Category: Education K-12

Empowering Young Minds: Medi-Cal’s Enhanced Mental Health Services for Central Valley Youth 

Medi-Cal, California’s Medicaid program, covers one in three Californians, including more than 50 percent of the state’s youth. In California, nearly 300,000 youth are coping with depression, and 66 percent of them do not get the help they need, according to Governor Newsom’s Master Plan for Kids’ Mental Health. 

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Early Literacy is an Educational Priority

In 2023, the Oregon legislature launched the Early Literacy Success Initiative to help all students learn to read, as only 46% of students read proficiently by the end of grade 3. To support the initiative, the Children’s Institute (CI) partnered with the Regional Educational Laboratory Northwest (REL Northwest) to compile accessible, evidence-based resources to support this effort and strengthen literacy practices for young children.

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Early Childhood Education Endures in Natural Disasters

Houston, a leading national non-profit organization working to transform the lives of underserved, under-resourced families, has experienced two major natural disasters in recent months: a derecho and then Hurricane Beryl. The executive director, Luz Flores, shared that out of their 18 centers, only six had power. Staff and families were similarly affected, with many lacking basic utilities during a time of an extreme heat warning.

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What Every Black Child Needs in the World

The National Black Child Development Institute is the only national organization focused solely on the unique attributes and needs of Black children, birth through age 8. We exist to fight for the creation of an equitable and just future for Black children and families. We mobilize communities and ignite movements on the strength of Black excellence. NBCDI is engaged in the process of building the world into which Black children deserve to be born. The work of building a future in which Black people exist is ours to design, and we take seriously the charge to lay the bricks and smooth the mortar to implement ideas that will change the world for Black children and families.

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We Need Black Teachers in More Ways Than You Think

For grade-school teachers, keeping up with student slang is a race as old as the teaching profession itself, and one they can never win. Changing as quickly as the weather, the hot slang word or phrase of the moment — the one that’s so lit everyone in the caf is using it — is usually hella dead by the time most adults they know catch up. 

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What Do Kindergarten Teachers Mean By “Ready for School?”

At this time of year, many preschool parents are worrying about whether their child will be ready for kindergarten. What are the things their child should learn? Do they need to make alphabet flash cards? Invest in worksheets so kids can practice math. I talked with kindergarten teachers to find out what they think kids need to know to be kindergarten-ready. You may be surprised: Readiness for school, teachers say, does not mean that your child will have mastered all the kindergarten skills on Day One. Instead, it means that your child will take pleasure in learning how to do things on their own.

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A Child’s First Three Years Hold the Power to Unlock Bright, Strong Futures

Babies’ brains grow rapidly during those earliest days, weeks, and months, forming 1 million neural connections every second. Understanding the significance of these early stages lies at the heart of ZERO TO THREE’s mission. As the premier organization that translates the science of early childhood into action, we recognize the profound impact these early experiences have on shaping the trajectory of a child’s life and our collective future.

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4 Films Every Educator Teaching Black Students Should Watch

Racial prejudice and bullying, a lack of funding, inadequate mental health support, and inexperienced teachers — those are just some of the challenges Black students face in America’s K-12 public schools. We see some of these issues show up on television on “Abbott Elementary,” but representations of Black students and schools are a mixed bag on the big screen. Some films — we’re looking at you, “Dangerous Minds” — dive right into the stereotype of the white savior teacher who rescues bad Black kids from their terrible neighborhoods and families.

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Calif. Officials Back Proposal That Would Require Financial Literacy Course for High Schoolers

California State Controller Malia Cohen and several other State officials — including Assemblymember Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento) and State Superintendent for Public Instruction Tony Thurmond – are backing a ballot measure that will make California Students more financial literate.

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