Mallika Seshadri

EdSource

Award-winning education coverage for EdSource, the "authoritative voice on California’s public education system." 

These stories range from breaking news to enterprise and investigative reporting, including stories published in partnership with the Associated Press and the Los Angeles Times. Many of these articles have also been republished by national and local outlets, including the 74, LAist, inewsource and Berkeleyside. 

Academics, absenteeism & pandemic recovery

EdSource •

Collaboration lies at the heart of LAUSD’s test score gains 

When students walk into Gina Gray’s English classroom in Middle College High School on any given testing day, she greets them with encouragement: “Tap into your genius. You have it,” Gray reminds the 11th graders. “Just do your best. … All we can ask you is to show what you know.”


Students across the Los Angeles Unified School District did just that when they took the test, known as the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP).  The 2025 test scores mark a milestone...
EdSource •

A year after Alberto Carvalho vows to curb Covid learning loss, LAUSD struggles to recover

November 9, 2023 - Child development courses in Spanish are opening community college to nannies who had previously been locked out.

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Last fall, LAUSD Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said he would recover Covid-19 pandemic learning loss in two years.

One year later — and half way to that goal post — the 2023 California Smarter Balanced test scores revealed a small improvement in math scores, a minimal decline in English language
EdSource •

Parents, LAUSD settle suit; 100,000 students get 45 tutoring hours for three years

A group of families reached a settlement with the Los Angeles Unified School District as part of a class action lawsuit that claims the district’s distance learning practices during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic were inadequate and discriminated against Black and Latino students, as well as those from financially disadvantaged backgrounds. 


The settlement, which still needs court approval, is one of the largest ever to come from an education class action lawsuit and will grant more than...
EdSource •

Helping students with mental health struggles may help them return to school

Students who are chronically absent from school are much more likely to struggle with mental health challenges, with pre-teen boys and teen girls reporting some of the highest signs of distress.


When students need help, availability of mental health support often depends on the income of families. “As household income increased, so did the availability of mental health services” in children’s schools, University of Southern California researchers found in a survey of 2,500 households nationwi...
Los Angeles Times •

Why are more students chronically absent in California, U.S.? Study examines troubling trend

Juan Ballina, right, stands with his mother, Carmen Ballina, near their home. Juan missed 94 days of school in 2022 because he didn’t have required medical assistance available, illustrating the complexity of the chronic absenteeism problem in California and nationwide.

Since the pandemic, the number of students across the country who are chronically absent — meaning they missed at least 10% of the school year — has nearly doubled to 13.6 million, according to estimates in a new study.

About 1
EdSource •

California’s dramatic jump in chronically absent students part of a nationwide surge

Veronica Lopez has twin fifth-grade daughters. One is working toward her school’s “perfect attendance” award. The other, Miranda, has been sick a lot and chronically absent from Los Angeles Unified’s Fair Avenue Elementary.

“If she’s not feeling well, then she shouldn’t go to school,” Lopez said. “She’s not going to learn. She’s not going to get better. She needs to rest.”

Lopez said having a child miss school is the “last thing you want” as a parent, both for their education and because it ca

Equity and student wellbeing 

EdSource •

LAUSD’s 100 priority schools show support for equity, but some say program isn’t enough

Thomas Jefferson High School has a rich history. 


It is one of the oldest schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District — established more than a century ago — and lies in Central Avenue, which used to be called “Little Harlem” during the 1920s and 1930s. 


Its graduates — from Ralph Bunche, the first Black Nobel laureate, to Alvin Ailey, the legendary choreographer — have had lasting impact.


Now, Jefferson High sits on LAUSD’s list of 100 priority schools — meaning that Superintend...
EdSource •

LAUSD celebrates 10 years of restorative justice, but progress remains uneven

This May, the Los Angeles Unified School District celebrated the 10th anniversary of the School Climate Bill of Rights — a resolution that halted suspensions for willful defiance and brought restorative justice practices into classrooms.

Social justice advocates and school board members applauded the nearly 80% reduction in overall suspensions in LAUSD since the new policy passed.

“The best thing that has happened is that LA Unified is seeing students for students, and that includes their boun
EdSource •

LAUSD’s Black Student Achievement Plan remains resilient amid complaint and opposition

Many supporters and advocates of the Los Angeles Unified School District’s Black Student Achievement Plan are beginning the school year with renewed hope after the school board voted to boost the program’s 2025-26 funding with an additional $50 million.   


Their optimism comes after years of challenges, from the broadening of BSAP after a complaint lodged by the conservative group Parents Defending Education, which argued the program discriminated against students of other races and backgroun...
EdSource •

LAUSD considers adjusting its Black Student Achievement Plan amid complaint

The Los Angeles Unified School District is considering broadening the language associated with the Black Student Achievement Plan in an attempt to avoid investigation by the U.S. Department of Education, a move supporters fear could steer the focus of the program away from Black student achievement and wellness.

The potential change in the Black Student Achievement Plan comes after Parents Defending Education, a conservative group with a track record of challenging schools’ efforts to promote e
EdSource •

LAUSD families still struggling to access disability supports

When the Covid-19 pandemic led to school shutdowns in 2020, and students began plugging into their classes online, Naomi Burn saw her 17-year-old son’s grades soar. 


Her son seemed more engaged, completed his assignments and was in better spirits. The virtual classes seemed to serve him better. So, when face-to-face instruction returned, Burn decided to enroll him in one of the district’s virtual academies, where he would also be able to receive the counseling outlined in his individualized e...
EdSource •

A lifeline for ill students, LAUSD’s home hospital school suffers from instability

Nothing about being a home-hospital teacher is normal. 


A Los Angeles Unified educator drives nearly 22 miles from one student’s home in Venice Beach to another’s in East Los Angeles — and another 20 miles to Maravista, lugging tote bags with school supplies, books, plants and paintbrushes. 


Each bag is dedicated to one of her students — from transitional kindergartners to high school seniors gearing up for graduation and new beginnings. 


What her students have in common is illness, ran...

2025 Los Angeles Fires

EdSource •

Los Angeles schools close, brace for more fire, wind and ash 

Fires, ash and power outages continue to push communities throughout Los Angeles away from their homes and into uncertainty — all while more than 12% of the state’s schools, including nearly 800 in Los Angeles Unified, have had to stop in-person instruction, and, despite incurring damages, extend essential services to students and their families. 


As of 5:30 p.m. Thursday, blazes spanning roughly 350 to 17,000 acres continued to burn across Los Angeles County, according to CalFire. At least f...
EdSource •

‘The day I lost my house:’ School communities reel from Eaton, Palisades fires

Tanya Reyes, a teacher in the Los Angeles Unified School District, initially tried to befriend her reality. 


But when her husband sent her a video of her Altadena home up in flames, and she heard him cry, she had to press pause. 


“I’ve only watched parts of it, but I know at one point he starts crying. … It just felt surreal,” Reyes said. “We’re worried about our neighbors, worried about who’s safe, the peacocks that lived on our street.” 


“I’m from Maui, so it feels like Lahaina, all o...
EdSource •

‘Psychological first aid’: How volunteers helped students recover after LA fires

In a classroom that smelled like a campfire, a student at Pasadena Unified’s Sierra Madre Elementary School broke down when he saw a student-made stuffed rabbit that had X’s for eyes. 


His art teacher called for help from Tanya Ward, a project director for the mental health and school counseling unit at the Los Angeles County Office of Education. 


Ward arrived immediately and pulled the student aside. 


“That’s a dead bunny. That’s a dead bunny,” the student repeated, sobbing.  


“What...
EdSource •

‘A school on a hill’: Students start returning to campus in L.A.’s fire-damaged region 

On a sunny Tuesday morning, students, parents and community members walked atop the bluffs alongside charred foliage and barren lots, back to Marquez Charter Elementary — almost nine months after the Palisades fire ravaged the school site and surrounding region, sparing only three classrooms in its wake. 


For the remainder of the 2024-25 academic year, and for the initial period of this school year, the entire school shared a campus with Nora Sterry Elementary. Now, the roughly 130 children a...

Immigration 

EdSource •

Strong first-day attendance at LAUSD schools despite immigration fears

Four days after a 15-year-old with a disability was mistakenly detained and handcuffed by immigration agents outside of Arleta High School, the first day of the new school year in the Los Angeles Unified School District seemed normal. 


Students at Arleta High walked through the school’s annual red carpet on Thursday as music played and cheerleaders performed. Teachers, like Nicole Patin, greeted them while passing out flyers in English and Spanish to parents and red cards detailing what to do...
EdSource •

‘Happy, but tense’: LAUSD graduations continue safely amid regional ICE activity

Maywood Academy High School’s graduation Thursday was classic in a county where nearly half its population identifies as Latino. 


Students decorated their caps with photos of loved ones and messages of gratitude to God and their immigrant families. A student’s rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” was met with cheers from the crowd; some graduates carried lavish bouquets of roses, commonly known as ramos buchones; their guest speaker was a prominent record label owner pivotal in the rise of...
EdSource •

LAUSD condemns immigration raids as one unfolds next to a school

Los Angeles Unified School District’s superintendent and board members condemned the raids and arrests of undocumented immigrants on Monday during a press conference at the district’s headquarters in downtown L.A. Meanwhile, 7 miles away, another raid was unfolding next to a high school, creating new tension and apprehension.


Around 8:30 a.m., videos posted on social media platforms showed what appeared to be immigration agents chasing and arresting day laborers by the city’s Home Depot, whic...

Charter Schools 

EdSource •

Judge rules LAUSD broke state law denying charter co-location access

The Los Angeles Unified School District’s board overreached in declaring hundreds of schools off-limits from sharing their facilities with charter schools, a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge has ruled. 


Judge Stephen Goorvitch wrote in a June 27 decision that the trustees of the state’s largest school district broke state law when they categorically denied access to as many as 346 campuses of Priority, Black Student Achievement Plan and community schools. The board’s policy thwarted th...
EdSource •

LAUSD considers limiting charter co-locations on vulnerable campuses

The Los Angeles Unified School District school board drew a mix of gratitude and frustration from communities throughout the region during its discussion of a policy that prevents charter schools from sharing a campus with its 100 priority schools, Black Student Achievement Plan (BSAP) schools and community schools. The California Charter Schools Association (CCSA), along with charter supporters, said the board policy was discriminatory and threatened lawsuits against the district.

Borrowing fr
EdSource •

North Valley Military Institute shuts down amid widespread controversy

The North Valley Military Institute — a grades six-12 charter school founded in 2013 — voluntarily surrendered its charter and closed its doors permanently on Aug. 25, leaving nearly 800 students and 180 employees in the Los Angeles area without a place to learn and work.

Both NVMI officials and community activists who called for the school’s shutdown have said the closure was months in the making.

Officials of the charter school blame the closing on accommodation problems as NVMI relied on sp

Legal challenges & complaints 

EdSource •

LAUSD agrees to issue $500 million in bonds to settle sexual abuse claims

The Los Angeles Unified School District board has quietly authorized issuing a half-billion dollars in bonds to settle decades-old sexual abuse cases involving former students. 


And that will likely not be enough to settle all the claims the nation’s second-largest school district is facing under 2019 legislation that allows victims of abuse by school employees to seek damages for incidents dating back decades.


Since Jan. 1, 2020, LAUSD has received approximately 370 child abuse claims un...
EdSource •

Lawsuit charges misuse of arts education funding at LAUSD schools

Vicky Martinez feels cheated that her children haven’t had much exposure to the arts at their Los Angeles Unified (LAUSD) schools despite state funding through Proposition 28, the state’s landmark arts education mandate. She believes access to the arts could help them cope with their anxiety and ADHD, conditions that have spiked post-pandemic. 


“I had more arts than my kids do,” said Martinez, mother of three LAUSD students in the Highland Park area. “That’s not right. It makes me angry that...
EdSource •

Unions allege LAUSD is misusing arts education funds

High school junior Maya Shtangrud may have given up on her childhood dream of learning to play the violin — but now, serving as an arts justice fellow at the ACLU of Southern California, she remains steadfast in her advocacy for arts education.

Like many, she hoped Proposition 28 — a ballot measure passed by roughly 65% of voters in November 2022 to allocate about $1 billion toward arts education each year — would lead to greater opportunities for her fellow students.

She’s not quite as optimi
EdSource •

Communities demand transparency after Ed, LAUSD’s AI chatbot, fails 

Roughly a month after the Los Angeles Unified School District revoked its AI chatbot, Ed, communities of parents, teachers and experts are demanding that the school district respond to their concern that the short-lived association with AllHere, the company that built and supported the program, has potentially compromised data on the district’s larger educational priorities. 


“While we welcome technological advancements, it’s crucial to engage in transparent discussions with educators, educat...

School board politics & controversies 

EdSource •

Chino Valley revamps parental notification policy; LGBTQ+ allies fear legal escalation

The Chino Valley Unified School District school board voted Thursday to adopt a revamped version of its transgender notification policy, which LGBTQ+ advocates fear would help the district withstand court battles and propel the case to the United States Supreme Court — a possibility previously expressed by Board President Sonja Shaw.

Unlike the original policy adopted in July, the new policy does not use words like “gender” or “bathroom.” Instead, it broadly states that school officials should
EdSource •

Court blocks Temecula Valley Unified from enforcing CRT ban

The Temecula Valley Unified School District can no longer implement its ban on critical race theory (CRT) as litigation moves forward, a California Court of Appeals ruled Monday — marking the first time in California that a court has overturned a district’s effort to censor student learning about racial and LGBTQ+ equity, according to Amanda Mangaser Savage of the Sullivan & Cromwell Strategic Litigation Counsel at Public Counsel. 


“This ruling binds all of California,” said Amelia Piazza, an...
EdSource •

Temecula board again votes to reject textbooks, despite warnings from Newsom

The Temecula Valley Unified school board did not back down Tuesday from its previous decision to reject Social Studies Alive textbooks recommended by a committee of its teachers, despite Gov. Gavin Newsom’s warnings that the district could be sanctioned if it didn’t use the updated state-approved curriculum.

In May, the school board voted 3-2 not to use the Social Studies Alive!” textbooks, published by Teachers Curriculum Institute, in grades one to five. Some board members objected to supplem
EdSource •

Temecula Valley school board fires superintendent Jodi McClay as protests erupt outside

Behind closed doors, the Temecula Valley school board voted 3-1 to fire the district’s superintendent Jodi McClay Tuesday and hire former Assistant Superintendent Kimberly Velez to fill in as interim.

While the board met in a closed session at Temecula Valley High School, dozens of parents, teachers and students protested the district’s decision to ban the “Social Studies Alive!” textbook which leaves more than 11,000 students without reading materials for the coming year.

McClay’s termination

Higher education 

EdSource •

FAFSA delays are leaving students in limbo. California campuses don’t expect help

February 1, 2024 - Guillermo Tejeda is a jazz musician who is passionate about teaching and integrating music into the classroom.

The U.S. Department of Education is attempting to solve issues associated with this year’s rocky rollout of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and ensure colleges and universities release financial aid packages in a timely manner through a new plan announced Monday — but some California campuses remain pessimistic about receiving support.

This year
EdSource •

As protests surge across college campuses, student journalists report from the front lines

June 20, 2024 - What happened at UC Riverside, a campus with a reputation for being welcoming to Middle Eastern students, was different.

A critical presence persists across the dozens of university campuses nationwide where students have organized demonstrations in support of Palestinians: student journalists reporting for their school newspapers, at times providing round-the-clock coverage and, increasingly, doing so under threats of arrest and violence.

“They recognize that the eyes of the w
EdSource •

How UC is navigating the complicated response to the Israel-Hamas war

Students on California campuses are fearful and upset six weeks into the Israel-Hamas war, with Islamophobia and antisemitism on the rise at colleges across the country.

The climate across the University of California system is especially tense and has students feeling unsafe, forcing system officials to navigate a delicate issue that is painful for many on its 10 campuses.

Systemwide leaders and campus chancellors have, over the past several weeks, made several statements about the war and wh

State/national education policies & politics 

EdSource •

Bill to provide descendants of slavery preference in college admissions moves forward

A bill that would give California colleges and universities an option to provide preference in admissions to descendants of slavery has cleared the state’s Senate Education Committee with a 5-2 vote after being passed in the Assembly with overwhelming support. But as the bill moves to the Judiciary Committee, even its proponents say they are pessimistic that it will become law at a time of increasing scrutiny over measures suggesting racial preferences.


Assembly Bill 7, authored by Assemblyme...
EdSource •

School board member stipends haven’t changed in over 40 years. That could change with a new bill

There’s more to being a diligent school board member than attending a couple of meetings a month.


Those meetings require preparation, research and one-on-one conversations with school leadership. There are school site visits. Many districts require regular board training. Sometimes there are spinoff committee meetings about parcel taxes or school nutrition. There’s also an expectation that board members attend events like football games, PTA meetings and retirement ceremonies. Meetings with p...
EdSource •

Bill to reduce antisemitism awaits governor’s signature

A bill to reduce antisemitism in California’s classrooms by creating a new, statewide Office of Civil Rights is headed to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk after a 35-0 vote by the state Senate late Friday, the last day of the legislative session. 


Assembly Bill 715’s passage comes after months of negotiations with the bill’s opponents — including the California Teachers Association — which argued it could infringe on academic freedom and prioritize the rights of certain students over others.


“Ever...
EdSource •

How the federal government shutdown will impact California’s schools and students 

For California students, parents and schools, there are many concerns about the federal government shutdown, the first since 2018. 


In the short term, Californians should see no changes. The U.S. Department of Education has said it will continue to move forward with many of its responsibilities, including financial aid dollars for college students and money for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and Title I schools. Most grant funding to schools won’t be affected either, since th...
EdSource •

‘A step backwards’: How federal threats to DEI are impacting California schools 

Tough decisions lie ahead for schools across California as the federal government cracks down on diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.  


The latest measure came in the form of a letter issued Friday by the U.S. Department of Education, giving K-12 schools across the country two options: to eliminate programs focused on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) within two weeks, or face unspecified cuts in federal funding.  


“I fully anticipate that it will have a chilling effect on school d...
EdSource •

Federal investigation targets California ban on parental notification policies 

Jennifer Vietz’s transgender daughter came out to a teacher and friends at her school’s Gay Straight Alliance group. 


“If my daughter didn’t get the kind of support that she did,” Vietz said, “she wouldn’t be here now.” 


She’s grateful for the school’s and teachers’ support of her daughter, and is aware that not every student has the same support from their family. 


“They should be able to come out in a way that’s safe — or not come out — and still have a trusted adult that they can tal...

Investigations & accountability 

EdSource •

San Bernardino County: Growing hot spot for school-run police

In eastern San Bernardino County, a cluster of five school districts take a different approach than nearly all the rest of California when it comes to school policing: they not only buy books for kids, they also buy bullets for cops. They run their own police departments.

There are just 19 school-run police forces in California spread over 10 counties. They include Los Angeles and San Diego unified, the state’s two largest districts. In all, 15% of California K-12 students — more than 863,000 k
EdSource •

Safety concerns on the rise in LAUSD; Carvalho looks to police

Four years after removing district police from individual campuses, the Los Angeles Unified School District has temporarily restored officers to two schools — reviving longstanding debates and dissatisfaction over school policing.

Superintendent Alberto Carvalho attempted to restore officers to 20 school sites to make campuses safer, according to a May 13 memo to school board members. Those campuses were chosen based on “relevant safety data.”

“As we near the end of the school year, we continu
EdSource •

Grassroots contributions fueled bid to oust two from Orange County school board

A grassroots movement propelled by small contributions from teachers and local residents ousted two board members from an Orange County school district who supported controversial causes.

The victory came despite opposing big money contributions from conservative organizations, Republican political figures and business leaders.

More than 85% of the $227,000 raised by recall supporters came from over 400 individuals giving an average of about $450 each, with the rest coming mostly from teachers

Education Beat podcast appearances

EdSource •

PODCAST: Teachers, students reel from Los Angeles fires

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


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


Guests:


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


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

The firestorms in Los Angeles have d...
EdSource •

PODCAST: Pasadena schools get help for students coping with trauma of Eaton Fire

When the Eaton Fire burned through parts of Los Angeles County this January, it destroyed thousands of homes. The hardest-hit district was Pasadena Unified School District, where around 10,000 students out of the district’s 14,000 were displaced.


Principals across the district called for help from the county office of education, so that when kids impacted by the fires returned to school, they’d have the mental health support they needed.


Guests:


Read more from EdSource:


Education B...
EdSource •

PODCAST: California high schoolers get a crash course in finance

All high schools in California will be required to offer a semester of financial literacy to all students, beginning in the 2027-28 school year. The course will be required for graduation beginning with the class of 2031.


Some high schools are already offering the course.


Meet Allison Saiki, named teacher of the year from Sweetwater Union High School District, where she teaches students how to manage money, pay rent and open retirement accounts, all with a classroom currency she calls “Sai...
EdSource •

PODCAST: Is LAUSD misusing its money for arts education?

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


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


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


G...
EdSource •

PODCAST: Student journalists on the frontlines of protest coverage

As a wave of protests on university campuses call for a ceasefire in Gaza and for universities to divest from companies with military ties to Israel, student journalists have emerged as crucial sources of information.

At some schools, student journalists are the only regular source of news on campus grounds, especially when campuses have shut down to non-students. In some cases, they’ve scooped mainstream media, with the most accurate, up-to-date coverage.

Increasingly, student journalists are
EdSource •

PODCAST: A principal at the heart of her school and her community

Estela López grew up in South Central Los Angeles, and she still lives and works just minutes from her childhood home. She has served in neighborhood schools for 30 years, first as a teacher and now as the principal of Dolores Huerta Elementary School.

She has made it her mission to make sure her school is a refuge for children in the neighborhood, and her reach extends far beyond the walls of her school to help families secure housing, healthcare, and food.

When she was grieving the loss of h
EdSource •

PODCAST: A teacher removed, a play censored, and the chilling effect that followed

A high school drama teacher was removed from the classroom in Temecula Valley Unified, after a parent complained students were reading the Pulitzer-prize-winning play, “Angels in America,” about the AIDS epidemic in New York during the 1980s.

It’s the latest in a series of efforts by newly elected conservative school board members to change curriculum in the district. What happened in the months after the teacher’s removal? And how is it affecting other teachers and students?
• Temecula board a
EdSource •

PODCAST: This program turns parents into preschool teachers

A new program in Los Angeles County helps low-income parents take the early childhood education classes they need to become preschool teachers. The program aims to both help fill a shortage of early educators and help parents build their careers.

Listen to how one mom fulfills a childhood dream to become a teacher, even joining classes from a hospital bed.

Read more from EdSource: Nearly 100 parents in LA County are on the verge of becoming teachers through a new collaborative program

Educati