As California is slowly reopening, this is an excellent opportunity to review the Blueprint for a Safer Economy, the framework that allows for businesses and schools to reopen in California. With the new update from the California Department of Public Health on Tuesday, forty-seven counties have reached the red tier, covering 89.7% of Californians. Five...
With a significant portion of the $1.9 trillion federal stimulus package earmarked for K-12 public schools, concerns have arisen over potential misuse of those funds. As Fox News recently reported, “Multiple California school districts have discussed using state and federal COVID relief money to hand out bonuses for teachers and staff, with one district’s union even...
(Note: This piece, co-written with Lia Rensin, first appeared in various Southern California News Group newspapers.) On March 5th, the California Department of Education released a fourth draft of its Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum. Not surprisingly, letters opposing Critical Race Theory and Critical Ethnic Studies comprised the #1 concern about the ESMC. And yet, more...
BY LEA STEELE Fresno County — Even though it happened 25 years ago, I remember it as though it were today. Sean, a 11-year-old boy, walked in my classroom and changed both of our lives forever. Although I was a young, inexperienced adult and new teacher, my “Spidey” senses alerted me whenever Sean’s stepmother was...
Testimony by our Chief Operations Officer, Lance Christensen to the Idaho Senate Commerce and Human Resources Committee (March 4, 2021) Chair Patrick and honorable members of the committee, My name is Lance Christensen of the California Policy Center. Though I’m coming to you virtually from Sacramento, I’m a product of 3 generations of dry farmers...
Depending on who you ask, California’s K-12 system of public education would be doing just fine if taxpayers threw another $30 billion (or more) per year into its insatiable maw, or, it is a failed model mostly because the teachers’ union agenda has ruined everything, from a crippling administrative overhead to mandating a curricula more...
CLICK HERE to see which benchmarks your county has passed this week. New updates to COVID-19 restrictions has led to more questions when it comes to reopening schools. Recently it was announced that theme parks and outdoor entertainment venues can reopen at limited capacity. Previously, large theme parks like Disneyland could only reopen once they...
Here is our fact check of Governor Newsom’s 2021 State of the State Address, which was held at Dodger Stadium. “All of which is why California’s death rate has remained one of the lowest per capita in the nation: 134 deaths per 100,000, compared to 158 nationally, 153 in Texas and 247 in New York.”...
To access The California Book of Exoduses: CLICK HERE Sorry California Data Lab- #TheCalExodusIsHappening Recently, there was a well-publicized report by the California Data Lab suggesting the “CalExodus” that has been a major news headline over the last year, was not actually happening. While a longer critique of the article is needed (which I hope...
As a result of their insistence on school closings, the unions are inadvertently leading the charge to educational freedom. As I wrote last week, opposition to teacher union-mandated lockdowns is growing. Parent groups are springing up all over the country, demanding that schools reopen. They see the irreparable harm being done to their kids on...
Forgive my typos – but by all means send in your favorite Stories from Weird California, samples of which we offer you here. Newsom announces reopening plan to union criticism: In his latest analysis of that King of Covidial Concern, Governor Gavin Newsom, CPC policy analyst Brandon Ristoff notes that Newsom keeps moving the goalposts...
In a rare and commendable display of political courage and common sense, California Governor Gavin Newsom has been working to finally grant permits to construct a second major seawater desalination plant on the Southern California Coast. But don’t count on this new water source just yet. Despite clearing major hurdles, self-described environmentalists and their allies in the...
CLICK HERE to see which benchmarks your county has passed this week. After a difficult past few months, Governor Newsom and the leaders of the California Legislature finally announced a $6.6 billion school reopening deal in Elk Grove on Monday. As reported by Politico, the proposal would give grants to schools if they reopened schools...
Refusing to accept responsibility for Covid-related lockdowns, the American Federation of Teachers tars Republicans. In a recent Wall Street Journal op-ed, former New Jersey governor Chris Christie, a Republican, correctly blamed the nation’s teachers unions for the overwrought Covid-related lockdowns that have strangled public education throughout much of the country. The American Federation of Teachers...