By Dianne Anderson Big questions remain about what comes next following the Santa Ana Unified School District Board of Education’s 4–1 vote to approve layoffs for 262 certificated employees — including 198 teachers, 39 counselors, and other key support staff who work directly with students. District leaders say the cuts are driven by declining enrollment ...

by Dianne Anderson Lots of legal battles in the works have advocates bracing for impact, trying to get ahead of the storm before the system becomes overwhelmed by a skyrocketing demand for free and low-cost services. Now that H.R.1, the so-called “Big Beautiful Bill,” passed Congress and awaits Trump’s signature, local experts expect to get ...

by Dianne Anderson Education leaders and advocates feel like they’re walking a tight line – worried about political backlash and lawsuits – leaving some of the most outspoken champions now choosing their words carefully. They are trying not to poke the bear at a time of big budget cuts. Federal and state funding uncertainties, cuts ...

By Lauren Burke After a record number of consecutive votes over two consecutive nights, the Republican controlled U.S. Senate passed President Trump’s budget bill that includes the largest cut to food assistance in history. The bill also threatens health care coverage for over 15 million Americans. “This is a reversal of so much progress we’ve ...

By Bo Tefu California Black Media Local residents gathered at the New Hope Family Life Center in San Bernardino for a town hall hosted by members of the Black American Political Action Committee (BAPAC), National Council of Negro Women (NCNW), and the San Bernardino NAACP. The forum provided opportunities to engage directly with Congressman Pete ...

By Dianne Anderson All the agencies and entities that jumped on the woke bandwagon for big federal COVID dollars that flowed down to reduce unequal education and health services are now flipping the script. It’s back to the drawing board for students and staff of color at Perris Union High School District where the community ...

By Charlene Crowell Every budget defines priorities and values. To put it another way, what’s really important in life gets supported financially. For many families, having a home, food, and utilities usually rank pretty high. Then there are other budgetary concerns like saving for college or having a ‘rainy day’ fund to cover less frequent ...