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Education
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond on Monday hosted an informational hearing of the Statewide Literacy Task Force at the California Department of Education, or CDE, regarding educational proposals that Thurmond is exploring for the upcoming legislative and budgetary cycles.
Superintendent Thurmond was joined by State Assemblymember Heather Hadwick and State Senator Susan Rubio as well as program-area experts, scholars, school administrators, educators, and school employees to discuss Thurmond’s 2026 education policy proposals:
• The future of the California Community Schools initiative;
• Kindergarten for all students;
• A proposed five-year plan to help students reach literacy by third grade; and
• Efforts to close the learning gap for African American students and Native American students.
In 2025, for the first time in the history of the California School Dashboard, every accountability indicator for TK–12 schools reflects statewide progress. Superintendent Thurmond’s 2026 proposals reflect the need to deepen these investments to accelerate achievement for all students and close persistent gaps in student outcomes.
“We must accelerate the momentum that we are seeing for student achievement in California. By codifying community schools as a core part of our education system, strengthening literacy instruction to ensure all students are reading to learn by third grade, and providing every child with a high-quality kindergarten education, we can address the specific gaps in educational services that hinder student progress,” Superintendent Thurmond said. “Moving the needle for student achievement must remain a priority in the upcoming legislative session and the school years ahead, and we must focus on narrowing the persistent learning gaps that our Black and Native students experience.”
Monday’s hearing is one of the initial steps to build Superintendent Thurmond’s legislative proposals in the months ahead. During Superintendent Thurmond’s second term, historic investments in TK–12 education have nearly tripled the level of per-pupil funding since the decade prior.
These investments in universal preschool, universal school meals, literacy coaches and reading specialists, and community schools have worked in combination to move the needle on student achievement, even in the face of disruptions caused by political turmoil in Washington.
More information is available on the CDE website about community schools, kindergarten, resources for Black and Native American students, and literacy instruction in California.
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- Written by: California Community Colleges
SACRAMENTO — The California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office is celebrating its student veterans this Veterans Day by acknowledging their service and transforming it into academic opportunity, putting them on a path to complete their degree faster.
The system’s Veteran Sprint is a transformative effort to help veterans earn credit for their military experience.
So far, more than 18,000 veterans have already been assisted, putting the Chancellor’s Office on a solid path — nearly 60% — toward its goal to support 30,000 veterans enrolled at its community colleges.
Currently, just 1 in 4 veterans believe they receive the college credit they deserve for military training, and more than 1 in 5 said they received no postsecondary credit at all.
The Veteran Sprint aims to address this by utilizing Credit for Prior Learning, or CPL, which validates students’ existing knowledge — gained through experience, service and training — for college credit.
CPL, a core action of the Chancellor’s Office strategic plan Vision 2030, has been shown to save students time and money. On average, they complete their studies 9-14 months faster and save between $1,500 and $10,200.
“One of the most powerful tools we can offer our veterans is Credit for Prior Learning. It reduces the stress of transition. It honors the technical skills our veterans already possess. And it eliminates the frustration of repeating coursework. We’re creating opportunities for our veterans to achieve their goals faster and more affordably,” said California Community Colleges Chancellor Sonya Christian.
The Veteran Sprint is designed to collect and review information from a student veteran's Joint Services Transcript, or JST, the official military transcript.
Once the JST is processed, student veterans are typically offered a minimum of three courses for their basic military service, while most qualify for much more towards their degree or certificate.
To make this collection process more efficient moving forward, the Chancellor’s Office is working with CCCApply, the system’s application portal, to allow veterans to consent during enrollment to have their JSTs automatically retrieved for review.
“CalVet commends the California Community Colleges on this momentous achievement. Collecting over 18,000 JSTs gives us invaluable insight into the educational backgrounds of our student veterans,” said Lindsey Sin, secretary of the California Department of Veterans Affairs. “This historic milestone not only strengthens the bridge from military service to higher education, but powerfully affirms the value, expertise, and leadership our veterans bring to California’s campuses and communities.”
CPL has another added benefit; it can help preserve military education benefits. According to a recent economic impact study, 15 units of CPL could help veterans maximize those benefits and defer the use for future opportunities, such as earning a bachelor’s or master’s at a four-year university.
“As a proud veteran, I know first-hand that every veteran who walks through our doors carries valuable skills and knowledge earned through service to our country. This push ensures that knowledge translates into college credit, saving time, money, and preserving precious GI Bill benefits for continued education,” said Member Blas Villalobos, California Community Colleges Board of Governors.
More than 1.8 million former service members live in California, making it the largest veteran population of any state in the United States, according to the 2020 Census. And the California Community Colleges leads the nation by enrolling more military-affiliated students than any other higher education system — 33,346 veterans in the 2023–24 academic year alone.
Efforts like this remind us what’s possible when we honor the skills and service of our veterans. Credit for Prior Learning is a powerful tool to help them move forward with confidence and purpose. As a system, and here in Ventura County, we have important work ahead — but the urgency is clear. Our veterans deserve pathways that turn their experience into opportunity,” said Chancellor Rick MacLennan, Ventura Community College District and chair of the California Community Colleges Veterans Caucus.
New partnership opens doors to careers in state government for California Community College students
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- Written by: California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office
The California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office has partnered with the California Government Operations Agency, or GovOps, to launch a new initiative aimed at creating clear, seamless pathways to meaningful careers in state government for students and alumni.
The strategic collaboration, officially announced today, is designed to expand talent pipelines to address current needs while helping to build the state government workforce of the future.
With more than 2.1 million students enrolled each year, California’s community colleges serve as a powerful stream of skilled, diverse, and motivated individuals ready to serve in public sector roles, across the state.
“By linking the State of California, the state’s largest employer, with the California Community Colleges, the nation’s largest workforce training system — we’re creating a direct bridge to good-paying careers that offer both stability and growth. That’s what opportunity looks like,” said California Community Colleges Chancellor Sonya Christian. “Opening doors and making sure every Californian has access to real pathways to success is the promise of Vision 2030.”
Vision 2030, the California Community Colleges strategic plan, is built on access and calls on colleges to meet learners where they are through partnerships like this one with the State of California, as well as with community-based organizations, labor, and industry.
This current joint effort is focused on achieving the following goals:
• Meet state government workforce needs in job types supported by community college programs.
• Build clear connections between skills learned through community college programs and the skills in demand by state government employers.
• Promote state careers as a mechanism to achieve financial independence and economic mobility for community college students.
To meet these goals the Chancellor’s Office and GovOps will work together on several targeted activities that include amplifying apprenticeship opportunities, expanding internships, aligning college programs with careers in high demand by state government, and adding resources to community college career centers.
“California’s community colleges are at the forefront of workforce innovation, and their students bring the skills and dedication we need in public service. This partnership reflects our commitment to building a government workforce that is effective and representative of the communities we serve,” said California Government Operations Secretary Nick Maduros.
The three-year initiative was formalized through a memorandum of understanding.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
LAKEPORT, Calif. — A new English as a Second Language, or ESL, class is being offered at the Lakeport Library in partnership with Mendocino College.
The class will take place weekly on Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Students can drop in today to register, or they can contact Diana Feliciano, Mendocino College ESL Program Specialist, at 707-367-0152.
This class is a non-credit ESL class, and the cost is only $12 a semester.
If someone cannot afford the $12 fee, the Lake County Literacy Coalition has offered to sponsor the fee for those in need.