California schools made national headlines this week for finally allowing students inside classrooms for the first time in over a year, but did they really reopen? Students, parents, teachers, and community members, who rallied outside the San Diego Education Association headquarters this week demand a real return to school. “Going to school and not being...
Forcing Critical Race Theory on children is psychologically damaging. I come from a time when schools existed to teach the ABCs, basic math and the amazing story of the American founding. While it’s true that Horace Mann, the man who first promoted universal public education, was a central planner, government schools usually turned out educated...
California’s Silicon Valley is known across the globe as the hub of tech innovation. But some lesser known tech hubs, affectionately called “Silicon Slopes, “Silicon Mountain” and my personal favorite name, “Silicon Spuds,” are showing themselves as the Davids to the Goliath of California’s Silicon Valley. While many are talking about Texas, Florida, and Arizona...
As a communications professional, I spend a lot of time thinking about advertisements and commercials. Whether it’s the reminder of the best part of waking up, the recognition that there are some things money can’t buy, or the predictably similar COVID-era commercials, ad campaigns often play in the background of my mind. So, I wasn’t...
After suggestions that Newsom is planning to add a less-restrictive green tier to California’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy, Governor Gavin Newsom announced that, assuming the current COVID trajectory in California remains, the tiered system that has been in place since August will be eliminated entirely. According to Governor Newsom, it will be “business as...
School choice is rapidly advancing across the U.S. On March 9th, I wrote that Covid-related lockdowns were leading many states to implement or advance already existing school choice measures. Just four weeks later, it is happening at breakneck speed. Legislators and parents have become fed up, and are doing what they can to regain control...
Most of California is experiencing weather people the world over dream of. It’s spring time and a lot of people are on some sort of break, including our illustrious presidente, Will Swaim. For good or ill, he turned the reins over to me until our new Communications Director gets access to the email distribution list....
In some parts of the state, football is finally coming back. While this is going to be an unusual football season, high school football fans were looking forward to supporting their friends and family members on the football field. But in a surprise move, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) created guidelines that confused...
The ongoing Covid lockdown hysteria is taking a brutal toll on the young. According to the Burbio school tracker, 53 percent of schools nationwide are now fully open for business. With the new CDC guidelines having determined that three feet is a safe distance for students, one would think the other 47 percent would embrace...
CLICK HERE to find our comprehensive California Book of Exoduses Intel Corporation announced this week it will invest $20 billion in semiconductor chip fabrication plants, according to the Sacramento Business Journal. This is a big deal given the current global shortage in semiconductor chips. But also, it is important because semi-conductors will be a big...
Welcome to your weekly roundup of news from the state that put the “weird” back in “weirdos.” If you like this, donate to and thank your friends at California Policy Center. If you hate it, please blame only me (your faithful scribe, Will Swaim) and check back in when our new communications director takes over...
There is going to be a school choice initiative on the state ballot in November 2022. While this is not an absolute certainty, the grassroots support for school choice is strong, and the infrastructure necessary to nurture a grassroots effort is now in place. The RecallGavin2020 campaign has proven the model, and fed up parents from Chula...
This week, the United Teachers of Los Angeles (UTLA) members have approved their reopening deal with LAUSD, which allows some elementary schools to reopen with a hybrid format as early as April 12. Middle and high schools will have to wait longer and would return to school in a glorified study hall format. While I...
In his 2021 State of the State Address, Governor Newsom’s focus, to the exclusion of nearly everything else, was to defend his response to the COVID-19 pandemic. A quick review of the 3,634 word transcript indicates only 20 percent of his remarks had to do with anything else. It’s understandable that Newsom would focus on the pandemic....