Juggling Tuition, Exams, and the Fear of Deportation

At the University of California, a New Legal Center Helps Undocumented Students Focus on Their Coursework

Being a college student often means taking on debt, leaving your home and your family behind, studying harder than ever before, and trying to figure out what to do with the rest of your life. For an estimated 2,000 students in the University of California system and an estimated 13,000 nationwide, it also means dealing with the threat of deportation, being unable to visit sick or dying grandparents, taking care of younger siblings, and hiding undocumented immigrant status.

As director of the University of California’s new Center for Undocumented Legal Services, …

by Maria Blanco | June 10, 2015

I Want to Eat Healthy–Why Does My High School Make That Hard?

Our Cafeteria’s Stomach-Churning Options Have Turned Breakfast and Lunch Into Skippable Meals

by Rebecca Castillo | June 3, 2015

I recently celebrated my one-year anniversary of being a vegetarian. Every second has been worth it, but it has been an exhausting journey. It’s not because I’m dreaming of cheeseburgers …

How to Turn Elementary School Teachers into Emotional Detectives

Strengthening the Bond Between Educators and Pupils Can Get to the Root of Behavior Problems and Bullying

by Brandon Sportel | May 26, 2015

About four years ago, I found myself asking a question many teachers ask their students: “Why would you do something like that?”

I was sitting down with a fourth grade …

What UC Merced’s Class of 2015 Tells Us About the Future of California

The Golden State Invested in a World-Class Campus in the Central Valley. Why Give Up on It Now?

by Dorthy Leland | May 20, 2015

At commencement this past weekend, UC Merced sent a crop of about 1,100 graduates off into the world. Six years ago, when we awarded degrees to our first full graduating …

What Educators Can Learn About a Southeast L.A. Turnaround

The Addition of a Bold College Readiness Program Transformed a Struggling High School in a Poor Community into an Example of High Academic Achievement

by Jay Mathews | May 19, 2015

Bell Gardens High School in east Los Angeles County was a sorry mess when science teacher Liz Lowe arrived in 1989. It was overflowing with trailer classrooms and graffiti. More …

When a Felony Is No Longer a Felony

How Redefining Nonviolent Crimes Is Changing California’s Justice System

by Sarah Rothbard | February 19, 2015

After decades of building prisons and increasing the number of people behind bars, the pendulum of California’s criminal justice system has swung away from incarceration. Among the policies and laws …

California Endowment