francisco's Under 18 and Under 5 Population",
"aria-label": "Area Chart",
"id": "datawrapper-chart-nMwbh",
"src": "https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/nMwbh/1/",
"scrolling": "no",
"frameborder": "0"
},
"innerHTML": "\n[iframe title=\"San Francisco's Under 18 and Under 5 Population\" aria-label=\"Area Chart\" id=\"datawrapper-chart-nMwbh\" src=\"https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/nMwbh/1/\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"width: 0; min-width: 100%]\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n[iframe title=\"San Francisco's Under 18 and Under 5 Population\" aria-label=\"Area Chart\" id=\"datawrapper-chart-nMwbh\" src=\"https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/nMwbh/1/\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"width: 0; min-width: 100%]\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In speeches, Lurie and other city leaders echoed concerns about people delaying having children, if at all, or moving out of San Francisco after they have kids. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>In speeches, Lurie and other city leaders echoed concerns about people delaying having children, if at all, or moving out of San Francisco after they have kids. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This is the greatest city in the world, but it can’t be great if the people that are living here today can’t afford to stay here tomorrow,” Lurie told KQED in a recent interview. “We know how expensive this city is to raise a family, and so we’re doing everything in our power to build more affordable housing, to make early childhood care and education accessible to every family.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“This is the greatest city in the world, but it can’t be great if the people that are living here today can’t afford to stay here tomorrow,” Lurie told KQED in a recent interview. “We know how expensive this city is to raise a family, and so we’re doing everything in our power to build more affordable housing, to make early childhood care and education accessible to every family.”\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>City leaders are focusing on the early years because Census surveys show that’s when families are most likely to leave. It’s also the most expensive phase of life, when childcare prices can consume a big chunk of a family’s income.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>City leaders are focusing on the early years because Census surveys show that’s when families are most likely to leave. It’s also the most expensive phase of life, when childcare prices can consume a big chunk of a family’s income.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“One of the things that’s been true in San Francisco is that if you have a child [under] 5, you’re more likely to leave,” said Ted Egan, the city’s chief economist. “But if you have a child who’s over 5, you’re not — which basically means once people are settled in school, they’re less mobile.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“One of the things that’s been true in San Francisco is that if you have a child [under] 5, you’re more likely to leave,” said Ted Egan, the city’s chief economist. “But if you have a child who’s over 5, you’re not — which basically means once people are settled in school, they’re less mobile.”\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>San Francisco first began using city funds to offer free preschool for 4-year-olds in 2004 and two decades later broadened that program by using revenue from a voter-approved tax to offer free or discounted early education and care for families, based on their income. Lurie stops short of calling it universal childcare, but said he wants San Francisco to become the first major city in the country to provide “access to childcare” for every family with a child under 5.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>San Francisco first began using city funds to offer free preschool for 4-year-olds in 2004 and two decades later broadened that program by using revenue from a voter-approved tax to offer free or discounted early education and care for families, based on their income. Lurie stops short of calling it universal childcare, but said he wants San Francisco to become the first major city in the country to provide “access to childcare” for every family with a child under 5.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The city was also a leader in offering fully paid parental leave, becoming the first in the nation to do so in 2017. The ordinance built on California’s \u003ca href=\"https://edd.ca.gov/en/disability/paid-family-leave/\">paid family leave program\u003c/a>, which offers new parents between 60 and 70 percent of their wages for eight weeks, by requiring employers to cover the rest of workers’ paychecks. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>The city was also a leader in offering fully paid parental leave, becoming the first in the nation to do so in 2017. The ordinance built on California’s \u003ca href=\"https://edd.ca.gov/en/disability/paid-family-leave/\">paid family leave program\u003c/a>, which offers new parents between 60 and 70 percent of their wages for eight weeks, by requiring employers to cover the rest of workers’ paychecks. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/image",
"attrs": {
"id": 12096522,
"sizeSlug": "full",
"linkDestination": "none",
"alt": "",
"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260821-FamilyFriendlySF-JY-01.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260821-FamilyFriendlySF-JY-01-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260821-FamilyFriendlySF-JY-01-1536x1024.jpg 1536w",
"sizes": "(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)"
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260821-FamilyFriendlySF-JY-01.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12096522\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260821-FamilyFriendlySF-JY-01.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260821-FamilyFriendlySF-JY-01-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260821-FamilyFriendlySF-JY-01-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Angelica Torres holds her 5-month-old son Angel as her daughter Valentina works on a project for school in the kitchen of Torres’ mother’s home in San Francisco on Friday, Aug. 21, 2026. Torres’ mother helps out with childcare for her and her family.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260821-FamilyFriendlySF-JY-01.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12096522\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Angelica Torres holds her 5-month-old son Angel as her daughter Valentina works on a project for school in the kitchen of Torres’ mother’s home in San Francisco on Friday, Aug. 21, 2026. Torres’ mother helps out with childcare for her and her family.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11828551/who-benefits-from-san-franciscos-paid-leave-for-new-parents\">Studies have shown\u003c/a> that workers in industries with high turnover, like restaurants and hospitality, were least likely to opt in. A new update to the law makes employees who are starting a new job eligible for the benefit sooner — at 90 days, up from 180.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11828551/who-benefits-from-san-franciscos-paid-leave-for-new-parents\">Studies have shown\u003c/a> that workers in industries with high turnover, like restaurants and hospitality, were least likely to opt in. A new update to the law makes employees who are starting a new job eligible for the benefit sooner — at 90 days, up from 180.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Torres said this change didn’t directly affect her, but she was glad to see her partner take time off his job as a restaurant cook to take care of their baby after she went back to work as a site supervisor at a preschool. It was a benefit he could have taken after their daughter was born, but didn’t, she said.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Torres said this change didn’t directly affect her, but she was glad to see her partner take time off his job as a restaurant cook to take care of their baby after she went back to work as a site supervisor at a preschool. It was a benefit he could have taken after their daughter was born, but didn’t, she said.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“He was like, ‘I cannot miss a lot of days of work. What is my boss going to say?’” Torres said. “This time around, I explained to him [he] could take some time off. It’s a law. He would go on walks with the baby and take care of our daughter. I feel like he was more connected to his children.” \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“He was like, ‘I cannot miss a lot of days of work. What is my boss going to say?’” Torres said. “This time around, I explained to him [he] could take some time off. It’s a law. He would go on walks with the baby and take care of our daughter. I feel like he was more connected to his children.” \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The subsidized childcare program, Early Learning For All, saves her more than $2,000 per month for her daughter’s full-time care, she said, and helps offset other rising costs. The program also boosts the pay of early childhood educators at its participating programs, including the preschool where Torres works, and that has increased her hourly wage from $28 to $36 per hour in the last few years. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>The subsidized childcare program, Early Learning For All, saves her more than $2,000 per month for her daughter’s full-time care, she said, and helps offset other rising costs. The program also boosts the pay of early childhood educators at its participating programs, including the preschool where Torres works, and that has increased her hourly wage from $28 to $36 per hour in the last few years. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While she’s grateful for the help, Torres said her biggest expense is still the rent. The couple shares a four-bedroom apartment with Torres’ parents and brother in the Excelsior District, a working-class neighborhood in the southeastern part of the city. Since the pandemic, the rent stayed at $4,000 until a couple of months ago, when Torres said the landlord bumped it up by 10%.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>While she’s grateful for the help, Torres said her biggest expense is still the rent. The couple shares a four-bedroom apartment with Torres’ parents and brother in the Excelsior District, a working-class neighborhood in the southeastern part of the city. Since the pandemic, the rent stayed at $4,000 until a couple of months ago, when Torres said the landlord bumped it up by 10%.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>She said she hopes that city leaders “can target the bigger issues that people in San Francisco face like the rent.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>She said she hopes that city leaders “can target the bigger issues that people in San Francisco face like the rent.”\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Rent is really expensive. Super expensive,” she said. “I really love this city. I love the diversity, and I want my children to grow here.” \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“Rent is really expensive. Super expensive,” she said. “I really love this city. I love the diversity, and I want my children to grow here.” \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "‘Hard to live here’ ",
"level": 2
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘Hard to live here’ \u003c/h2>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘Hard to live here’ \u003c/h2>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In several interviews, parents of young children echoed Torres’ concern, praising the family-friendly policies but citing the high cost of housing, limited availability of family-sized apartments and an unpopular school lottery as reasons they may eventually leave.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>In several interviews, parents of young children echoed Torres’ concern, praising the family-friendly policies but citing the high cost of housing, limited availability of family-sized apartments and an unpopular school lottery as reasons they may eventually leave.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/image",
"attrs": {
"id": 12096523,
"sizeSlug": "full",
"linkDestination": "none",
"alt": "",
"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260821-FamilyFriendlySF-JY-03.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260821-FamilyFriendlySF-JY-03-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260821-FamilyFriendlySF-JY-03-1536x1024.jpg 1536w",
"sizes": "(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)"
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260821-FamilyFriendlySF-JY-03.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12096523\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260821-FamilyFriendlySF-JY-03.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260821-FamilyFriendlySF-JY-03-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260821-FamilyFriendlySF-JY-03-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Angelica Torres holds her 5-month-old son Angel in her mother’s kitchen in San Francisco on Friday, Aug. 21, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260821-FamilyFriendlySF-JY-03.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12096523\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Angelica Torres holds her 5-month-old son Angel in her mother’s kitchen in San Francisco on Friday, Aug. 21, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“People who locked in their [mortgage or rental] rates during the pandemic are happy to stay, but those that want to move or want to expand out of their one-bedroom or two-bedroom apartments really do find it hard to live here,” said Vai Sundaresan, a tech worker who was laid off when she was pregnant with her 1-year-old daughter. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“People who locked in their [mortgage or rental] rates during the pandemic are happy to stay, but those that want to move or want to expand out of their one-bedroom or two-bedroom apartments really do find it hard to live here,” said Vai Sundaresan, a tech worker who was laid off when she was pregnant with her 1-year-old daughter. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>She said one reason she and her husband, who also works in tech, can afford to live in San Francisco is that they bought their house four years ago. “But if we were to move now, it would be hard.” \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>She said one reason she and her husband, who also works in tech, can afford to live in San Francisco is that they bought their house four years ago. “But if we were to move now, it would be hard.” \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Sauter is keenly aware of this trend: In the 15 years he’s lived in San Francisco, he said he’s seen friends leave after they start a family. He became a dad himself more than a year ago and said he’s now getting a closer glimpse into the challenges of parenting in the city.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Sauter is keenly aware of this trend: In the 15 years he’s lived in San Francisco, he said he’s seen friends leave after they start a family. He became a dad himself more than a year ago and said he’s now getting a closer glimpse into the challenges of parenting in the city.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It almost feels destined when you have a first child, or certainly a second child, that you just expect someone to move away,” Sauter said. “That’s not healthy for a city.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“It almost feels destined when you have a first child, or certainly a second child, that you just expect someone to move away,” Sauter said. “That’s not healthy for a city.”\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>To encourage developers to build larger, family-sized apartments, Sauter co-authored an incentive to allow developers to add another floor if they build apartments with two or more bedrooms. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>To encourage developers to build larger, family-sized apartments, Sauter co-authored an incentive to allow developers to add another floor if they build apartments with two or more bedrooms. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The incentive is part of a state-mandated effort to address California’s housing shortage. The city’s proposal, which Lurie branded the “Family Zoning Plan,” was approved in December 2025 and allows for the construction of some 36,000 additional homes and apartments, largely in neighborhoods with access to public transit, parks, retail, and community facilities.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>The incentive is part of a state-mandated effort to address California’s housing shortage. The city’s proposal, which Lurie branded the “Family Zoning Plan,” was approved in December 2025 and allows for the construction of some 36,000 additional homes and apartments, largely in neighborhoods with access to public transit, parks, retail, and community facilities.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In addition to championing the rezoning amendment and expanded paid parental leave, Sauter is also looking to add more diaper-changing tables and lactation rooms in public spaces and improve transit access for families with young kids. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>In addition to championing the rezoning amendment and expanded paid parental leave, Sauter is also looking to add more diaper-changing tables and lactation rooms in public spaces and improve transit access for families with young kids. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But for some families, a bigger issue is the public school system.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>But for some families, a bigger issue is the public school system.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "kqed-v2/related-articles",
"attrs": {
"postIds": [
"news_12094257"
],
"label": "Related Articles",
"maxPosts": 1,
"showImages": false,
"heroImage": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2030/05/018_KQED_EachOneTeachOneChildCare_04262023.jpg",
"query": "",
"labelWasCleared": false,
"heroImageAlt": "",
"heroImageLink": "",
"labelLink": "",
"alignment": "right",
"target": "_self",
"manualLinks": [],
"posts": []
},
"innerHTML": "",
"innerContent": [],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Hitomi Wada and EJ Macayan, a couple who own a small business in the Tenderloin District, said they’re grateful to save $3,000 per month in infant care under the city’s expanded Early Learning for All program but aren’t sure what they’ll do when their 1-year-old son reaches school age. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Hitomi Wada and EJ Macayan, a couple who own a small business in the Tenderloin District, said they’re grateful to save $3,000 per month in infant care under the city’s expanded Early Learning for All program but aren’t sure what they’ll do when their 1-year-old son reaches school age. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Wada said she’s heard “nightmare stories” of navigating San Francisco Unified School District’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11641238/how-the-san-francisco-school-lottery-works-and-how-it-doesnt-2\">lottery\u003c/a> — a complicated assignment system intended to desegregate schools but one that has also led to long waitlists and confusion, leaving families anxious about whether they’ll get into their preferred school. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Wada said she’s heard “nightmare stories” of navigating San Francisco Unified School District’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11641238/how-the-san-francisco-school-lottery-works-and-how-it-doesnt-2\">lottery\u003c/a> — a complicated assignment system intended to desegregate schools but one that has also led to long waitlists and confusion, leaving families anxious about whether they’ll get into their preferred school. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The district wants to overhaul the system but has \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12082156/sfusd-wants-to-fix-its-lottery-system-then-look-again-at-closing-schools\">repeatedly delayed replacing it\u003c/a>, though officials said this year, 65% of families got into their top-ranked school. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>The district wants to overhaul the system but has \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12082156/sfusd-wants-to-fix-its-lottery-system-then-look-again-at-closing-schools\">repeatedly delayed replacing it\u003c/a>, though officials said this year, 65% of families got into their top-ranked school. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“He’s only 15 months old, but we’re already thinking, ‘What is our strategy for navigating that portion?’ and trying to figure out what best fits us,” Wada said. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“He’s only 15 months old, but we’re already thinking, ‘What is our strategy for navigating that portion?’ and trying to figure out what best fits us,” Wada said. \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Lurie’s hands are tied when it comes to resolving this problem: By law, an elected school board governs the district, which is funded by the state.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Lurie’s hands are tied when it comes to resolving this problem: By law, an elected school board governs the district, which is funded by the state.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He said the city does set aside around $100 million annually from its general fund to support public school libraries and the district’s arts, sports and college readiness programs. The city also increased access to free or discounted after-school care “to help bridge the gap between the time that school ends and parents are done with their job,” he said.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>He said the city does set aside around $100 million annually from its general fund to support public school libraries and the district’s arts, sports and college readiness programs. The city also increased access to free or discounted after-school care “to help bridge the gap between the time that school ends and parents are done with their job,” he said.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We have more work to do, but we’ve made some progress, especially on this early childhood [initiative],” Lurie said. “We’re going to lean in on transit; we’re going to lean in on building more affordable housing.” \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“We have more work to do, but we’ve made some progress, especially on this early childhood [initiative],” Lurie said. “We’re going to lean in on transit; we’re going to lean in on building more affordable housing.” \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Wada and Macayan said their heart is in San Francisco, but they’re not sure how long they can sustain their life in the city.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Wada and Macayan said their heart is in San Francisco, but they’re not sure how long they can sustain their life in the city.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We do want to stay,” Wada said. “We want to make it work for as long as possible.” \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“We do want to stay,” Wada said. “We want to make it work for as long as possible.” \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But as they look into the future, Wada said they’re already bracing themselves for what comes next: “When we do have to leave, where do we want to go?”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>But as they look into the future, Wada said they’re already bracing themselves for what comes next: “When we do have to leave, where do we want to go?”\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
}
],
"excerpt": "As the AI boom fuels economic growth and stirs anxiety about rising costs of living, local leaders are trying to make raising a family more affordable. ",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1791244989,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": true,
"iframeSrcs": [
"https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/nMwbh/1/"
],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 43,
"wordCount": 2051
},
"headData": {
"title": "SF Has the Fewest Kids. City Leaders Hope These Policies Will Help Families Stick Around | KQED",
"description": "As the AI boom fuels economic growth and stirs anxiety about rising costs of living, local leaders are trying to make raising a family more affordable. ",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "SF Has the Fewest Kids. City Leaders Hope These Policies Will Help Families Stick Around",
"datePublished": "2026-10-06T04:00:00-07:00",
"dateModified": "2026-10-05T17:03:09-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"primaryCategory": {
"termId": 13,
"slug": "politics",
"name": "Politics"
},
"audioUrl": "https://traffic.omny.fm/d/clips/0af137ef-751e-4b19-a055-aaef00d2d578/ffca7e9f-6831-41c5-bcaf-aaef00f5a073/a6405757-e296-4b35-b4ac-b4d40117cedb/audio.mp3",
"sticky": false,
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/news/12102861/sf-has-the-fewest-kids-city-leaders-hope-these-policies-will-help-families-stick-around",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of How We Get By, a KQED series exploring how people are coping with rising costs in the Bay Area and California. Find the \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">\u003cem>full series here\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After giving birth to her second child this Spring, Angelica Torres was able to take four months off work to care for herself and her baby.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It’s a luxury not all working parents can afford, but Torres was able to take advantage of a San Francisco law, which offers parents full paychecks while they miss work to bond with a new child. That benefit, plus another city program that offers free childcare for her 3-year-old daughter, gave her welcome financial relief as she navigated the additional cost of growing her family, she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“With everything getting so expensive, I feel that San Francisco does a lot to support families,” she said. “This is why we’re still here.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For at least a decade, San Francisco has had the fewest children of any major American city, with about 13% of residents under the age of 18 in 2025, according to U.S. Census data. The cost of raising a family has long been cited as one reason. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As the artificial intelligence boom fuels economic growth and stirs anxiety about the costs of living rising even higher, local leaders are trying to help families stay in San Francisco by making life a little more affordable.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260821-FamilyFriendlySF-JY-09.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12096525\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260821-FamilyFriendlySF-JY-09.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260821-FamilyFriendlySF-JY-09-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260821-FamilyFriendlySF-JY-09-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Angelica Torres and her children Valentina and Angel stand for a portrait in Torres’ mother’s home in San Francisco on Friday, Aug. 21, 2026. Torres and her family stay with her mother for childcare assistance. (Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There’s a joke about San Francisco having more dogs than kids, and that’s a little funny, but a little sad,” said Supervisor Danny Sauter, who pushed to expand the city’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.sf.gov/information--paid-parental-leave-ordinance\">paid parental leave ordinance\u003c/a> to make it easier for workers to qualify. “It’s our responsibility at City Hall to look to see if we can remove barriers, if we could lend a hand.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Since the beginning of this year, the city has focused on alleviating some of the largest expenses families face. In January, Mayor Daniel Lurie rolled out his “Family Opportunity Agenda,” which included \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12094257/san-francisco-child-care-free-elfa-discount-subsidies-how-to-apply-who-qualifies\">expanding the city’s subsidized childcare\u003c/a> to include higher-income earners — a family of four making up to $324,000 a year can now qualify — as well as growing the city’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.sf.gov/news-mayor-lurie-expands-access-to-affordable-after-school-care-for-san-francisco-families-following-major-expansion-of-early-childcare\">after-school programs\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Lurie is among a handful of mayors and state governors who’ve championed similar policies aimed at families, joining Delaware, Maine, Minnesota and Colorado in \u003ca href=\"https://www.parentoleave.com/blog/whats-changing-in-paid-family-leave-in-2026-your-complete-guide\">enacting or expanding paid parental leave\u003c/a> and New York City in rolling out \u003ca href=\"https://www.chalkbeat.org/newyork/2026/09/10/mamdani-2-k-program-launches-with-cost-savings-payment-delays/\">free childcare for 2-year-olds\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Those efforts come as the child population is trending down nationwide due to falling birth and fertility rates, and major cities \u003ca href=\"https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2026/vintage-2025-pop-estimates.html\">saw the biggest decline\u003c/a> in the past five years, according to Census data. Between 2010 and 2025, San Francisco’s under-18 population decreased numerically but \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/san-francisco-fewest-kids-data-21044908.php\">stayed relatively flat as a percentage of the overall population\u003c/a>. The portion of children under 5 had hovered around 4.5% between 2010 and 2020, but since the pandemic, it’s dropped to just under 4%.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr />\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"San Francisco's Under 18 and Under 5 Population\" aria-label=\"Area Chart\" id=\"datawrapper-chart-nMwbh\" src=\"https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/nMwbh/1/\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" 0=\"style="width:\" 1=\"0;\" 2=\"min-width:\" 3=\"100%\" width=\"100%\" height=\"500\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In speeches, Lurie and other city leaders echoed concerns about people delaying having children, if at all, or moving out of San Francisco after they have kids. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This is the greatest city in the world, but it can’t be great if the people that are living here today can’t afford to stay here tomorrow,” Lurie told KQED in a recent interview. “We know how expensive this city is to raise a family, and so we’re doing everything in our power to build more affordable housing, to make early childhood care and education accessible to every family.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>City leaders are focusing on the early years because Census surveys show that’s when families are most likely to leave. It’s also the most expensive phase of life, when childcare prices can consume a big chunk of a family’s income.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“One of the things that’s been true in San Francisco is that if you have a child [under] 5, you’re more likely to leave,” said Ted Egan, the city’s chief economist. “But if you have a child who’s over 5, you’re not — which basically means once people are settled in school, they’re less mobile.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>San Francisco first began using city funds to offer free preschool for 4-year-olds in 2004 and two decades later broadened that program by using revenue from a voter-approved tax to offer free or discounted early education and care for families, based on their income. Lurie stops short of calling it universal childcare, but said he wants San Francisco to become the first major city in the country to provide “access to childcare” for every family with a child under 5.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The city was also a leader in offering fully paid parental leave, becoming the first in the nation to do so in 2017. The ordinance built on California’s \u003ca href=\"https://edd.ca.gov/en/disability/paid-family-leave/\">paid family leave program\u003c/a>, which offers new parents between 60 and 70 percent of their wages for eight weeks, by requiring employers to cover the rest of workers’ paychecks. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260821-FamilyFriendlySF-JY-01.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12096522\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260821-FamilyFriendlySF-JY-01.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260821-FamilyFriendlySF-JY-01-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260821-FamilyFriendlySF-JY-01-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Angelica Torres holds her 5-month-old son Angel as her daughter Valentina works on a project for school in the kitchen of Torres’ mother’s home in San Francisco on Friday, Aug. 21, 2026. Torres’ mother helps out with childcare for her and her family. (Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11828551/who-benefits-from-san-franciscos-paid-leave-for-new-parents\">Studies have shown\u003c/a> that workers in industries with high turnover, like restaurants and hospitality, were least likely to opt in. A new update to the law makes employees who are starting a new job eligible for the benefit sooner — at 90 days, up from 180.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Torres said this change didn’t directly affect her, but she was glad to see her partner take time off his job as a restaurant cook to take care of their baby after she went back to work as a site supervisor at a preschool. It was a benefit he could have taken after their daughter was born, but didn’t, she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“He was like, ‘I cannot miss a lot of days of work. What is my boss going to say?’” Torres said. “This time around, I explained to him [he] could take some time off. It’s a law. He would go on walks with the baby and take care of our daughter. I feel like he was more connected to his children.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The subsidized childcare program, Early Learning For All, saves her more than $2,000 per month for her daughter’s full-time care, she said, and helps offset other rising costs. The program also boosts the pay of early childhood educators at its participating programs, including the preschool where Torres works, and that has increased her hourly wage from $28 to $36 per hour in the last few years. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While she’s grateful for the help, Torres said her biggest expense is still the rent. The couple shares a four-bedroom apartment with Torres’ parents and brother in the Excelsior District, a working-class neighborhood in the southeastern part of the city. Since the pandemic, the rent stayed at $4,000 until a couple of months ago, when Torres said the landlord bumped it up by 10%.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She said she hopes that city leaders “can target the bigger issues that people in San Francisco face like the rent.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Rent is really expensive. Super expensive,” she said. “I really love this city. I love the diversity, and I want my children to grow here.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘Hard to live here’ \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In several interviews, parents of young children echoed Torres’ concern, praising the family-friendly policies but citing the high cost of housing, limited availability of family-sized apartments and an unpopular school lottery as reasons they may eventually leave.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260821-FamilyFriendlySF-JY-03.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12096523\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260821-FamilyFriendlySF-JY-03.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260821-FamilyFriendlySF-JY-03-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260821-FamilyFriendlySF-JY-03-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Angelica Torres holds her 5-month-old son Angel in her mother’s kitchen in San Francisco on Friday, Aug. 21, 2026. (Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“People who locked in their [mortgage or rental] rates during the pandemic are happy to stay, but those that want to move or want to expand out of their one-bedroom or two-bedroom apartments really do find it hard to live here,” said Vai Sundaresan, a tech worker who was laid off when she was pregnant with her 1-year-old daughter. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She said one reason she and her husband, who also works in tech, can afford to live in San Francisco is that they bought their house four years ago. “But if we were to move now, it would be hard.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Sauter is keenly aware of this trend: In the 15 years he’s lived in San Francisco, he said he’s seen friends leave after they start a family. He became a dad himself more than a year ago and said he’s now getting a closer glimpse into the challenges of parenting in the city.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It almost feels destined when you have a first child, or certainly a second child, that you just expect someone to move away,” Sauter said. “That’s not healthy for a city.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>To encourage developers to build larger, family-sized apartments, Sauter co-authored an incentive to allow developers to add another floor if they build apartments with two or more bedrooms. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The incentive is part of a state-mandated effort to address California’s housing shortage. The city’s proposal, which Lurie branded the “Family Zoning Plan,” was approved in December 2025 and allows for the construction of some 36,000 additional homes and apartments, largely in neighborhoods with access to public transit, parks, retail, and community facilities.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In addition to championing the rezoning amendment and expanded paid parental leave, Sauter is also looking to add more diaper-changing tables and lactation rooms in public spaces and improve transit access for families with young kids. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But for some families, a bigger issue is the public school system.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hitomi Wada and EJ Macayan, a couple who own a small business in the Tenderloin District, said they’re grateful to save $3,000 per month in infant care under the city’s expanded Early Learning for All program but aren’t sure what they’ll do when their 1-year-old son reaches school age. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wada said she’s heard “nightmare stories” of navigating San Francisco Unified School District’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11641238/how-the-san-francisco-school-lottery-works-and-how-it-doesnt-2\">lottery\u003c/a> — a complicated assignment system intended to desegregate schools but one that has also led to long waitlists and confusion, leaving families anxious about whether they’ll get into their preferred school. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The district wants to overhaul the system but has \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12082156/sfusd-wants-to-fix-its-lottery-system-then-look-again-at-closing-schools\">repeatedly delayed replacing it\u003c/a>, though officials said this year, 65% of families got into their top-ranked school. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“He’s only 15 months old, but we’re already thinking, ‘What is our strategy for navigating that portion?’ and trying to figure out what best fits us,” Wada said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Lurie’s hands are tied when it comes to resolving this problem: By law, an elected school board governs the district, which is funded by the state.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He said the city does set aside around $100 million annually from its general fund to support public school libraries and the district’s arts, sports and college readiness programs. The city also increased access to free or discounted after-school care “to help bridge the gap between the time that school ends and parents are done with their job,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We have more work to do, but we’ve made some progress, especially on this early childhood [initiative],” Lurie said. “We’re going to lean in on transit; we’re going to lean in on building more affordable housing.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wada and Macayan said their heart is in San Francisco, but they’re not sure how long they can sustain their life in the city.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We do want to stay,” Wada said. “We want to make it work for as long as possible.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But as they look into the future, Wada said they’re already bracing themselves for what comes next: “When we do have to leave, where do we want to go?”\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/12102861/sf-has-the-fewest-kids-city-leaders-hope-these-policies-will-help-families-stick-around",
"authors": [
"11829"
],
"categories": [
"news_1758",
"news_18540",
"news_6266",
"news_28250",
"news_8",
"news_13"
],
"tags": [
"news_26598",
"news_1386",
"news_20754",
"news_2043",
"news_34055",
"news_32102",
"news_32928",
"news_20013",
"news_27626",
"news_27208",
"news_38"
],
"featImg": "news_12096524",
"label": "news"
}
},
"podcastsReducer": {
"isFetching": false,
"fetchFailed": false,
"hasFetched": false,
"podcasts": {}
},
"radioProgramsReducer": {
"isFetching": false,
"fetchFailed": false,
"hasFetched": false,
"radioPrograms": {}
},
"radioSearchSegmentsReducer": {},
"programsReducer": {
"all-things-considered": {
"id": "all-things-considered",
"title": "All Things Considered",
"info": "Every weekday, \u003cem>All Things Considered\u003c/em> hosts Robert Siegel, Audie Cornish, Ari Shapiro, and Kelly McEvers present the program's trademark mix of news, interviews, commentaries, reviews, and offbeat features. Michel Martin hosts on the weekends.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 1pm-2pm, 4:30pm-6:30pm\u003cbr />SAT-SUN 5pm-6pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/All-Things-Considered-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/all-things-considered/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/all-things-considered"
},
"american-suburb-podcast": {
"id": "american-suburb-podcast",
"title": "American Suburb: The Podcast",
"tagline": "The flip side of gentrification, told through one town",
"info": "Gentrification is changing cities across America, forcing people from neighborhoods they have long called home. Call them the displaced. Now those priced out of the Bay Area are looking for a better life in an unlikely place. American Suburb follows this migration to one California town along the Delta, 45 miles from San Francisco. But is this once sleepy suburb ready for them?",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/American-Suburb-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/news/series/american-suburb-podcast",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 19
},
"link": "/news/series/american-suburb-podcast/",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/RBrW",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?mt=2&id=1287748328",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/American-Suburb-p1086805/",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/series/american-suburb-podcast/feed/podcast",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkMzMDExODgxNjA5"
}
},
"baycurious": {
"id": "baycurious",
"title": "Bay Curious",
"tagline": "Exploring the Bay Area, one question at a time",
"info": "KQED’s new podcast, Bay Curious, gets to the bottom of the mysteries — both profound and peculiar — that give the Bay Area its unique identity. And we’ll do it with your help! You ask the questions. You decide what Bay Curious investigates. And you join us on the journey to find the answers.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Bay-Curious-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Bay Curious",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/news/series/baycurious",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 3
},
"link": "/podcasts/baycurious",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bay-curious/id1172473406",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/500557090/bay-curious",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/category/bay-curious-podcast/feed/podcast",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9a90d476-aa04-455d-9a4c-0871ed6216d4/bay-curious",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/bay-curious",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/6O76IdmhixfijmhTZLIJ8k"
}
},
"bbc-world-service": {
"id": "bbc-world-service",
"title": "BBC World Service",
"info": "The day's top stories from BBC News compiled twice daily in the week, once at weekends.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 9pm-10pm, TUE-FRI 1am-2am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/BBC-World-Service-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/live:bbc_world_service",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "BBC World Service"
},
"link": "/radio/program/bbc-world-service",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/global-news-podcast/id135067274?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/BBC-World-Service-p455581/",
"rss": "https://podcasts.files.bbci.co.uk/p02nq0gn.rss"
}
},
"californiareport": {
"id": "californiareport",
"title": "The California Report",
"tagline": "California, day by day",
"info": "KQED’s statewide radio news program providing daily coverage of issues, trends and public policy decisions.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-California-Report-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The California Report",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/californiareport",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 8
},
"link": "/californiareport",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kqeds-the-california-report/id79681292",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/26099305-72af-4542-9dde-ac1807fe36d5/kqed-s-the-california-report",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/432285393/the-california-report",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqedfm-kqeds-the-california-report-podcast-8838",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/tag/tcram/feed/podcast"
}
},
"californiareportmagazine": {
"id": "californiareportmagazine",
"title": "The California Report Magazine",
"tagline": "Your state, your stories",
"info": "Every week, The California Report Magazine takes you on a road trip for the ears: to visit the places and meet the people who make California unique. The in-depth storytelling podcast from the California Report.",
"airtime": "FRI 4:30pm-5pm, 6:30pm-7pm, 11pm-11:30pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-California-Report-Magazine-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The California Report Magazine",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/californiareportmagazine",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 10
},
"link": "/californiareportmagazine",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-california-report-magazine/id1314750545",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM3NjkwNjk1OTAz",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/564733126/the-california-report-magazine",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/the-california-report-magazine",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/tag/tcrmag/feed/podcast"
}
},
"city-arts": {
"id": "city-arts",
"title": "City Arts & Lectures",
"info": "A one-hour radio program to hear celebrated writers, artists and thinkers address contemporary ideas and values, often discussing the creative process. Please note: tapes or transcripts are not available",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/05/cityartsandlecture-300x300.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.cityarts.net/",
"airtime": "SUN 1pm-2pm, TUE 10pm, WED 1am",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "City Arts & Lectures"
},
"link": "https://www.cityarts.net",
"subscribe": {
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/City-Arts-and-Lectures-p692/",
"rss": "https://www.cityarts.net/feed/"
}
},
"closealltabs": {
"id": "closealltabs",
"title": "Close All Tabs",
"tagline": "Your irreverent guide to the trends redefining our world",
"info": "Close All Tabs breaks down how digital culture shapes our world through thoughtful insights and irreverent humor.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/CAT_2_Tile-scaled.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Close All Tabs",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/closealltabs",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 1
},
"link": "/podcasts/closealltabs",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/close-all-tabs/id214663465",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC6993880386",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/92d9d4ac-67a3-4eed-b10a-fb45d45b1ef2/close-all-tabs",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/6LAJFHnGK1pYXYzv6SIol6?si=deb0cae19813417c"
}
},
"code-switch-life-kit": {
"id": "code-switch-life-kit",
"title": "Code Switch / Life Kit",
"info": "\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em>, which listeners will hear in the first part of the hour, has fearless and much-needed conversations about race. Hosted by journalists of color, the show tackles the subject of race head-on, exploring how it impacts every part of society — from politics and pop culture to history, sports and more.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em>, which will be in the second part of the hour, guides you through spaces and feelings no one prepares you for — from finances to mental health, from workplace microaggressions to imposter syndrome, from relationships to parenting. The show features experts with real world experience and shares their knowledge. Because everyone needs a little help being human.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510312/codeswitch\">\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/lifekit\">\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />",
"airtime": "SUN 9pm-10pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Code-Switch-Life-Kit-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/code-switch-life-kit",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/1112190608?mt=2&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnByLm9yZy9yc3MvcG9kY2FzdC5waHA_aWQ9NTEwMzEy",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/3bExJ9JQpkwNhoHvaIIuyV",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510312/podcast.xml"
}
},
"commonwealth-club": {
"id": "commonwealth-club",
"title": "Commonwealth Club of California Podcast",
"info": "The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. As a non-partisan forum, The Club brings to the public airwaves diverse viewpoints on important topics. The Club's weekly radio broadcast - the oldest in the U.S., dating back to 1924 - is carried across the nation on public radio stations and is now podcasting. Our website archive features audio of our recent programs, as well as selected speeches from our long and distinguished history. This podcast feed is usually updated twice a week and is always un-edited.",
"airtime": "THU 10pm, FRI 1am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Commonwealth-Club-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.commonwealthclub.org/podcasts",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "Commonwealth Club of California"
},
"link": "/radio/program/commonwealth-club",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/commonwealth-club-of-california-podcast/id976334034?mt=2",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5jb21tb253ZWFsdGhjbHViLm9yZy9hdWRpby9wb2RjYXN0L3dlZWtseS54bWw",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Commonwealth-Club-of-California-p1060/"
}
},
"forum": {
"id": "forum",
"title": "Forum",
"tagline": "The conversation starts here",
"info": "KQED’s live call-in program discussing local, state, national and international issues, as well as in-depth interviews.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 9am-11am, 10pm-11pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Forum-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Forum with Mina Kim and Alexis Madrigal",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/forum",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 9
},
"link": "/forum",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kqeds-forum/id73329719",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM5NTU3MzgxNjMz",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/432307980/forum",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqedfm-kqeds-forum-podcast",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC9557381633"
}
},
"freakonomics-radio": {
"id": "freakonomics-radio",
"title": "Freakonomics Radio",
"info": "Freakonomics Radio is a one-hour award-winning podcast and public-radio project hosted by Stephen Dubner, with co-author Steve Levitt as a regular guest. It is produced in partnership with WNYC.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/05/freakonomicsRadio.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://freakonomics.com/",
"airtime": "SUN 1am-2am, SAT 3pm-4pm",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "WNYC"
},
"link": "/radio/program/freakonomics-radio",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/4s8b",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/freakonomics-radio/id354668519",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/WNYC-Podcasts/Freakonomics-Radio-p272293/",
"rss": "https://feeds.feedburner.com/freakonomicsradio"
}
},
"fresh-air": {
"id": "fresh-air",
"title": "Fresh Air",
"info": "Hosted by Terry Gross, \u003cem>Fresh Air from WHYY\u003c/em> is the Peabody Award-winning weekday magazine of contemporary arts and issues. One of public radio's most popular programs, Fresh Air features intimate conversations with today's biggest luminaries.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 7pm-8pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Fresh-Air-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/fresh-air/",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/fresh-air",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/4s8b",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=214089682&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Fresh-Air-p17/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/381444908/podcast.xml"
}
},
"here-and-now": {
"id": "here-and-now",
"title": "Here & Now",
"info": "A live production of NPR and WBUR Boston, in collaboration with stations across the country, Here & Now reflects the fluid world of news as it's happening in the middle of the day, with timely, in-depth news, interviews and conversation. Hosted by Robin Young, Jeremy Hobson and Tonya Mosley.",
"airtime": "MON-THU 11am-12pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Here-And-Now-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://www.wbur.org/hereandnow",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/here-and-now",
"subsdcribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?mt=2&id=426698661",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Here--Now-p211/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510051/podcast.xml"
}
},
"hidden-brain": {
"id": "hidden-brain",
"title": "Hidden Brain",
"info": "Shankar Vedantam uses science and storytelling to reveal the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, shape our choices and direct our relationships.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/05/hiddenbrain.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/series/423302056/hidden-brain",
"airtime": "SUN 7pm-8pm",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "NPR"
},
"link": "/radio/program/hidden-brain",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/hidden-brain/id1028908750?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/Science-Podcasts/Hidden-Brain-p787503/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510308/podcast.xml"
}
},
"how-i-built-this": {
"id": "how-i-built-this",
"title": "How I Built This with Guy Raz",
"info": "Guy Raz dives into the stories behind some of the world's best known companies. How I Built This weaves a narrative journey about innovators, entrepreneurs and idealists—and the movements they built.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/05/howIBuiltThis.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510313/how-i-built-this",
"airtime": "SUN 7:30pm-8pm",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/how-i-built-this",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/3zxy",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/how-i-built-this-with-guy-raz/id1150510297?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/Arts--Culture-Podcasts/How-I-Built-This-p910896/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510313/podcast.xml"
}
},
"hyphenacion": {
"id": "hyphenacion",
"title": "Hyphenación",
"tagline": "Where conversation and cultura meet",
"info": "What kind of no sabo word is Hyphenación? For us, it’s about living within a hyphenation. Like being a third-gen Mexican-American from the Texas border now living that Bay Area Chicano life. Like Xorje! Each week we bring together a couple of hyphenated Latinos to talk all about personal life choices: family, careers, relationships, belonging … everything is on the table. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Hyphenacion_FinalAssets_PodcastTile.png",
"imageAlt": "KQED Hyphenación",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 15
},
"link": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hyphenaci%C3%B3n/id1191591838",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/2p3Fifq96nw9BPcmFdIq0o?si=39209f7b25774f38",
"youtube": "https://www.youtube.com/c/kqedarts",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/6c3dd23c-93fb-4aab-97ba-1725fa6315f1/hyphenaci%C3%B3n",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC2275451163"
}
},
"jerrybrown": {
"id": "jerrybrown",
"title": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown",
"tagline": "Lessons from a lifetime in politics",
"info": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown brings listeners the wisdom of the former Governor, Mayor, and presidential candidate. Scott Shafer interviewed Brown for more than 40 hours, covering the former governor's life and half-century in the political game – and Brown has some lessons he'd like to share. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Political-Mind-of-Jerry-Brown-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The Political Mind of Jerry Brown",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 18
},
"link": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/790253322/the-political-mind-of-jerry-brown",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1492194549",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/series/jerrybrown/feed/podcast/",
"tuneIn": "http://tun.in/pjGcK",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/the-political-mind-of-jerry-brown",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/54C1dmuyFyKMFttY6X2j6r?si=K8SgRCoISNK6ZbjpXrX5-w",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/44420f75-3b0e-4301-ab3b-16da6b09e543/the-political-mind-of-jerry-brown"
}
},
"latino-usa": {
"id": "latino-usa",
"title": "Latino USA",
"airtime": "MON 1am-2am, SUN 6pm-7pm",
"info": "Latino USA, the radio journal of news and culture, is the only national, English-language radio program produced from a Latino perspective.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/latinoUsa.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://latinousa.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/latino-usa",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/xtTd",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=79681317&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Latino-USA-p621/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510016/podcast.xml"
}
},
"marketplace": {
"id": "marketplace",
"title": "Marketplace",
"info": "Our flagship program, helmed by Kai Ryssdal, examines what the day in money delivered, through stories, conversations, newsworthy numbers and more. Updated Monday through Friday at about 3:30 p.m. PT.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 4pm-4:30pm, MON-WED 6:30pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Marketplace-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.marketplace.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "American Public Media"
},
"link": "/radio/program/marketplace",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=201853034&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/APM-Marketplace-p88/",
"rss": "https://feeds.publicradio.org/public_feeds/marketplace-pm/rss/rss"
}
},
"masters-of-scale": {
"id": "masters-of-scale",
"title": "Masters of Scale",
"info": "Masters of Scale is an original podcast in which LinkedIn co-founder and Greylock Partner Reid Hoffman sets out to describe and prove theories that explain how great entrepreneurs take their companies from zero to a gazillion in ingenious fashion.",
"airtime": "Every other Wednesday June 12 through October 16 at 8pm (repeats Thursdays at 2am)",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Masters-of-Scale-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://mastersofscale.com/",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "WaitWhat"
},
"link": "/radio/program/masters-of-scale",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "http://mastersofscale.app.link/",
"rss": "https://rss.art19.com/masters-of-scale"
}
},
"mindshift": {
"id": "mindshift",
"title": "MindShift",
"tagline": "A podcast about the future of learning and how we raise our kids",
"info": "The MindShift podcast explores the innovations in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. We cover topics like how fed-up administrators are developing surprising tactics to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts are helping kids develop reading skills; the consequences of overparenting; and why interdisciplinary learning can engage students on all ends of the traditional achievement spectrum. This podcast is part of the MindShift education site, a division of KQED News. KQED is an NPR/PBS member station based in San Francisco. You can also visit the MindShift website for episodes and supplemental blog posts or tweet us \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED\">@MindShiftKQED\u003c/a> or visit us at \u003ca href=\"/mindshift\">MindShift.KQED.org\u003c/a>",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Mindshift-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED MindShift: How We Will Learn",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/mindshift/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 12
},
"link": "/podcasts/mindshift",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mindshift-podcast/id1078765985",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM1NzY0NjAwNDI5",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/464615685/mind-shift-podcast",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/stories-teachers-share",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/0MxSpNYZKNprFLCl7eEtyx"
}
},
"morning-edition": {
"id": "morning-edition",
"title": "Morning Edition",
"info": "\u003cem>Morning Edition\u003c/em> takes listeners around the country and the world with multi-faceted stories and commentaries every weekday. Hosts Steve Inskeep, David Greene and Rachel Martin bring you the latest breaking news and features to prepare you for the day.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3am-9am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Morning-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/morning-edition/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/morning-edition"
},
"onourwatch": {
"id": "onourwatch",
"title": "On Our Watch",
"tagline": "Deeply-reported investigative journalism",
"info": "For decades, the process for how police police themselves has been inconsistent – if not opaque. In some states, like California, these proceedings were completely hidden. After a new police transparency law unsealed scores of internal affairs files, our reporters set out to examine these cases and the shadow world of police discipline. On Our Watch brings listeners into the rooms where officers are questioned and witnesses are interrogated to find out who this system is really protecting. Is it the officers, or the public they've sworn to serve?",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/On-Our-Watch-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "On Our Watch from NPR and KQED",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 11
},
"link": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1567098962",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5ucHIub3JnLzUxMDM2MC9wb2RjYXN0LnhtbD9zYz1nb29nbGVwb2RjYXN0cw",
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/onourwatch",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/0OLWoyizopu6tY1XiuX70x",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/On-Our-Watch-p1436229/",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/show/on-our-watch",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510360/podcast.xml"
}
},
"on-the-media": {
"id": "on-the-media",
"title": "On The Media",
"info": "Our weekly podcast explores how the media 'sausage' is made, casts an incisive eye on fluctuations in the marketplace of ideas, and examines threats to the freedom of information and expression in America and abroad. For one hour a week, the show tries to lift the veil from the process of \"making media,\" especially news media, because it's through that lens that we see the world and the world sees us",
"airtime": "SUN 2pm-3pm, MON 12am-1am",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/onTheMedia.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/otm",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "wnyc"
},
"link": "/radio/program/on-the-media",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/on-the-media/id73330715?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/On-the-Media-p69/",
"rss": "http://feeds.wnyc.org/onthemedia"
}
},
"pbs-newshour": {
"id": "pbs-newshour",
"title": "PBS NewsHour",
"info": "Analysis, background reports and updates from the PBS NewsHour putting today's news in context.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3pm-4pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/PBS-News-Hour-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.pbs.org/newshour/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "pbs"
},
"link": "/radio/program/pbs-newshour",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/pbs-newshour-full-show/id394432287?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/PBS-NewsHour---Full-Show-p425698/",
"rss": "https://www.pbs.org/newshour/feeds/rss/podcasts/show"
}
},
"perspectives": {
"id": "perspectives",
"title": "Perspectives",
"tagline": "KQED's series of daily listener commentaries since 1991",
"info": "KQED's series of daily listener commentaries since 1991.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Perspectives_Tile_Final.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Perspectives",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/perspectives/",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 14
},
"link": "/perspectives",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id73801135",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/432309616/perspectives",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/perspectives/category/perspectives/feed/",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93dzIua3FlZC5vcmcvcGVyc3BlY3RpdmVzL2NhdGVnb3J5L3BlcnNwZWN0aXZlcy9mZWVkLw"
}
},
"planet-money": {
"id": "planet-money",
"title": "Planet Money",
"info": "The economy explained. Imagine you could call up a friend and say, Meet me at the bar and tell me what's going on with the economy. Now imagine that's actually a fun evening.",
"airtime": "SUN 3pm-4pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/planetmoney.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/sections/money/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/planet-money",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/M4f5",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/planet-money/id290783428?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/Business--Economics-Podcasts/Planet-Money-p164680/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510289/podcast.xml"
}
},
"politicalbreakdown": {
"id": "politicalbreakdown",
"title": "Political Breakdown",
"tagline": "Politics from a personal perspective",
"info": "Political Breakdown is a new series that explores the political intersection of California and the nation. Each week hosts Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos are joined with a new special guest to unpack politics -- with personality — and offer an insider’s glimpse at how politics happens.",
"airtime": "THU 6:30pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Political-Breakdown-2024-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Political Breakdown",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/politicalbreakdown",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 5
},
"link": "/podcasts/politicalbreakdown",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/political-breakdown/id1327641087",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/e0c2d153-ad36-4c8d-901d-f1da6a724824/political-breakdown",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/572155894/political-breakdown",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/political-breakdown",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/07RVyIjIdk2WDuVehvBMoN",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/tag/political-breakdown/feed/podcast"
}
},
"possible": {
"id": "possible",
"title": "Possible",
"info": "Possible is hosted by entrepreneur Reid Hoffman and writer Aria Finger. Together in Possible, Hoffman and Finger lead enlightening discussions about building a brighter collective future. The show features interviews with visionary guests like Trevor Noah, Sam Altman and Janette Sadik-Khan. Possible paints an optimistic portrait of the world we can create through science, policy, business, art and our shared humanity. It asks: What if everything goes right for once? How can we get there? Each episode also includes a short fiction story generated by advanced AI GPT-4, serving as a thought-provoking springboard to speculate how humanity could leverage technology for good.",
"airtime": "SUN 2pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Possible-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.possible.fm/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "Possible"
},
"link": "/radio/program/possible",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/possible/id1677184070",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/730YpdUSNlMyPQwNnyjp4k"
}
},
"pri-the-world": {
"id": "pri-the-world",
"title": "PRI's The World: Latest Edition",
"info": "Each weekday, host Marco Werman and his team of producers bring you the world's most interesting stories in an hour of radio that reminds us just how small our planet really is.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 2pm-3pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-World-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.pri.org/programs/the-world",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "PRI"
},
"link": "/radio/program/pri-the-world",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/pris-the-world-latest-edition/id278196007?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/News--Politics-Podcasts/PRIs-The-World-p24/",
"rss": "http://feeds.feedburner.com/pri/theworld"
}
},
"radiolab": {
"id": "radiolab",
"title": "Radiolab",
"info": "A two-time Peabody Award-winner, Radiolab is an investigation told through sounds and stories, and centered around one big idea. In the Radiolab world, information sounds like music and science and culture collide. Hosted by Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich, the show is designed for listeners who demand skepticism, but appreciate wonder. WNYC Studios is the producer of other leading podcasts including Freakonomics Radio, Death, Sex & Money, On the Media and many more.",
"airtime": "SUN 12am-1am, SAT 2pm-3pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/radiolab1400.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/radiolab/",
"meta": {
"site": "science",
"source": "WNYC"
},
"link": "/radio/program/radiolab",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/radiolab/id152249110?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/RadioLab-p68032/",
"rss": "https://feeds.wnyc.org/radiolab"
}
},
"reveal": {
"id": "reveal",
"title": "Reveal",
"info": "Created by The Center for Investigative Reporting and PRX, Reveal is public radios first one-hour weekly radio show and podcast dedicated to investigative reporting. Credible, fact based and without a partisan agenda, Reveal combines the power and artistry of driveway moment storytelling with data-rich reporting on critically important issues. The result is stories that inform and inspire, arming our listeners with information to right injustices, hold the powerful accountable and improve lives.Reveal is hosted by Al Letson and showcases the award-winning work of CIR and newsrooms large and small across the nation. In a radio and podcast market crowded with choices, Reveal focuses on important and often surprising stories that illuminate the world for our listeners.",
"airtime": "SAT 4pm-5pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/reveal300px.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.revealnews.org/episodes/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/reveal",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/reveal/id886009669",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Reveal-p679597/",
"rss": "http://feeds.revealradio.org/revealpodcast"
}
},
"rightnowish": {
"id": "rightnowish",
"title": "Rightnowish",
"tagline": "Art is where you find it",
"info": "Rightnowish digs into life in the Bay Area right now… ish. Journalist Pendarvis Harshaw takes us to galleries painted on the sides of liquor stores in West Oakland. We'll dance in warehouses in the Bayview, make smoothies with kids in South Berkeley, and listen to classical music in a 1984 Cutlass Supreme in Richmond. Every week, Pen talks to movers and shakers about how the Bay Area shapes what they create, and how they shape the place we call home.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Rightnowish-Podcast-Tile-500x500-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Rightnowish with Pendarvis Harshaw",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/rightnowish",
"meta": {
"site": "arts",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 16
},
"link": "/podcasts/rightnowish",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/721590300/rightnowish",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/programs/rightnowish/feed/podcast",
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rightnowish/id1482187648",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/rightnowish",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkMxMjU5MTY3NDc4",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/7kEJuafTzTVan7B78ttz1I"
}
},
"science-friday": {
"id": "science-friday",
"title": "Science Friday",
"info": "Science Friday is a weekly science talk show, broadcast live over public radio stations nationwide. Each week, the show focuses on science topics that are in the news and tries to bring an educated, balanced discussion to bear on the scientific issues at hand. Panels of expert guests join host Ira Flatow, a veteran science journalist, to discuss science and to take questions from listeners during the call-in portion of the program.",
"airtime": "FRI 11am-1pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Science-Friday-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/science-friday",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/science-friday",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=73329284&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Science-Friday-p394/",
"rss": "http://feeds.wnyc.org/science-friday"
}
},
"snap-judgment": {
"id": "snap-judgment",
"title": "Snap Judgment",
"tagline": "Real stories with killer beats",
"info": "The Snap Judgment radio show and podcast mixes real stories with killer beats to produce cinematic, dramatic radio. Snap's musical brand of storytelling dares listeners to see the world through the eyes of another. This is storytelling... with a BEAT!! Snap first aired on public radio stations nationwide in July 2010. Today, Snap Judgment airs on over 450 public radio stations and is brought to the airwaves by KQED & PRX.",
"airtime": "SAT 1pm-2pm, 9pm-10pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Snap-Judgment-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Snap Judgment",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://snapjudgment.org",
"meta": {
"site": "arts",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 4
},
"link": "https://snapjudgment.org",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/snap-judgment/id283657561",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/449018144/snap-judgment",
"stitcher": "https://www.pandora.com/podcast/snap-judgment/PC:241?source=stitcher-sunset",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/3Cct7ZWmxHNAtLgBTqjC5v",
"rss": "https://snap.feed.snapjudgment.org/"
}
},
"soldout": {
"id": "soldout",
"title": "SOLD OUT: Rethinking Housing in America",
"tagline": "A new future for housing",
"info": "Sold Out: Rethinking Housing in America",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Sold-Out-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Sold Out: Rethinking Housing in America",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/soldout",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 13
},
"link": "/podcasts/soldout",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/911586047/s-o-l-d-o-u-t-a-new-future-for-housing",
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/introducing-sold-out-rethinking-housing-in-america/id1531354937",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/soldout",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/38dTBSk2ISFoPiyYNoKn1X",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/sold-out-rethinking-housing-in-america",
"tunein": "https://tunein.com/radio/SOLD-OUT-Rethinking-Housing-in-America-p1365871/"
}
},
"spooked": {
"id": "spooked",
"title": "Spooked",
"tagline": "True-life supernatural stories",
"info": "",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Spooked-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Spooked",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://spookedpodcast.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 7
},
"link": "https://spookedpodcast.org/",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/spooked/id1279361017",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/549547848/snap-judgment-presents-spooked",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/76571Rfl3m7PLJQZKQIGCT",
"rss": "https://feeds.simplecast.com/TBotaapn"
}
},
"tech-nation": {
"id": "tech-nation",
"title": "Tech Nation Radio Podcast",
"info": "Tech Nation is a weekly public radio program, hosted by Dr. Moira Gunn. Founded in 1993, it has grown from a simple interview show to a multi-faceted production, featuring conversations with noted technology and science leaders, and a weekly science and technology-related commentary.",
"airtime": "FRI 10pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Tech-Nation-Radio-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://technation.podomatic.com/",
"meta": {
"site": "science",
"source": "Tech Nation Media"
},
"link": "/radio/program/tech-nation",
"subscribe": {
"rss": "https://technation.podomatic.com/rss2.xml"
}
},
"ted-radio-hour": {
"id": "ted-radio-hour",
"title": "TED Radio Hour",
"info": "The TED Radio Hour is a journey through fascinating ideas, astonishing inventions, fresh approaches to old problems, and new ways to think and create.",
"airtime": "SUN 3pm-4pm, SAT 10pm-11pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/tedRadioHour.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/ted-radio-hour/?showDate=2018-06-22",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/ted-radio-hour",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/8vsS",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=523121474&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/TED-Radio-Hour-p418021/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510298/podcast.xml"
}
},
"thebay": {
"id": "thebay",
"title": "The Bay",
"tagline": "Local news to keep you rooted",
"info": "Host Devin Katayama walks you through the biggest story of the day with reporters and newsmakers.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Bay-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The Bay",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/thebay",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 2
},
"link": "/podcasts/thebay",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-bay/id1350043452",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/d800ea4c-7a2c-42f2-b861-edaf78a5db0b/the-bay",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/586725995/the-bay",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/the-bay",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/4BIKBKIujizLHlIlBNaAqQ",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC8259786327"
}
},
"thelatest": {
"id": "thelatest",
"title": "The Latest",
"tagline": "Trusted local news in real time",
"info": "",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/The-Latest-2025-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The Latest",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/thelatest",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 6
},
"link": "/thelatest",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-latest-from-kqed/id1197721799",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/1257949365/the-latest-from-k-q-e-d",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/5KIIXMgM9GTi5AepwOYvIZ?si=bd3053fec7244dba",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC9137121918"
}
},
"theleap": {
"id": "theleap",
"title": "The Leap",
"tagline": "What if you closed your eyes, and jumped?",
"info": "Stories about people making dramatic, risky changes, told by award-winning public radio reporter Judy Campbell.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Leap-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The Leap",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/theleap",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 17
},
"link": "/podcasts/theleap",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-leap/id1046668171",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/447248267/the-leap",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/the-leap",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/3sSlVHHzU0ytLwuGs1SD1U",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/programs/the-leap/feed/podcast"
}
},
"the-moth-radio-hour": {
"id": "the-moth-radio-hour",
"title": "The Moth Radio Hour",
"info": "Since its launch in 1997, The Moth has presented thousands of true stories, told live and without notes, to standing-room-only crowds worldwide. Moth storytellers stand alone, under a spotlight, with only a microphone and a roomful of strangers. The storyteller and the audience embark on a high-wire act of shared experience which is both terrifying and exhilarating. Since 2008, The Moth podcast has featured many of our favorite stories told live on Moth stages around the country. For information on all of our programs and live events, visit themoth.org.",
"airtime": "SAT 8pm-9pm and SUN 11am-12pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/theMoth.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://themoth.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "arts",
"source": "prx"
},
"link": "/radio/program/the-moth-radio-hour",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-moth-podcast/id275699983?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/The-Moth-p273888/",
"rss": "http://feeds.themoth.org/themothpodcast"
}
},
"the-new-yorker-radio-hour": {
"id": "the-new-yorker-radio-hour",
"title": "The New Yorker Radio Hour",
"info": "The New Yorker Radio Hour is a weekly program presented by the magazine's editor, David Remnick, and produced by WNYC Studios and The New Yorker. Each episode features a diverse mix of interviews, profiles, storytelling, and an occasional burst of humor inspired by the magazine, and shaped by its writers, artists, and editors. This isn't a radio version of a magazine, but something all its own, reflecting the rich possibilities of audio storytelling and conversation. Theme music for the show was composed and performed by Merrill Garbus of tUnE-YArDs.",
"airtime": "SAT 10am-11am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-New-Yorker-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/tnyradiohour",
"meta": {
"site": "arts",
"source": "WNYC"
},
"link": "/radio/program/the-new-yorker-radio-hour",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1050430296",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/WNYC-Podcasts/New-Yorker-Radio-Hour-p803804/",
"rss": "https://feeds.feedburner.com/newyorkerradiohour"
}
},
"the-sam-sanders-show": {
"id": "the-sam-sanders-show",
"title": "The Sam Sanders Show",
"info": "One of public radio's most dynamic voices, Sam Sanders helped launch The NPR Politics Podcast and hosted NPR's hit show It's Been A Minute. Now, the award-winning host returns with something brand new, The Sam Sanders Show. Every week, Sam Sanders and friends dig into the culture that shapes our lives: what's driving the biggest trends, how artists really think, and even the memes you can't stop scrolling past. Sam is beloved for his way of unpacking the world and bringing you up close to fresh currents and engaging conversations. The Sam Sanders Show is smart, funny and always a good time.",
"airtime": "FRI 12-1pm AND SAT 11am-12pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/The-Sam-Sanders-Show-Podcast-Tile-400x400-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.kcrw.com/shows/the-sam-sanders-show/latest",
"meta": {
"site": "arts",
"source": "KCRW"
},
"link": "https://www.kcrw.com/shows/the-sam-sanders-show/latest",
"subscribe": {
"rss": "https://feed.cdnstream1.com/zjb/feed/download/ac/28/59/ac28594c-e1d0-4231-8728-61865cdc80e8.xml"
}
},
"the-splendid-table": {
"id": "the-splendid-table",
"title": "The Splendid Table",
"info": "\u003cem>The Splendid Table\u003c/em> hosts our nation's conversations about cooking, sustainability and food culture.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Splendid-Table-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.splendidtable.org/",
"airtime": "SUN 10-11 pm",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/the-splendid-table"
},
"this-american-life": {
"id": "this-american-life",
"title": "This American Life",
"info": "This American Life is a weekly public radio show, heard by 2.2 million people on more than 500 stations. Another 2.5 million people download the weekly podcast. It is hosted by Ira Glass, produced in collaboration with Chicago Public Media, delivered to stations by PRX The Public Radio Exchange, and has won all of the major broadcasting awards.",
"airtime": "SAT 12pm-1pm, 7pm-8pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/thisAmericanLife.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.thisamericanlife.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "wbez"
},
"link": "/radio/program/this-american-life",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=201671138&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"rss": "https://www.thisamericanlife.org/podcast/rss.xml"
}
},
"tinydeskradio": {
"id": "tinydeskradio",
"title": "Tiny Desk Radio",
"info": "We're bringing the best of Tiny Desk to the airwaves, only on public radio.",
"airtime": "SUN 8pm and SAT 9pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/300x300-For-Member-Station-Logo-Tiny-Desk-Radio-@2x.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/series/g-s1-52030/tiny-desk-radio",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/tinydeskradio",
"subscribe": {
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/g-s1-52030/rss.xml"
}
},
"wait-wait-dont-tell-me": {
"id": "wait-wait-dont-tell-me",
"title": "Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!",
"info": "Peter Sagal and Bill Kurtis host the weekly NPR News quiz show alongside some of the best and brightest news and entertainment personalities.",
"airtime": "SUN 10am-11am, SAT 11am-12pm, SAT 6pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Wait-Wait-Podcast-Tile-300x300-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/wait-wait-dont-tell-me/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/wait-wait-dont-tell-me",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/Xogv",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=121493804&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Wait-Wait-Dont-Tell-Me-p46/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/344098539/podcast.xml"
}
},
"weekend-edition-saturday": {
"id": "weekend-edition-saturday",
"title": "Weekend Edition Saturday",
"info": "Weekend Edition Saturday wraps up the week's news and offers a mix of analysis and features on a wide range of topics, including arts, sports, entertainment, and human interest stories. The two-hour program is hosted by NPR's Peabody Award-winning Scott Simon.",
"airtime": "SAT 5am-10am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Weekend-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/weekend-edition-saturday/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/weekend-edition-saturday"
},
"weekend-edition-sunday": {
"id": "weekend-edition-sunday",
"title": "Weekend Edition Sunday",
"info": "Weekend Edition Sunday features interviews with newsmakers, artists, scientists, politicians, musicians, writers, theologians and historians. The program has covered news events from Nelson Mandela's 1990 release from a South African prison to the capture of Saddam Hussein.",
"airtime": "SUN 5am-10am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Weekend-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/weekend-edition-sunday/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/weekend-edition-sunday"
}
},
"racesReducer": {},
"racesGenElectionReducer": {},
"racesGenElection2026Reducer": {},
"racesGenElection2026PresidentialReducer": {},
"radioSchedulesReducer": {},
"listsReducer": {
"posts/news?tag=education&queryId=9a97b7ec77": {
"isFetching": false,
"latestQuery": {
"from": 0,
"size": 10
},
"vitalsOnly": false,
"totalRequested": 10,
"isLoading": false,
"isLoadingMore": true,
"total": {
"value": 1536,
"relation": "eq"
},
"items": [
"news_12105807",
"news_12105718",
"news_12103510",
"news_12105043",
"news_12103823",
"news_12104230",
"news_12104056",
"news_12103722",
"news_12103202",
"news_12102861"
],
"complete": true
}
},
"recallGuideReducer": {
"intros": {},
"policy": {},
"candidates": {}
},
"savedArticleReducer": {
"articles": [],
"status": {}
},
"newslettersReducer": {
"isFetching": false,
"fetchFailed": false,
"hasFetched": false,
"newsletters": {},
"isSubscribing": false,
"isUnsubscribing": false,
"subscribedNewsletters": {}
},
"termsReducer": {
"about": {
"name": "About",
"type": "terms",
"id": "about",
"slug": "about",
"link": "/about",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"arts": {
"name": "Arts & Culture",
"grouping": [
"arts",
"pop",
"trulyca"
],
"description": "KQED Arts provides daily in-depth coverage of the Bay Area's music, art, film, performing arts, literature and arts news, as well as cultural commentary and criticism.",
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts",
"slug": "arts",
"link": "/arts",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"artschool": {
"name": "Art School",
"parent": "arts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "artschool",
"slug": "artschool",
"link": "/artschool",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"bayareabites": {
"name": "KQED food",
"grouping": [
"food",
"bayareabites",
"checkplease"
],
"parent": "food",
"type": "terms",
"id": "bayareabites",
"slug": "bayareabites",
"link": "/food",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"bayareahiphop": {
"name": "Bay Area Hiphop",
"type": "terms",
"id": "bayareahiphop",
"slug": "bayareahiphop",
"link": "/bayareahiphop",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"campaign21": {
"name": "Campaign 21",
"type": "terms",
"id": "campaign21",
"slug": "campaign21",
"link": "/campaign21",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"careers": {
"name": "Careers",
"type": "terms",
"id": "careers",
"slug": "careers",
"link": "/careers",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"checkplease": {
"name": "KQED food",
"grouping": [
"food",
"bayareabites",
"checkplease"
],
"parent": "food",
"type": "terms",
"id": "checkplease",
"slug": "checkplease",
"link": "/food",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"education": {
"name": "Education",
"grouping": [
"education"
],
"type": "terms",
"id": "education",
"slug": "education",
"link": "/education",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"elections": {
"name": "Elections",
"type": "terms",
"id": "elections",
"slug": "elections",
"link": "/elections",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"events": {
"name": "Events",
"type": "terms",
"id": "events",
"slug": "events",
"link": "/events",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"event": {
"name": "Event",
"alias": "events",
"type": "terms",
"id": "event",
"slug": "event",
"link": "/event",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"filmschoolshorts": {
"name": "Film School Shorts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "filmschoolshorts",
"slug": "filmschoolshorts",
"link": "/filmschoolshorts",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"food": {
"name": "KQED food",
"grouping": [
"food",
"bayareabites",
"checkplease"
],
"type": "terms",
"id": "food",
"slug": "food",
"link": "/food",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"forum": {
"name": "Forum",
"relatedContentQuery": "posts/forum?",
"parent": "news",
"type": "terms",
"id": "forum",
"slug": "forum",
"link": "/forum",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"futureofyou": {
"name": "Future of You",
"grouping": [
"science",
"futureofyou"
],
"parent": "science",
"type": "terms",
"id": "futureofyou",
"slug": "futureofyou",
"link": "/futureofyou",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"jpepinheart": {
"name": "KQED food",
"relatedContentQuery": "posts/food,bayareabites,checkplease",
"parent": "food",
"type": "terms",
"id": "jpepinheart",
"slug": "jpepinheart",
"link": "/food",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"liveblog": {
"name": "Live Blog",
"type": "terms",
"id": "liveblog",
"slug": "liveblog",
"link": "/liveblog",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"livetv": {
"name": "Live TV",
"parent": "tv",
"type": "terms",
"id": "livetv",
"slug": "livetv",
"link": "/livetv",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"lowdown": {
"name": "The Lowdown",
"relatedContentQuery": "posts/lowdown?",
"parent": "news",
"type": "terms",
"id": "lowdown",
"slug": "lowdown",
"link": "/lowdown",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"mindshift": {
"name": "Mindshift",
"parent": "news",
"description": "MindShift explores the future of education by highlighting the innovative – and sometimes counterintuitive – ways educators and parents are helping all children succeed.",
"type": "terms",
"id": "mindshift",
"slug": "mindshift",
"link": "/mindshift",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"news": {
"name": "News",
"grouping": [
"news",
"forum"
],
"type": "terms",
"id": "news",
"slug": "news",
"link": "/news",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"newsletters": {
"name": "newsletters",
"type": "terms",
"id": "newsletters",
"slug": "newsletters",
"link": "/newsletters",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"perspectives": {
"name": "Perspectives",
"parent": "radio",
"type": "terms",
"id": "perspectives",
"slug": "perspectives",
"link": "/perspectives",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"podcasts": {
"name": "Podcasts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "podcasts",
"slug": "podcasts",
"link": "/podcasts",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"pop": {
"name": "Pop",
"parent": "arts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "pop",
"slug": "pop",
"link": "/pop",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"pressroom": {
"name": "Pressroom",
"type": "terms",
"id": "pressroom",
"slug": "pressroom",
"link": "/pressroom",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"quest": {
"name": "Quest",
"parent": "science",
"type": "terms",
"id": "quest",
"slug": "quest",
"link": "/quest",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"radio": {
"name": "Radio",
"grouping": [
"forum",
"perspectives"
],
"description": "Listen to KQED Public Radio – home of Forum and The California Report – on 88.5 FM in San Francisco, 89.3 FM in Sacramento, 88.3 FM in Santa Rosa and 88.1 FM in Martinez.",
"type": "terms",
"id": "radio",
"slug": "radio",
"link": "/radio",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"root": {
"name": "KQED",
"image": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"imageWidth": 1200,
"imageHeight": 630,
"headData": {
"title": "KQED | News, Radio, Podcasts, TV | Public Media for Northern California",
"description": "KQED provides public radio, television, and independent reporting on issues that matter to the Bay Area. We’re the NPR and PBS member station for Northern California."
},
"type": "terms",
"id": "root",
"slug": "root",
"link": "/root",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"science": {
"name": "Science",
"grouping": [
"science",
"futureofyou"
],
"description": "KQED Science brings you award-winning science and environment coverage from the Bay Area and beyond.",
"type": "terms",
"id": "science",
"slug": "science",
"link": "/science",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"stateofhealth": {
"name": "State of Health",
"parent": "science",
"type": "terms",
"id": "stateofhealth",
"slug": "stateofhealth",
"link": "/stateofhealth",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"support": {
"name": "Support",
"type": "terms",
"id": "support",
"slug": "support",
"link": "/support",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"thedolist": {
"name": "The Do List",
"parent": "arts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "thedolist",
"slug": "thedolist",
"link": "/thedolist",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"trulyca": {
"name": "Truly CA",
"grouping": [
"arts",
"pop",
"trulyca"
],
"parent": "arts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "trulyca",
"slug": "trulyca",
"link": "/trulyca",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"tv": {
"name": "TV",
"type": "terms",
"id": "tv",
"slug": "tv",
"link": "/tv",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"voterguide": {
"name": "Voter Guide",
"parent": "elections",
"alias": "elections",
"type": "terms",
"id": "voterguide",
"slug": "voterguide",
"link": "/voterguide",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"guiaelectoral": {
"name": "Guia Electoral",
"parent": "elections",
"alias": "elections",
"type": "terms",
"id": "guiaelectoral",
"slug": "guiaelectoral",
"link": "/guiaelectoral",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"source_news_12105043": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "source_news_12105043",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"name": "CalMatters",
"link": "https://calmatters.org/",
"isLoading": false
},
"source_news_12103722": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "source_news_12103722",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"name": "The California Report",
"link": "https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/tcrarchive/",
"isLoading": false
},
"source_news_12103202": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "source_news_12103202",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"name": "CalMatters",
"link": "https://calmatters.org/",
"isLoading": false
},
"news_18540": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_18540",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "18540",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Education",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Education Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 2595,
"slug": "education",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/category/education"
},
"news_34551": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_34551",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "34551",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "Labor",
"slug": "labor",
"taxonomy": "category",
"description": "We examine worker safety, workplace regulation, employment trends and union organizing.",
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "Labor | KQED News",
"description": "We examine worker safety, workplace regulation, employment trends and union organizing.",
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 34568,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/category/labor"
},
"news_28250": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_28250",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "28250",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Local",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Local Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 28267,
"slug": "local",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/category/local"
},
"news_8": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_8",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "8",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "News",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "News Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 8,
"slug": "news",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/category/news"
},
"news_25184": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_25184",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "25184",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "AI",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "AI Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 25201,
"slug": "ai",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/ai"
},
"news_18738": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_18738",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "18738",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "CSU",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "CSU Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 18755,
"slug": "csu",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/csu"
},
"news_20013": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_20013",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "20013",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "education",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "education Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 20030,
"slug": "education",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/education"
},
"news_27626": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_27626",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "27626",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "featured-news",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "featured-news Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 27643,
"slug": "featured-news",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/featured-news"
},
"news_19904": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_19904",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "19904",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "Labor",
"slug": "labor",
"taxonomy": "tag",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "Labor | KQED News",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 19921,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/labor"
},
"news_745": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_745",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "745",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "protests",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "protests Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 754,
"slug": "protests",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/protests"
},
"news_1394": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_1394",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "1394",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "SJSU",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "SJSU Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 1406,
"slug": "sjsu",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/sjsu"
},
"news_1631": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_1631",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "1631",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "Technology",
"slug": "technology",
"taxonomy": "tag",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "Technology | KQED News",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 1643,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/technology"
},
"news_794": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_794",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "794",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "Unions",
"slug": "unions",
"taxonomy": "tag",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "Unions | KQED News",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 804,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/unions"
},
"news_3733": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_3733",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "3733",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "wages",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "wages Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 3751,
"slug": "wages",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/wages"
},
"news_33746": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_33746",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "33746",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Education",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "interest",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Education Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 33763,
"slug": "education",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/interest/education"
},
"news_33733": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_33733",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "33733",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "News",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "interest",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "News Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 33750,
"slug": "news",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/interest/news"
},
"news_33731": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_33731",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "33731",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "South Bay",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "interest",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "South Bay Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 33748,
"slug": "south-bay",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/interest/south-bay"
},
"news_31795": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_31795",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "31795",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "California",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "California Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 31812,
"slug": "california",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/category/california"
},
"news_18538": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_18538",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "18538",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "California",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "California Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 31,
"slug": "california",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/california"
},
"news_20754": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_20754",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "20754",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "child care",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "child care Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 20771,
"slug": "child-care",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/child-care"
},
"news_2043": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_2043",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "2043",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "children",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "children Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 2058,
"slug": "children",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/children"
},
"news_32102": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_32102",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "32102",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "early childhood education and care",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "early childhood education and care Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 32119,
"slug": "early-childhood-education-and-care",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/early-childhood-education-and-care"
},
"news_32928": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_32928",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "32928",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "early childhood services",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "early childhood services Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 32945,
"slug": "early-childhood-services",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/early-childhood-services"
},
"news_29460": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_29460",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "29460",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "early education",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "early education Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 29477,
"slug": "early-education",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/early-education"
},
"news_36314": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_36314",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "36314",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "languages",
"slug": "languages",
"taxonomy": "tag",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "languages | KQED News",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 36331,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/languages"
},
"news_17763": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_17763",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "17763",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "preschool",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "preschool Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 17797,
"slug": "preschool",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/preschool"
},
"news_2252": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_2252",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "2252",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "transitional kindergarten",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "transitional kindergarten Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 2267,
"slug": "transitional-kindergarten",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/transitional-kindergarten"
},
"news_33738": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_33738",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "33738",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "California",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "interest",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "California Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 33755,
"slug": "california",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/interest/california"
},
"news_34169": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_34169",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "34169",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "Cultural Commentary",
"slug": "cultural-commentary",
"taxonomy": "category",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "Cultural Commentary Archives | KQED News",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 34186,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/category/cultural-commentary"
},
"news_37276": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_37276",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "37276",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "accountability",
"slug": "accountability",
"taxonomy": "tag",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "accountability | KQED News",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 37293,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/accountability"
},
"news_18085": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_18085",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "18085",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "College",
"slug": "college",
"taxonomy": "tag",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "College | KQED News",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 18119,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/college"
},
"news_36084": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_36084",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "36084",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "college students",
"slug": "college-students",
"taxonomy": "tag",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "college students | KQED News",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 36101,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/college-students"
},
"news_4843": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_4843",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "4843",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "higher education",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "higher education Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 4862,
"slug": "higher-education",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/higher-education"
},
"news_1527": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_1527",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "1527",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "sexual assault",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "sexual assault Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 1539,
"slug": "sexual-assault",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/sexual-assault"
},
"news_20614": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_20614",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "20614",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "sexual harrassment",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "sexual harrassment Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 20631,
"slug": "sexual-harrassment",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/sexual-harrassment"
},
"news_178": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_178",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "178",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Stanford",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Stanford Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 185,
"slug": "stanford",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/stanford"
},
"news_1928": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_1928",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "1928",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Stanford University",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Stanford University Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 1943,
"slug": "stanford-university",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/stanford-university"
},
"news_17996": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_17996",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "17996",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "News",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "News Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 18030,
"slug": "news",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/news"
},
"news_31827": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_31827",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "31827",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "school district",
"slug": "school-district",
"taxonomy": "tag",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "school district | KQED News",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null,
"metaRobotsNoIndex": "noindex"
},
"ttid": 31844,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/school-district"
},
"news_2998": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_2998",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "2998",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "schools",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "schools Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 3016,
"slug": "schools",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/schools"
},
"news_24721": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_24721",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "24721",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "testing",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "testing Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 24738,
"slug": "testing",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/testing"
},
"news_18481": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_18481",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "18481",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "CALmatters",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "affiliate",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "CALmatters Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 18515,
"slug": "calmatters",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/affiliate/calmatters"
},
"news_13": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_13",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "13",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "Politics",
"slug": "politics",
"taxonomy": "category",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "Politics | KQED News",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 13,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/category/politics"
},
"news_35796": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_35796",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "35796",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "2026 midterms",
"slug": "2026-midterms",
"taxonomy": "tag",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "2026 midterms | KQED News",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 35813,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/2026-midterms"
},
"news_34755": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_34755",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "34755",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "artificial intelligence",
"slug": "artificial-intelligence",
"taxonomy": "tag",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "artificial intelligence | KQED News",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 34772,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/artificial-intelligence"
},
"news_1386": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_1386",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "1386",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Bay Area",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Bay Area Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 1398,
"slug": "bay-area",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/bay-area"
},
"news_1323": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_1323",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "1323",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Donald Trump",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Donald Trump Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 1335,
"slug": "donald-trump",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/donald-trump"
},
"news_36336": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_36336",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "36336",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "Election 2026",
"slug": "election-2026",
"taxonomy": "tag",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "Election 2026 | KQED News",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 36353,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/election-2026"
},
"news_34377": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_34377",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "34377",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "featured-politics",
"slug": "featured-politics",
"taxonomy": "tag",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "featured-politics Archives | KQED News",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 34394,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/featured-politics"
},
"news_17968": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_17968",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "17968",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "Politics",
"slug": "politics",
"taxonomy": "tag",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "Politics | KQED News",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 18002,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/politics"
},
"news_37571": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_37571",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "37571",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "Qed Up",
"slug": "qed-up-2",
"taxonomy": "tag",
"description": "Qed Up is KQED audio newsletter developed by Emiko Oda and Gilare Zada.",
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "Qed Up | KQED News",
"description": "Qed Up is KQED audio newsletter developed by Emiko Oda and Gilare Zada.",
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 37588,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/qed-up-2"
},
"news_34139": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_34139",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "34139",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "School Board",
"slug": "school-board",
"taxonomy": "tag",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "School Board | KQED News",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null,
"metaRobotsNoIndex": "noindex"
},
"ttid": 34156,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/school-board"
},
"news_31987": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_31987",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "31987",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "school board races",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "school board races Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 32004,
"slug": "school-board-races",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/school-board-races"
},
"news_36929": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_36929",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "36929",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "Voting 2026",
"slug": "voting-2026",
"taxonomy": "tag",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "Voting 2026 | KQED News",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 36946,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/voting-2026"
},
"news_33734": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_33734",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "33734",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Local Politics",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "interest",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Local Politics Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 33751,
"slug": "local-politics",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/interest/local-politics"
},
"news_38": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_38",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "38",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "San Francisco",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "San Francisco Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 58,
"slug": "san-francisco",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/san-francisco"
},
"news_3946": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_3946",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "3946",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "San Francisco Unified School District",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "San Francisco Unified School District Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 3965,
"slug": "san-francisco-unified-school-district",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/san-francisco-unified-school-district"
},
"news_1290": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_1290",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "1290",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "SFUSD",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "SFUSD Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 1302,
"slug": "sfusd",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/sfusd"
},
"news_33729": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_33729",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "33729",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "San Francisco",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "interest",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "San Francisco Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 33746,
"slug": "san-francisco",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/interest/san-francisco"
},
"news_72": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_72",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "72",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2014/10/TCR-2-Logo-Web-Banners-03.png",
"name": "The California Report",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "program",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "The California Report Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 6969,
"slug": "the-california-report",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/program/the-california-report"
},
"news_33520": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_33520",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "33520",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Podcast",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Podcast Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 33537,
"slug": "podcast",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/category/podcast"
},
"news_34018": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_34018",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "34018",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "tcr",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "tcr Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 34035,
"slug": "tcr",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/category/tcr"
},
"news_311": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_311",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "311",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Central Valley",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Central Valley Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 319,
"slug": "central-valley",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/central-valley"
},
"news_18269": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_18269",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "18269",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "farmworkers",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "farmworkers Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 18303,
"slug": "farmworkers",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/farmworkers"
},
"news_4922": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_4922",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "4922",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "high school",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "high school Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 4941,
"slug": "high-school",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/high-school"
},
"news_17708": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_17708",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "17708",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "immigrants",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "immigrants Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 17742,
"slug": "immigrants",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/immigrants"
},
"news_37570": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_37570",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "37570",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "Native American studies",
"slug": "native-american-studies",
"taxonomy": "tag",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "Native American studies | KQED News",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 37587,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/native-american-studies"
},
"news_35108": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_35108",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "35108",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "raids",
"slug": "raids",
"taxonomy": "tag",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "raids | KQED News",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 35125,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/raids"
},
"news_4486": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_4486",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "4486",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "San Diego",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "San Diego Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 4505,
"slug": "san-diego",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/san-diego"
},
"news_21998": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_21998",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "21998",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "TCRAM",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "TCRAM Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 22015,
"slug": "tcram",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/tcram"
},
"news_21268": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_21268",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "21268",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "tcrarchive",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "tcrarchive Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 21285,
"slug": "tcrarchive",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/tcrarchive"
},
"news_2632": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_2632",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "2632",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "bankruptcy",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "bankruptcy Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 2649,
"slug": "bankruptcy",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/bankruptcy"
},
"news_25612": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_25612",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "25612",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "California Department of Education",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "California Department of Education Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 25629,
"slug": "california-department-of-education",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/california-department-of-education"
},
"news_95": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_95",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "95",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Sacramento",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Sacramento Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 411,
"slug": "sacramento",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/sacramento"
},
"news_1758": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_1758",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "1758",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Economy",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": "Full coverage of the economy",
"title": "Economy Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 2648,
"slug": "economy",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/category/economy"
},
"news_6266": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_6266",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "6266",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Housing",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Housing Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 6290,
"slug": "housing",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/category/housing"
},
"news_26598": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_26598",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "26598",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "affordability",
"slug": "affordability",
"taxonomy": "tag",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "affordability | KQED News",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null,
"metaRobotsNoIndex": "noindex"
},
"ttid": 26615,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/affordability"
},
"news_34055": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_34055",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "34055",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "Daniel Lurie",
"slug": "daniel-lurie",
"taxonomy": "tag",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "Daniel Lurie | KQED News",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 34072,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/daniel-lurie"
},
"news_27208": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_27208",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "27208",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "housing affordability",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "housing affordability Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 27225,
"slug": "housing-affordability",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/housing-affordability"
}
},
"userPermissionsReducer": {
"wpLoggedIn": false
},
"eventsReducer": {},
"fssReducer": {},
"tvDailyScheduleReducer": {},
"tvWeeklyScheduleReducer": {},
"tvPrimetimeScheduleReducer": {},
"tvMonthlyScheduleReducer": {},
"userAccountReducer": {
"user": {
"email": null,
"emailStatus": "EMAIL_UNVALIDATED",
"loggedStatus": "LOGGED_OUT",
"loggingChecked": false,
"articles": [],
"firstName": null,
"lastName": null,
"phoneNumber": null,
"fetchingMembership": false,
"membershipError": false,
"memberships": [
{
"id": null,
"startDate": null,
"firstName": null,
"lastName": null,
"familyNumber": null,
"memberNumber": null,
"memberSince": null,
"expirationDate": null,
"pfsEligible": false,
"isSustaining": false,
"membershipLevel": "Prospect",
"membershipStatus": "Non Member",
"lastGiftDate": null,
"renewalDate": null,
"lastDonationAmount": null
}
]
},
"authModal": {
"isOpen": false,
"view": "LANDING_VIEW"
},
"error": null
},
"youthMediaReducer": {},
"checkPleaseReducer": {
"filterData": {
"region": {
"key": "Restaurant Region",
"filters": [
"Any Region"
]
},
"cuisine": {
"key": "Restaurant Cuisine",
"filters": [
"Any Cuisine"
]
}
},
"restaurantDataById": {},
"restaurantIdsSorted": [],
"error": null
},
"userAgentReducer": {
"userAgent": "Mozilla/5.0 AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko; compatible; ClaudeBot/1.0; +claudebot@anthropic.com)",
"isBot": true
},
"requestOutcomesReducer": {
"notFound": []
},
"navPromosReducer": {
"isFetching": false,
"fetchFailed": false,
"hasFetched": true,
"promos": {
"news": {
"name": "2026 Voter Guide",
"link": "/voterguide",
"imageURL": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Nav-News-Nov2026ElectionCoverage@2x-7bd4aad4.png",
"description": "Get informed in minutes with our Voter Guide for California’s November 3 election."
},
"podcasts-radio": {},
"video-tv": {},
"events": {},
"support": {}
}
}
}