Bakersfield
Delaying Kindergarten May Have Limited Benefit
This story was produced by The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news outlet focused on education.
Stefi Mar April 13, 2026
This story was produced by The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news outlet focused on education.
Eight Kern County high school students were honored for leadership, academic achievement and community service during the 2026 Miss Fashionetta and Gents Program in Bakersfield, where Madisynn Brown and Abdur Clark were crowned this year’s top honorees. The longstanding initiative continues to invest in youth through mentorship, scholarships and personal development.
Senate Bill (SB) 1067, introduced in February by Sen. Akilah Weber-Pierson (D-San Diego), seeks to close California’s racial achievement gap in education by requiring universal screening and early identification of math difficulties for students in kindergarten through second grade.
Raised in the agricultural town of Watsonville on the Central Coast, Mahan says working-class upbringing shaped his views on opportunity and public service. Before entering elected office, he worked in the technology sector and in education, including teaching through Teach For America in East San José.
The morning of Feb. 24 felt more like a festival than a school day. Curran Middle School threw open its doors to celebrate Black History Month with a program that was part showcase, part history lesson, and entirely community-built. Under the theme “Celebrating 100 Years of Black History,” students, teachers, and local organizations filled the campus with performances, cultural activities, and a shared sense of purpose that extended well beyond the classroom.
To call 1965 consequential in American history is an understatement. The year delivered a series of tipping points that urged the nation’s conscience to move closer to reaching its ideals.
The RAPID Survey Project, based in the Stanford Center on Early Childhood, is a program of ongoing national and place-based surveys designed to gather essential information on the needs, health-promoting behaviors, and well-being of young children and their caregivers.
California education leaders are pushing back against the Trump administration’s directive to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs in its K-12 public schools — despite threats to take away billions in federal funding.
Shalicia Jackson, also known as Shay, has done almost everything there is to do in early childhood education. Jackson has been an assistant childcare teacher, a lead teacher, a Head Start coordinator, a family advocate, and a social worker in public schools. She has worked in nonprofits and at the Durham Partnership for Children in North Carolina, training teachers to better support young children.
At the Inglewood Unified School District (IUSD), we are reinventing education and improving school buildings to better serve our students. While the district must respond to fluctuating enrollment numbers, this initiative is part of our work to create stronger schools and a better learning environment that will benefit students, families, and the community for years to come.
The Trump administration is preparing to issue an executive order directing newly confirmed Education Secretary Linda McMahon to begin dismantling the Department of Education. While the president lacks the authority to unilaterally shut down the agency—requiring congressional approval—McMahon has been tasked with taking “all necessary steps” to reduce its role “to the maximum extent permitted by law.” The administration justifies the move by claiming the department has spent over $1 trillion since its 1979 founding without improving student achievement. However, data from The Nation’s Report Card shows math scores have improved significantly since the 1990s, though reading levels have remained stagnant. The pandemic further widened achievement gaps, leaving many students behind.
El Camino Community College celebrated Black History Month with a series of engaging and educational events throughout February. The activities were held February 3- 27, 2025, at various locations on campus.
The California State Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Subcommittee No. 1 on Education, chaired by Sen. John Laird (D-Santa Cruz), held a hearing on Feb. 27, where State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond provided a State of Education address and discussed key education funding priorities.
The inaccuracy of the term “daycare” is at the heart of a book by Dan Wuori, an early childhood expert who you may know from his viral social media posts or his previous work as senior director of early learning at the Hunt Institute. In “The Daycare Myth,” Wuori argues that what we think of as “daycare” doesn’t exist.
Dr. Eric Motley worked as a special assistant to President George W. Bush. He was director of the U.S. Department of State’s Office. He served as executive vice president at the Aspen Institute. In 2017, Dr. Motley published Madison Park, A Place of Hope, adding the author to his resume. Most recently, he joined the National Gallery of Art as deputy director. In an interview with the National Head Start Association (NHSA), Dr. Motley attributed the courage to be curious about his experience at Head Start.
Today, just one in three fourth graders are reading on grade level, signaling an urgent need to ensure all children can build reading and writing skills even before they enter kindergarten.
A snow day in Georgia and a viral TikTok video unexpectedly set the foundation for what is now HillmanTok University, a virtual learning institution that has captured the attention of millions. It all started when Dr. Leah Barlow, a professor at North Carolina A&T, posted a welcome video for her African American Studies class. What she intended for just 36 students reached nearly 4 million viewers, sparking a movement that sixth-grade teacher Cierra Hinton helped shape into something much bigger.
February is Black History Month, a time dedicated to honoring the achievements, history, and culture of the African American community.
“This is only the beginning of a long fight,” according to Democratic North Carolina Congresswoman Alma Adams. She is addressing the Executive Order to pause federal loans and grants. There is an overwhelming concern in the Historically Black College and University community that many key programs focused on race and equity will be impacted. Adams, a ranking member of a House Subcommittee on Higher Education and the Founder and Co-Chair of the Bicameral HBCU Caucus, issued a statement to Black Press USA once a federal judge temporarily blocked President Trump’s funding freeze. Adams, whose state houses 11 HBCUs, the largest number in any given state, believes, “President Trump is dismantling equity in education with the stroke of a pen by rescinding federal initiatives for MSIs.”
Darrell Brown, Director of Teaching Learning & Quality Practice at It Takes A Village Family of Schools (ITAVA) in Chicago, was recently selected from hundreds of applicants to receive a scholarship from the Council for Professional Recognition to attend the Early Educators Leadership Conference (EELC) in Washington D.C. Darrell, a Chicago native passionate about acting, singing, and dancing, shared the inspiring journey that brought him to early childhood education (ECE) and his vision for bringing more educators into ECE.