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California schools fall behind despite spending increases | Opinion

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California schools fall behind despite spending increases | Opinion

As academic researchers continue to explore what happened to public education during and after the COVID19 pandemic, they are confirming the harsh reality of decline in such basic skills as reading and mathematics.

California’s schools are no exception, as the latest data from the Education Recovery Scorecard, a collaborative project of Harvard University and Stanford University, reveal.

Combining national and state academic test results, the research found that average student achievement in California remains 31% of a grade equivalent behind 2019 levels in math and 40% of a grade equivalent behind in reading.

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However some California school systems bucked the trends. Compton Unified, serving one of Southern California’s poorest communities, was singled out for its progress in both reading and math.

“Between 2022 and 2024, Compton Unified has seen a steady rise in students’ performance on standardized tests in math, and their reading scores saw a jump post pandemic — an improvement that doesn’t surprise district Superintendent Darin Brawley, who has been leading the district since 2012,” EdSource, a website devoted to California education issues, reported. 

“Brawley attributes the district’s growth to ongoing diagnostic assessments in both English language arts and math, allocating resources based on students’ performance and aligning district standards to the state’s dashboard.”

“Compton Unified School District’s achievements are truly inspiring,” Los Angeles County Superintendent of Schools Debra Duardo told EdScource. “Their impressive graduation rate, coupled with significant academic growth and a strong focus on college and career readiness … demonstrate a deep commitment to student success.”

Compton was not alone in going against the grain. Scorecard researchers report that 31% of California students attend districts scoring above 2019 levels in math, with 12% of students in districts scoring above 2019 levels in reading and 10% in districts that have recovered in both.”

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Compton and other bright spots tell us that California’s public education system, with nearly 6 million students, is not necessarily doomed. While the education establishment insists that California needs to spend more — a lot more — to raise achievement, the fact that some school districts can do it on the current level of finances indicates there’s more to the equation than money.

One way to look at the relationship of academic achievement and money is what the private sector calls “return on investment.” By happenstance another education research project does exactly that.

The Edunomics Lab at George Washington University has calculated how well school systems are delivering academic results in relationship to how much money they’ve spent since 2013.

California, unfortunately, does not fare well vis-à-vis other states. Edunomics says that while California has elevated per pupil spending by 102% since 2013, reading comprehension has remained flat while math skills have dropped, based on federal academic tests.

California is not alone, since most states have seen academic declines during the period, but its lack of return on investment stands out because its 102% increase in per pupil spending is almost double the national increase of 56% and nearly three times the rate of inflation.

Brian Brennan, executive director of the 21st Century Alliance, a California organization that promotes governance reform and released the Edunomics data, said, “Anyone advocating for more education dollars in California needs to be straight with the public:  Will new investments provide better returns than those of the last decade?  Or, are we just doing more of the same, and hoping for a different outcome?”

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Brennan cites the defeat of legislation that would have mandated the science of reading — in essence, phonics — to teach reading in California, as an example of official neglect. The powerful California Teachers Association led opposition to the legislation, Assembly Bill 2222, which died in the Assembly Education Committee a year ago without a vote.



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Watch Kate Hudson Showcase ‘California Dreamin” in 2028 Olympics Promo

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Watch Kate Hudson Showcase ‘California Dreamin” in 2028 Olympics Promo


Kate Hudson is gearing up for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. The actress and musician appeared in a new promo video for the forthcoming games, performing the Mamas & the Papas’ 1963 song “California Dreamin’.”

In the clip, which aired on NBC as the Milan Cortina Olympics came to a close last night, Hudson gives a soulful rendition of the classic tune. It showcases images of athletes likely to figure prominently in the 2028 games alongside images of Los Angeles.

Hudson posted the video on Instagram, writing “Built on California dreams, powered by Olympic and Paralympic champions.”

The Los Angeles Summer Olympics, dubbed LA28, will be held in Los Angeles July 14 to 30, 2028. The games were originally teased at the culmination of the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics. Billie Eilish, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Snoop Dogg, and H.E.R. were among the performers for the energetic Olympics closing ceremony that year to help usher in the future Los Angeles edition.

The 2024 closing ceremony also featured a stunt from actor Tom Cruise, who rappelled down the stadium in Paris, shook hands with athletes, grabbed the Olympics flag, attached it to the back of his motorcycle, and drove off. In a pre-recorded segment, Cruise then attached the Olympics logo to the Hollywood sign. The ceremony shifted venues from Paris to Venice Beach, with a performance of “The Next Episode” from Snoop Dogg and Dre. Dre.

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This year’s winter Olympics showcased some of the greatest athletes in the world and many extraordinary displays of sportsmanship, including a memorable gold medal win from U.S. figure skater Alysa Liu.

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Hudson appeared at the 2026 BAFTA Awards last night as a nominee for Best Leading Actress for her performance in Song Sung Blue. She lost to Jessie Buckley for Hamnet, but is also nominated for the Oscar for Best Actress. She recently told Rolling Stone that shifting her focus to music is the “best decision” she’s ever made.

“The latter half of my life, it’s that moment where you actually look at what you’re putting out creatively and if you’re satisfied with it, and [ask] as a creative, ‘Am I happy with everything I’ve left if I died today?’” she said. “My answer was a big no. Not that I haven’t done things that I’m proud of, but I didn’t feel like my output was as authentic or honest as it could be.…  I was shocked at what came back at me [after the album]. I was not expecting women to come up to me and be like, ‘I’ve always wanted to do this thing in my forties. And you doing this makes me feel like I can do anything I want.’ I feel like I’m just getting started.”



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Virginia women cruise, California men clinch 2026 ACC titles

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Virginia women cruise, California men clinch 2026 ACC titles


Dominance and drama collided at the 2026 ACC Swimming and Diving Championships.

Virginia’s women swam with commanding control, stamping their imprint on nearly every race and locking up another ACC crown. On the men’s side, California edged past Stanford in a much closer battle for the conference title.

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Here are the main takeaways from this year’s ACC swimming and diving championships.

Virginia women stay dominant in post-Walsh era

After five straight NCAA titles, there was no doubt the Virginia women would continue to succeed in 2026. However, there was a question whether they would continue to dominate without Alex and Gretchen Walsh.

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Virginia and head coach Todd DeSorbo reminded the rest of the NCAA that the Hoos are still the most dominant force in collegiate swimming.

The Cavaliers opened competition posting the second-fastest time in NCAA history in the 800 freestyle relay, surpassing a Stanford quartet that featured Katie Ledecky and Simone Manuel back in 2017.

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It seemed like the meet was over before it even started as the Virginia women had extended a sizable lead after the first full day of swimming competition, winning three out of the four swimming events. They again posted the second-fastest swim in history, this time in the 200 freestyle relay, trailing only themselves from the 2024 ACC Championships.

Olympic medalist Claire Curzan is the Hoos’ X-factor as she threw down an NCAA record in the 200-yd back, stopping the clock in 1:46.09. Curzan also clocked the second-fastest 100-yd backstroke in NCAA history, behind only Gretchen Walsh. Curzan was named the ACC most valuable swimmer of the meet after winning four gold medals.

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Anna Moesch has had a major breakout season. This week, she became just the fourth woman to break 1:40 in the 200 freestyle. The sophomore is now just six-tenths of a second off Missy Franklin’s legendary NCAA record of 1:39.10 set back in 2015.

Overall, the Virginia women racked up 11 total titles en route to their seventh straight ACC championship. This team has young stars, suffocating depth, and will enter the NCAAs as the clear favorite for a sixth straight national title.

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California tops Stanford on the last day of competition

The California men are 2 for 2 as members of the ACC, but this year it came down to the last day of competition.

The Bears locked up the 2025 title early on, winning the meet by over 200 points, but it was a different story in 2026.

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Stanford and Cal faced off in a seven-round heavyweight battle. Through a full week of competition, there was little separation.

Relay scoring was almost dead even between the two and the Cardinal outscored the Bears in diving; it was the points gained from individual swimming events that secured the win for the defending champs.

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California’s Yamato Okadome led the way, winning three gold medals in the 100-yd breast, 200-yd breast and 400-yd medley relay.

The Bears didn’t win the meet because of total titles, as California won only four individual and relay events overall. Stanford also won four and the North Carolina State men won seven ACC titles, but lacked the complete team that California brought to Atlanta.

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The California men were second at last year’s NCAA championships and will look to compete for another top-three spot in March.

New stars emerge

Although seniors like Stanford’s Torri Huske and Lucy Bell found success, winning nine ACC medals, the conference has turned over a new leaf.

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Underclassmen found continued success throughout the week filling up championship finals and winning half of the ACC individual titles.

Freshmen and sophomores won a staggering 16 individual events. In comparison, they collected only seven wins in 2025.

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Seven freshmen finished in the top eight in the men’s 500-yd freestyle, and NC State freshman Max Carlsen won it. The lone fifth-year, Cal’s Eduardo Oliveira de Moraes, was fourth.

Carlsen also won the 1,650-yd freestyle, and UVA sophomore and U.S. Olympian Katie Grimes doubled up winning the 500-yd free and 1,650-yd freestyle.

Louisville freshman true freshman Nikita Sheremet posted the second-fastest 18-and-under 100-yd freestyle of all-time, and he’s now tied with NC State’s Kaii Winkler, who placed second in the event this year as a sophomore. Sheremet also won silver in the 50-yd freestyle.

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Moesch, a sophomore, swept the 100-yd and 200-yd freestyles, knocking off Huske in the 100.

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Okadome, who was the ACC’s most valuable men’s swimmer of the meet, is just a sophomore as well. Additionally, half of Cal’s 20 athletes who scored points were underclassmen.

The trend continued in diving, as Stanford freshman Ellie Cole and Stanford sophomore Misha Andriyuk swept the platform events.

The ACC is ready to compete with the rest of the country

This week showcased that the ACC is ready to compete for national titles and top-five finishes at the NCAAs in March.

The Virginia women are the standard in collegiate swimming, but Stanford, Louisville, California, and NC State were also impressive.

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The Louisville women knocked off Virginia in the 200-yd medley relay and NC State’s Eneli Jefimova 100-yd breaststroke is now the fastest in the country after this week.

The California women have been in rebuilding mode over the past several years and are now catching stride as they broke a school record in the 200-yd medley relay. Sophomore Mia West also won Cal’s first ACC title in the 200-yd butterfly.

On the men’s side, Texas and Arizona State are going to be tough to catch nationally, but Cal, Stanford, and NC State look ready to race come the end of March.

Stanford’s Henry McFadden posted a top-five time in the country this year in the 200-yd freestyle, and Okadome’s times in breaststroke stack up with the best in the NCAA this season.

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NC State’s 200-yd freestyle relay and 400-yd freestyle relay teams broke the ACC meet and conference record. In the 400-yd freestyle relay they finished four-tenths of a second faster than the SEC champion Florida Gators.

The impressive times in the pool and exquisite diving on the boards set up the ACC for an exciting close to the 2026 season.

Full Team Results

Men

California: 1,154

Stanford: 1,076

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North Carolina State: 973

Louisville: 844

Virginia Tech: 715.5

Florida State: 624.5

Virginia: 577.5

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North Carolina: 572.5

Notre Dame: 488

SMU: 407

Pittsburgh: 401

Georgia Tech: 357

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Miami (FL): 162

Duke: 138

Boston College: 112

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Women

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Virginia: 1,410.5

Stanford: 1,039

California: 1,027.5

Louisville: 925

North Carolina State: 851.5

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Pittsburgh: 552

North Carolina: 522.5

Duke: 432.5

Virginia Tech: 409.5

Florida State: 371

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Notre Dame: 366

Miami (FL): 322

Georgia Tech: 274

SMU: 261

Boston College: 98

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California Democrats host annual convention in SF with hopes of endorsing candidate for governor

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California Democrats host annual convention in SF with hopes of endorsing candidate for governor


SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — California Democrats are in San Francisco this weekend for the party’s state convention. The gathering is about plans and strategies for the months ahead, including endorsing a candidate for governor.

But with so many candidates in the race, party leaders are doubtful one candidate will emerge this weekend.

“Because here, we don’t agonize; we organize. We unionize,” said Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi.

Pelosi was firing up California Democrats Saturday. The party’s convention is celebrating victories, like the voter-approved Proposition 50, which temporarily redraws the state’s congressional districts, a counter-response to partisan redistricting in Texas.

“We saw you fight right here in California with Prop 50. Thanks Governor Newsom and voters for taking on Donald Trump last year,” said DNC Chairman Ken Martin.

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MORE: Big political battles ahead for California in 2026: Here’s what to look forward to

Over 3,000 delegates are in San Francisco to help set the tone during a pivotal election year with so much at stake.

“We are considering candidates for state and federal office. We will have conversations about retaking the House of Representatives in 2026,” said California Democratic Party Chair Rusty Hicks.

But the biggest race is who will succeed outgoing Gov. Gavin Newsom. Eight candidates are seeking the party’s endorsement, but Hicks said it’s unlikely anyone will get it this weekend.

“Our threshold for endorsement is 60%. There’s a large number of candidates. It’s unlikely we’ll get to an endorsement, but delegates have the opportunity to connect with these candidates,” Hicks said.

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Delegates, like Ayo Banjo from Santa Cruz, want to learn more about each candidate.

“What I’m hearing now, there’s a lot of consensus that there is no consensus. We are seeing right now, there’s is nobody that’s actually having a hold on the race,” Banjo said.

“I hope we have a good candidate who can lead us in a good direction and protect all, including immigrants,” said Orange County delegate Victor Valladares.

Outside the convention there were protests and anti-Trump demonstrations.

Back inside, younger democrats were urging the party to embrace bolder progressive ideas, like universal health coverage.

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The convention runs until Sunday. Newsom said he wouldn’t be attending.

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