Voters first passed the tax in 2012, then renewed it in 2016. Now, its supporters are asking voters to make it permanent before it expires in 2031.
Author Archives: Carolyn Jones, CalMatters
Carolyn Jones covers K-12 education at CalMatters. A longtime news reporter, she’s covered education for nearly a decade, focusing on everything from special education to state funding policies to inequities in student achievement. She’s won numerous awards from the California Newspaper Publishers Association, and was a finalist in 2020 for beat reporter of the year (small newsroom) by the Education Writers Association. In 2023, she spent five weeks in Albania as a Fulbright Specialist working on media literacy and promoting a free press. At CalMatters, she’s written about how culture wars play out in schools, the challenges facing Native American students, lack of funds for rural school repair, the revolution in school meals and other topics. She always tries to include student voices in stories, linking broader policy issues to their impacts on young people, their families and communities. Previously, she worked at EdSource, the San Francisco Chronicle and the Oakland Tribune, covering government, breaking news, the environment and other beats. Jones attended public schools in California, where she got her start in journalism at the San Rafael High Red & White, and graduated from UC Berkeley with a degree in English. A longtime Oakland resident, she has two children and a Siberian husky.
Posted inEducation
California math scores are far below grade level. This screener will test students’ skills early
Students behind in their math skills would get tutoring so they can catch up.
Posted inNative News
‘Feels like erasure’: Why Native American students may be undercounted by 90% in California schools
Native American students who also identify as another race, such as Black, white or Asian, are counted as “two or more races,” not Native American.
Posted inEducation
Ban cell phones in all K-12 schools? Not so fast, say school officials
Studies have shown that cell phone use is a serious distraction for students that affects their mental health, social-emotional development and ability to concentrate in class.
Posted inEducation
California teachers ‘tread lightly’ for America’s 250th as they navigate competing narratives
California is strengthening civics education as America marks its 250th birthday. Teachers have to navigate a polarized political environment as they guide lessons on the Constitution.