Sheridan Karras (née Swanson) graduated from Liberty University with an interdisciplinary Bachelor of Science degree in Government, Economics, and Religion. She manages CPC’s research program and supports the organization’s policy experts by providing accurate, timely research. Sheridan has authored dozens of research papers, issue briefs and tool kits on education and finance issues. As the Parent Union Coordinator, she provides resources and support to California parent groups and education reform advocates. She also coordinates logistics for CPC’s annual Parents, Not Partisans Summit, keeps an eye on education-related legislation in Sacramento, and provides research support to California Local Elected Officials (CLEO).
One of the most powerful entities in California is in the midst of a board election that will wrap up at the end of the month. It’s a government agency with $500 billion in assets, the power to bankrupt the state if mismanaged, and enough influence to sway national and global corporate decision-making — yet...
The 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) results for Grade 12 reading are out — and the numbers are grim. Only a staggering 35 percent of high school seniors nationwide were proficient in reading. Nearly one in three graduates struggles to draw basic conclusions from a text, a skill essential for everything from voting...
With schools back in session and the state budget finalized, the question of what California spends on public education — and what it delivers in return — is at the forefront of many parents’ and taxpayers’ minds. California has among the highest per-pupil spending in the nation, but questions persist about whether California families are...
With many California classrooms set to reopen in August, California Policy Center took a closer look at school enrollment patterns, and what they signal for the year ahead. Looking at public school enrollment data from 2014-15 to 2024-25, broken down by county, CPC conducted an analysis of the 10-year trend in California. The data revealed...
The California legislature passed the 2025-26 budget bill earlier this month and sent it to Governor Gavin Newsom for his signature. The bill amounts to $325 billion, marking a spending increase of 51 percent since Newsom first took office in 2019. Spending on education has similarly ballooned, despite the fact that enrollment in traditional public...
On Wednesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom released his May budget revision, proposing $321.9 in total spending for the next fiscal year. Now he must work with the legislature to pass a budget bill by the June 15th deadline. In a press conference outlining his budget to reporters, Newsom focused on blaming the Trump administration for California’s...
May 1, 2025 – Yesterday evening, SEIU 721 (a union representing government employees throughout Southern California) wrapped up their two-day strike consisting of more than 55,000 workers. Picketing, protests in Downtown LA, and sitting in the streets have characterized this union strike over a new labor contract with Los Angeles County. On April 29, the...
An overview of the bond measure and what it means for California’s budget. Voters were sold a shiny promise — now California is billions deeper in debt. Last November, California voters approved Proposition 4, which authorized $10 billion in bonds for “safe drinking water, wildfire prevention, and protecting communities and natural lands from climate risks.”...
National School Choice Week — the last week of January each year – is here again. School choice is simply the ability for families to select the education option that’s best for their children, and states throughout the nation are supporting school choice with charter schools, Education Savings Accounts (ESA’s), school vouchers, scholarships, tax deductions,...
Earlier this month, California Assemblyman Isaac Bryan of Los Angeles introduced a bill, Assembly Bill 7, which would affect admissions for the University of California (UC) and California State University (CSU) systems. The legislation would require the state’s public colleges to “consider providing a preference in admissions to an applicant who is a descendant of...
As the 2024-25 school year is underway, Californians await the results for last school year’s CAASPP testing. CAASPP (California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress) assessments measure student achievement in the areas of English, math, and science, and are taken in the spring; Results are then publicly released the following fall. The release date for...
Last month, Rubio’s Coastal Grill announced the permanent shutdown of 48 of their California locations. Ralph Rubio opened his first restaurant in 1983 in San Diego with a loan from his dad. After years of effort, Rubio’s expanded to approximately 200 locations throughout several states. Traditionally, this anecdote would serve as an example of the...
Last month, the California Teachers Association posted on Instagram: “This #WomensHistoryMonth, let’s fix a broken system that leaves educators without any paid disability related to pregnancy!” The fix, California’s largest teachers union asserts, is Assembly Bill 2901, authored by Assembly Majority Leader Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D-Winters). If passed, the state would require school districts and community...
This month, Governor Newsom released his proposed state budget for 2024-25. The $291.5 billion budget proposal sets aside $76.5 billion in state funds for K-12 education. This amount exceeds the proposed budgeted costs for transportation ($19.55 billion); corrections and rehabilitation ($18.12 billion); general government ($10.68 billion); legislative, judicial, and executive agencies ($10.72 billion); natural resources...
a new form will got here