When Bobbie Simpson decided to run for her local school board in Gateway Unified School District, in the far northern county of Shasta, she knew it might be difficult to win as a transgender woman. More than half the voters in Shasta County are registered Republican. A conservative Christian church that promotes LGBTQ conversion therapy and “believes in the ever-increasing government of God,” according to its website, is very influential in local politics. But Bobbie ran anyway because she cares about schools. She pledged to bring the focus back to education and preserve the district’s social emotional learning programs, which had benefited her own kids. And she won, with 57 percent of the vote, becoming the first transgender person known to be elected to a California school board. For the most part, she says she's found acceptance and respect on the board and in her community. Guests: Bobbie Simpson, school board member, Gateway Unified School District Thomas Peele, investigative reporter, EdSource Read more from EdSource: The journey of Bobbie Simpson: Transgender woman making strides on school board in deep red Shasta County Education Beat is a weekly podcast hosted by EdSource’s Zaidee Stavely and produced by Coby McDonald. Subscribe: Apple, Spotify, SoundCloud, YouTube

Children with disabilities at Marie Bauer Early Education Center in Paso Robles are learning alongside peers who do not require special education services. That’s unusual in California, where only 1 in 3 students with disabilities receive their preschool education in classrooms with their peers. EdSource visited the Paso Robles Joint Unified school to talk with teachers, parents, specialists and administrators about why inclusive classrooms are so important for students with disabilities throughout their academic careers — and how they can help school districts financially. Read more from EdSource: Could early education bring down rising costs to serve California students with disabilities? California’s $2.4 billion special education boost addresses critical needs, but challenges remain How the governor’s budget proposal addresses rising numbers of students in special education Special education has become a flash point in negotiations with teachers Roundtable: Special education experts urge California schools to invest in early education amid rising costs Education Beat is a weekly podcast. This week’s episode was hosted by EdSource’s Emma Gallegos and produced by Coby McDonald. Subscribe: Apple, Spotify, SoundCloud, YouTube

For 27 years, Yolanda Thomas has run a childcare business called Best Beginnings in her home in Contra Costa County. She usually has children start with her as babies and stay until they’re in kindergarten. But in recent years, many parents are choosing to unenroll when their children are four and can attend public transitional kindergarten. Across California, childcare and preschool providers say the state’s expansion of transitional kindergarten for all four-year-olds is drawing students out of existing programs while offering little support to help providers adapt. Many providers like Yolanda Thomas say they feel left behind. Guests: Yolanda Thomas, childcare provider, Best Beginnings Betty Márquez Rosales, reporter, EdSource Read more from EdSource: California’s childcare and preschool providers struggle amid transitional kindergarten expansion Education Beat is a weekly podcast hosted by EdSource’s Zaidee Stavely and produced by Coby McDonald. Subscribe: Apple, Spotify, SoundCloud, YouTube

California State University Humboldt converted to a California State Polytechnic University in 2022, joining Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and Cal Poly Pomona. This episode dives into what this new status means — from new degrees offered to career possibilities for graduates — and why students are attracted to this type of education. Guests: Jack Conti, graduate, BFA in media arts, Cal Poly Humboldt Jonathan Juarez, data science student, Cal Poly Humboldt Kate Rix, interim reporter, EdSource Read more from EdSource: Cal State’s newest polytechnic campus hopes a rebranding will bring enrollment gains Education Beat is a weekly podcast hosted by EdSource’s Zaidee Stavely and produced by Coby McDonald. Subscribe: Apple, Spotify, SoundCloud, YouTube

Healthcare premiums have become one of the most contentious issues in labor negotiations for California teachers unions this year. Teachers say escalating costs are swallowing their raises, while district leaders say schools can’t shoulder the cost without having to cut elsewhere, especially as they grapple with declining enrollment, expiring federal aid and rising pension costs. Guests: Michelle Bird, teacher, Twin Rivers Unified School District Diana Lambert, senior reporter, EdSource Read more from EdSource: Soaring healthcare costs put California school districts and teachers at odds Education Beat is a weekly podcast hosted by EdSource’s Zaidee Stavely and produced by Coby McDonald. Subscribe: Apple, Spotify, SoundCloud, YouTube

Miliani Rodriguez is a senior at Coachella Valley High School. The school buildings are old, she says, and they show it. The air conditioning often breaks in over 100-degree heat. When it rains, the ceilings leak. The sinks in her ceramics classroom broke and flooded the classroom. Miliani thought these kinds of things were  normal, after attending school in the Coachella Valley Unified School District since kindergarten. But last year she visited her cousin’s high school, just a couple of miles away from her, and found modern buildings, spacious athletic fields, and working air conditioning. Now, she is the lead plaintiff in a lawsuit, Miliani R. v. State of California, which claims the way the state subsidizes school renovations perpetuates vast inequalities for students, sending more money to districts that already have more property wealth, and locking out poor districts from accessing funding. Guests: Miliani Rodriguez, Lead plaintiff, Miliani R. v. State of California John Fensterwald, Editor-at-large, EdSource Read more from EdSource:  Equity advocates to ask California court to suspend billions in school construction funding California sued over bond program that sends more money to fix facilities in wealthy school districts Education Beat is a weekly podcast hosted by EdSource’s Zaidee Stavely and produced by Coby McDonald. Subscribe: Apple, Spotify, SoundCloud, YouTube

Jair Solis became his family’s first-ever college graduate last weekend. It’s a milestone that had long felt out of reach because of the long-lasting fallout from his dad’s detention in an immigration facility. With the return of the federal administration that once detained Jair’s father, more than 100,000 children — most of them U.S. citizens — have had parents detained or deported, according to a recent analysis by the Brookings Institute. In this episode we interview Jair about how his family’s experiences with the immigration system shaped his life and education. Guests: Jair Solis, graduate, UC Merced Read more from EdSource:  He once considered leaving school after his father’s detention. This spring, he graduated from college. Education Beat is a weekly podcast. This episode is hosted by EdSource’s Betty Márquez Rosales and produced by Coby McDonald.

Students at four Los Angeles high schools are learning firefighting and emergency medical skills as part of the school district's career and technical education pathways. The students say they haven't just learned how to fight fires. They've also gained communication skills, leadership and confidence, which they can take with them to any career. Guests: Yasmin Lopez, Alexa Alvarez, Andrea Aguirre and Sergio Garcia, fire academy students, Los Angeles Unified School District Vani Sanganeria, reporter, EdSource Read more from EdSource:  'We put the sweat, the tears, the dirt into it': High school cadets showcase skills in first-ever LAUSD firefighting competition ‘This academy has brought out leadership in me’: Career tech programs offer head start for high school students Education Beat is a weekly podcast hosted by EdSource’s Zaidee Stavely and produced by Coby McDonald. Subscribe: Apple, Spotify, SoundCloud, YouTube

The high school student newspaper, the Redwood Bark, has served Redwood High School in Larkspur, a town a few miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge, since 1958. The reporters there frequently win national awards for their journalism. But this year, students began facing pushback and censorship from the administration for some of their stories. A 1977 landmark California law gives student journalists the autonomy to publish news without interference from principals and other school leaders. But these rights are often violated. Guests: Skye Hammond, reporter and editor, the Redwood Bark Thomas Peele, investigative reporter, EdSource Read more from EdSource:  Student journalists' free press rights tested at Marin County high school Cases of student press censorship attempts on the rise in California schools Education Beat is a weekly podcast hosted by EdSource’s Zaidee Stavely and produced by Coby McDonald. Subscribe: Apple, Spotify, SoundCloud, YouTube

Students at college campuses across California recover hundreds of pounds of unserved food from dining halls each week to serve to hungry classmates. The goal is twofold — reduce food waste on college campuses and food insecurity among college students. Guests: Casey Cabugao, president, UC Davis Food Recovery Network Natalia Mochernak, reporter, California Student Journalism Corps Read more from EdSource: Student organizations answer the call to combat food insecurity, food waste on California college campuses Education Beat is a weekly podcast hosted by EdSource’s Zaidee Stavely and produced by Coby McDonald. Subscribe: Apple, Spotify, SoundCloud, YouTube