California Students Are Now Required to Take a Money Course; Some Are Already Taking It to Great Success

Despite polls showing overwhelming public support for teaching financial literacy skills to school students, prior to the passage of McCarty’s bill California had no statewide requirements around financial literacy courses in the schools. As a result, the infrastructure that does exist around this has largely been developed through the initiatives of a few banks and some forward-looking schools. 

Mar 5, 2025 Sasha Abramsky

California’s Fund to Build Student Housing Runs Dry — Leaving Community Colleges in the Lurch

CalMatters: College presidents across the state say the new housing projects are a long-term solution to wildfire recovery and to the state’s enduring affordability crisis, which has hit community college students hard. In study after study, researchers have found that around 20% of California community college students experience homelessness at some point over the course of a year, and many more struggle to pay rent. 

Feb 27, 2025 Adam Echelman, CalMatters

California Schools Continue to Struggle With Test Scores in Reading and Math

CalMatters: One of California’s starkest — and most important — letdowns is the consistent failure to help elementary and middle school students achieve higher national test scores in basic educational skills, such as reading and math. Moreover, California schools have not yet recovered from the educational losses suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Feb 6, 2025 Dan Walters, CalMatters