Jemma K Stephenson

Black and white photo of an indignant longhaired tabby kitten sitting up in a porcelain cup with float design around the rim. White text across the top reads “Calling the meeting to order”.

“Calling the meeting to order”. Postcard from my collection, mailed 1907.

‘This isn’t right’: Teachers question priorities, track record of Learn4Life charter schools The network’s model has drawn criticism of its effectiveness, and some teachers described its schools as more focused on funding than on results.

The model Learn4Life schools use is non-classroom-based (kids mostly work remotely) and independent-study (kids don't attend remote classes but rather complete assignments on their own).

To some teachers, that lack of structure was especially tough for their vulnerable student population. 4/x

‘This isn’t right’: Teachers question priorities, track record of Learn4Life charter schools The network’s model has drawn criticism of its effectiveness, and some teachers described its schools as more focused on funding than on results.

What schools really cared about, teachers said, was posting high average daily attendance, or ADA — the basis for school funding in California.

“You gotta get ADA. That was the real driver,” one said.

But they had qualms about how they say they were expected to do it.

‘This isn’t right’: Teachers question priorities, track record of Learn4Life charter schools The network’s model has drawn criticism of its effectiveness, and some teachers described its schools as more focused on funding than on results.

“It just felt like I’m perpetuating this problem of this kid falling further and further behind even when they’re trying. I remember feeling at the time, ‘This isn’t right, it shouldn’t be this way.’”

“We didn’t graduate enough students.”

“We didn’t treat them like we should’ve.”

‘This isn’t right’: Teachers question priorities, track record of Learn4Life charter schools The network’s model has drawn criticism of its effectiveness, and some teachers described its schools as more focused on funding than on results.

First up: The education.

Kristen Taketa spoke with a dozen current and former teachers and administrators. They shared a sense of frustration at their schools’ priorities and regret at the schools' track records. 2/x

‘This isn’t right’: Teachers question priorities, track record of Learn4Life charter schools The network’s model has drawn criticism of its effectiveness, and some teachers described its schools as more focused on funding than on results.

The Learn4Life charter school network enrolls 20k of CA's most vulnerable teens.

But its stated mission of helping students succeed may be at odds with what teachers suggest it's best at: steering public money to an obscure nonprofit.

I'll explain. 1/x
www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2025/10/05/t...

How this teen pushed California to change special education policy Saran Tugsjargal said the advocacy work she did — first for herself, then on behalf of the 850,000 students in California — has turned into what she hopes will be her life mission.

I'm thrilled to share a profile of Saran Tugsjargal, who has been an advocate on behalf of the 850,000 TK-12 students with disabilities in California.

It has meant a lot for her to stand up for students like her who felt stigmatized.

“My heart was beaming,” she said.

edsource.org/2025/student...

As San Diego schools’ first Black and first female leader, Bertha Pendleton showed ‘willingness to share with everybody’ The Alabama native, who died this week at 92, spent more than 40 years with the San Diego Unified School District before retiring as superintendent in 1998.

For any Alabama friends who still follow me, Dr. Pendleton was from Gadsden www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2025/09/25/a...

Undocumented Preschoolers Can Stay in Head Start — For Now Two federal judges issued injunctions blocking the Trump administration from barring undocumented students from the anti-poverty early ed program.

Undocumented preschoolers can stay in Head Start — for now. @jonapolitano.bsky.social reports

Preliminary injunctions block Trump Head Start rule barring undocumented children Head Start has never asked families about their immigration status. The Trump administration wants to change that, but its new rule is now on hold nationwide.

Head Start has never asked families about their immigration status. The Trump administration wants to change that, but its new rule is now on hold nationwide.

Evergreen shooting victims still hospitalized, resource center opens for victims, witnesses One shooting victim remains in critical condition at a Lakewood hospital. The other is in critical condition at Children’s Hospital Colorado.

One shooting victim remains in critical condition at a Lakewood hospital. The other is in critical condition at Children’s Hospital Colorado.

I'm planning to follow up on this subject. If you're someone who works with girls in STEM fields, get in touch with me!

Across San Diego County, a push to move schools off fossil fuels is met with enthusiasm — and wariness Larger urban and suburban districts are embracing the mandate, and going beyond it. But small rural districts say electric school buses don’t make sense for them.

Across San Diego County, a push to move schools off fossil fuels is met with enthusiasm — and wariness

www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2025/09/02/a...

A safe parking lot for homeless schoolchildren appears to be back on track The project at San Diego’s old Central Elementary could open as soon as September.

A safe parking lot for homeless schoolchildren appears to be back on track

www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2025/09/02/a...

🚨BREAKING: A federal district court has found that the Alabama state senate map runs afoul of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act by failing to create an additional Black-majority district in the Montgomery area.

drive.google.com/file/d/1ZVLd...

Resistance state: Tracking California's lawsuits against the new Trump administration California under Gov. Gavin Newsom is suing the Trump administration to protect birthright citizenship, stop the mass firing of federal workers and sustain funding for health and science research.

I and others at @calmatters.org are tracking all 39 lawsuits and counting here:

calmatters.org/politics/202...

Today is my last day with the @alabamareflector.com. Starting Monday, I will be joining the team at the @georgiarecorder.com.

I'll have more to share about my new role next week. For now, I'm feeling incredibly thankful for my time in Alabama.

wonder how much of the vocab i learned to translate the seafarer and beowulf comes up in medical records

Is your child’s school in a fire danger zone?

📍 Explore our interactive map to see if your local school is in a fire hazard zone: bit.ly/4l8GduT

UPDATE: Penny Schwinn drops bid to take No. 2 spot at U.S. Department of Education The latest education news updates from EdSource.

Penny Schwinn founded the Sacramento-based charter Capitol Collegiate Academy and served on the Sacramento County Board of Education.

A DACA recipient accidentally drove into Mexico. Now he’s being fast-tracked for deportation. Erick Alexander Hernández also alleges an officer at the port of entry demanded a bribe

A DACA recipient accidentally drove into Mexico. Now he’s being fast-tracked for deportation.

www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2025/07/29/a...

The ruling is a significant victory for charter advocates, after the district board declared hundreds of schools off limits to charters.

Read more: bit.ly/4o3VKPe

Georgia man accused of running $140M Ponzi scheme contributed to 3 Alabama officials | Alabama Reflector The SEC has accused Edwin Brant Frost IV of running a Ponzi scheme in Georgia. Frost and his businesses made $136,000 in contributions to Alabama candidates and PACs.

Via @alander.bsky.social: A Georgia man accused of running a $140 million Ponzi scheme contributed a total of $132,000 to three elected Alabama GOP officials or their PACs, according to finance records. A PAC run by one of the recipients later made a $29,000 loan to one of the man's businesses.

Camp Mystic’s leader got a ‘life threatening’ flood alert. They evacuated an hour later. More than an hour passed between Camp Mystic receiving a severe flood warning and a decision to evacuate young campers asleep in cabins by the Guadalupe River.

The @washingtonpost.com assigned around 20 staffers to this account of the Texas flood, with one jawdropping anecdote after another

One thing that becomes clear: The extraordinary courage of camp counselors, who evacuated their girls as older adults floundered and stalled

Free link wapo.st/44N1cNI

UPDATE: Imperial County schools chief to lead California County Superintendents The latest education news updates from EdSource.

Imperial County Superintendent of Schools Todd Finnell has been elected the 2025-2026 president of the California County Superintendents, an organization that represents and advocates on behalf of the 58 county superintendents of schools in the state.

Stay or go? For some transgender San Diego sailors and Marines, Trump’s ban leaves one option: ‘Come and find me’ Some who spoke with The San Diego Union-Tribune wonder how their own military community will be impacted, especially if people leave the region once they’re forced out of the service.

They're a Marine captain, Navy officers in air control, nuclear propulsion, medical corps — people for whom the military was a life, a career, a purpose, an identity.

One is so dedicated to serving she re-enlisted after being booted in Trump's first ban.
www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2025/07/13/s...

If you have about $5-20 a month, I have this one weird trick to preserve democracy: subscribe!

What the data say about who ICE is arresting in San Diego More than half the arrests locally this year were of people with no criminal record

Who's ICE arresting in San Diego? Mainly people with no criminal records, our analysis found.

"While 20% of arrests in April were of individuals without criminal convictions or charges, it rose to 62% in May and 76% in early June, according to the data."
www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2025/07/06/w...

Smith faces federal complaint over trans admission policy NORTHAMPTON — A conservative legal group has targeted Smith College with a federal complaint over its decision to admit transgender women, alleging the school’s interpretation of Title IX to prohibit ...

www.gazettenet.com/Smith-receiv...

Supreme Court ruling on LGBTQ+ books gives religious parents more say over what students learn The ruling affirmed parents’ rights to opt their children out of reading materials that conflict with their religious beliefs.

Supreme Court ruling on LGBTQ+ books gives religious parents more say over what students learn 19thnews.org/2025/06/supr... via @19thnews.org