EdSource

K-12 Education

Expect more phonics lessons in California schools under law Newsom signed

by Carolyn JonesOctober 20, 2025

Students in class at Lake Marie Elementary School in Whittier, on Nov. 17, 2022. Photo by Lauren Justice for Cal Matters

In summary

The law comes on the heels of a host of other literacy initiatives, including mandatory dyslexia screening and universal transitional kindergarten.

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California took a big step toward overhauling its reading curriculum last week when Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill pushing for phonics-based instruction in elementary and middle school classrooms.

The new law provides training for school principals and reading specialists in the “science of reading,” a method of literacy instruction focused on vocabulary, comprehension and sounding words out rather than learning words by sight. The approach has led to improved reading scores in Mississippi, Louisiana and districts like Los Angeles Unified, which adopted it several years ago.

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The law also updates the state’s list of textbooks, flash cards and other classroom reading materials to align with a phonics-based approach.

The law comes on the heels of a host of other literacy initiatives, including mandatory dyslexia screening and universal transitional kindergarten. Combined, the efforts will dramatically reshape the way children in California learn to read and hopefully lead to higher test scores, experts said.

“California has one of the best literacy policy frameworks in the country right now,” said Marshall Tuck, chief executive of the advocacy group EdVoice and a former candidate for state superintendent of public instruction. “We worked very hard on this and we’re thrilled to get to this point. Now we just have to see it through.”

After years of controversy, little opposition

The new law passed the Legislature unanimously and had little opposition. That’s in stark contrast to previous efforts to bring phonics to classrooms, which met steep resistance from English learner advocates and the state’s largest teachers union. English learner groups said that a phonics-based approach only works for children who are fluent in English; the California Teachers Association said teachers need flexibility to pick a reading program that works for their students.

But those groups threw their support behind the current bill after a few changes: Reading materials will be available in languages other than English, and using phonics-based instruction will be optional, not mandatory. Although the state is pushing all schools to adopt the new approach, some may choose to stay with their existing curriculum, which is permissible under the state’s school governance system that leaves most decisions up to local school boards.

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“What does this all mean? It means we’ll see,” said Todd Collins, an organizer of the California Reading Coalition and former Palo Alto Unified school board member. “But I’m hopeful. I think most school districts will get the message that they need to improve early literacy.”

Scores inching up

Collins’ group surveyed 300 California school districts in 2022 and found that 80% were not using a phonics-based approach to reading instruction. That’s changing, with some of the state’s largest districts adopting science-of-reading strategies and seeing good results. Los Angeles Unified, for example, saw its English language arts test scores jump 5.5 percentage points since it adopted a phonics-based curriculum in 2022. San Francisco Unified, Fresno Unified and Long Beach Unified have also seen improvements.

California’s reading scores are about the same as the national average, according to the latest Nation’s Report Card scores, and have been inching up since the pandemic. Last year, 49% of students met or exceeded the state’s English language arts standards — still below pre-pandemic levels but a big increase from the previous year.

Helping teachers

Among those who’ve pushed for the switch to phonics is Assemblywoman Blanca Rubio, a Democrat from West Covina who co-authored the bill. A former elementary teacher, Rubio hopes the new law will help classroom teachers as much as students and their families.

“It’s hard for teachers to see their kids feel defeated and frustrated,” Rubio said. “Now they’ll be equipped to really help their students succeed.”

She was inspired to author the bill, she said, in part because of her younger brother’s experience in school. He was wrongly placed in special education and never properly learned to read, she said, leading him to disengage from school and drop out in ninth grade. Countless other students have had the same experience, she said.

“I know how much it means to learn to read. It can shape someone’s whole life,” Rubio said. “That’s why we stuck with this.”

Another boost to reading instruction came in June, when Newsom included $200 million in the state budget to train teachers in the science of reading. The money should be enough to train every K-3 teacher in the state, Collins said. Credential programs are already training future teachers in the approach.

Tuck, of EdVoice, said the next step is ensuring the policy rolls out smoothly in schools. The new curriculum is a major shift for most schools, and teachers will need plenty of support.

“We can celebrate today, but tomorrow it’s back to work,” he said.

EdSource

Legislation

These are the education bills Gov. Newsom signed or vetoed

EdSource staff

Published

October 13, 2025

Gov. Gavin Newsom signs legislation related to student literacy, surrounded from left, Alberto Carvalho, superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District, Marshall Tuck, CEO of EdVoice, and Martha Hernandez, executive director of Californians Together, in Los Angeles on Oct. 9, 2025.

California legislators and representatives of education advocacy organizations and unions spent hundreds of hours negotiating education bills this legislative session.

Controversial legislation, which included changing the way students are taught to read, increasing charter school oversight, and confronting antisemitism at schools, had many lawmakers and advocates working nights and weekends to reach a consensus.

There were other key pieces of legislation, including bills that will phase out ultra-processed foods, prohibit schools from allowing immigration officers on campuses without a warrant, and make it easier for high school students to attend a California State University.

Gov. Gavin Newsom had until midnight Monday to sign legislation. 

Mental Health: Assembly Bill 727

Author: Assemblymember Mark González, D-Los Angeles

What will it do: Require student ID cards in California’s public middle schools, high schools and colleges to include the phone number for The Trevor Project, a leading crisis and suicide prevention hotline for LGBTQ youth.

Status: Signed

Newsom said: “Every student deserves to feel safe, supported, and seen for who they are. While some in Washington turn their backs on LGBTQ youth, California is choosing compassion over cruelty. AB 727 makes it clear: your identity doesn’t disqualify you from care and community — it’s exactly why we are fighting to make it easier to reach.”

— Diana Lambert

Commission on teacher credentialing: Assembly bill 1123

Author: Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi, D-Torrance

What will it do: Modifies the composition of the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) to allow for early childhood education representation without expanding the total number of commissioners.

Status: Signed

Muratsuchi said: “The State of California issued the first Child Development Permits to early childhood educators in 1961, making it the first state to professionalize this critical workforce. But in the six decades since, early childhood education (ECE) professionals in California have never had a voting member on the commission, which governs their licensure and preparation.”

— Diana Lambert

ANTISEMITISM: Assembly Bill 715

Authors: Assemblymembers Rick Chavez Zbur, D-Hollywood, Dawn Addis, D-Morro Bay

What will it do: The bill aims to reduce antisemitism in schools by establishing a new Office of Civil Rights and an Antisemitism Prevention Coordinator, who can help track and report antisemitism in schools, as well as train and advise Local Educational Agencies. It also requires any adopted curriculum to be “factually accurate and align with the adopted curriculum.”  

Status: Signed

Newsom said: “California is taking action to confront hate in all its forms. At a time when antisemitism and bigotry are rising nationwide and globally, these laws make clear: our schools must be places of learning, not hate.”

— Mallika Seshadri

Literacy: Assembly Bill 1454

Authors: Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, D-Salinas, and Assemblymembers Al Muratsuchi, D-Torrance, Blanca Rubio, D-Baldwin Park

What it will do:  It will provide missing links to California’s comprehensive early literacy reforms, which are effective in other states. The bill would provide teachers with evidence-based resources and training in reading instruction, including phonics in kindergarten and first grade. The State Board of Education would select a new list of instructional materials tied to what’s commonly called the science of reading. Districts must select from the list or justify their choices. The state would update reading instruction in administrators’ credentialing programs.

Status: Signed

Newsom said: “At a time when our federal government is focused on dismantling the U.S. Department of Education, in California, we’re doubling down on our efforts to support our schools, students, and teachers. Through significant investments in initiatives like community schools, universal meals, and literacy coaches — and legislative action like the bill I signed today — we’re working to provide students with the resources they need to succeed. And California’s promising test scores show our efforts are paying off.”

— John Fensterwald

nutrition: Assembly Bill 1264

Author: Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel, D-Encino

What it will do: The bill requires the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment to adopt regulations for ultra-processed foods (UPFs), defined as any food or beverage high in saturated fats, sodium, or specific added sugars or sweeteners. It requires schools to begin phasing out harmful UPFs by Jan. 1, 2028. Starting July 1, 2035, the bill prohibits a school district, county superintendent of schools, or charter school from offering a “nutritionally adequate” breakfast or lunch that includes harmful ultra-processed foods or selling food or beverages with UPFs, except as part of a school fundraiser.

Status: Signed

Newsom said: “California has never waited for Washington or anyone else to lead on kids’ health — we’ve been out front for years, removing harmful additives and improving school nutrition. This first-in-the-nation law builds on that work to make sure every California student has access to healthy, delicious meals that help them thrive.”

— Vani Sanganeria

Immigration enforcement: Assembly Bill 49

Authors: Assemblymembers Al Muratsuchi, D-Torrance, Liz Ortega, D-Hayward, Celeste Rodriguez, D-Arleta; Sen. Lena Gonzalez, D-Long Beach

What it will do: The bill will prohibit schools from allowing immigration enforcement officers to enter a school campus or question a student unless they have a judicial warrant or court order. It will also prohibit schools from sharing information about a student, family or employee with immigration officials, unless the officials present a judicial warrant or court order. 

Status: Signed

Newsom said: “Public safety depends on trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve — but Trump and Miller have shattered that trust and spread fear across America. California is putting an end to it and making sure schools and hospitals remain what they should be: places of care, not chaos.”

— Zaidee Stavely

IMMIGRATION NOTIFICATIONS: SENATE Bill 98

Author: Sen. Sasha Renée Pérez, D-Pasadena

What it will do: The bill will require school districts, California State University, each California community college district, and each Cal Grant qualifying institution of higher education, as well as request the University of California, to issue a notification to all students, faculty and other campus community members when the presence of federal immigration enforcement is confirmed on campus. These notifications must include the date, time and location of enforcement on campus, as well as a link to additional resources for students and campus community members. 

Status: Signed

Pérez said: “The SAFE Act will inform and protect immigrant students and their families on school campuses. In the face of mass deportations, raids and immigration enforcement authorities showing up at schools, the SAFE Act can help inform and empower school communities to make the best decisions about their safety and their family’s safety.”

— Vani Sanganeria

truancy: Assembly Bill 461

Author: Assemblymember Patrick Ahrens, D-Cupertino

What it will do: This bill repeals the criminal misdemeanor offense under the existing truancy law, meaning that parents of truant students, age 6 or older, in grades K to eighth, can no longer be punished by fines or up to a year in county jail. Students can be labeled as truant after three unexcused absences of more than 30 minutes during one school year. It goes into effect Jan. 1.

Status: Signed

Ahrens said: “Thank you to Governor Newsom for signing my bill to repeal this failed policy of criminalizing struggling California families for their children missing school; families and kids need support, not criminal charges and fines, to improve school attendance. Fining or imprisoning parents did nothing to get kids the education and support they need.”

— Betty Márquez Rosales

Threats: Senate Bill 19

Authors: Sen. Susan Rubio, D-Baldwin Park

What it will do:  It makes it a crime to threaten to commit a violent act at a school, day care, university, workplace, house of worship or medical facility, on the internet or by other means. The law states that it does not matter if there was no intention to carry out the threat, if it caused people to fear for their safety.

Status: Signed

Newsom said: “California families deserve to feel safe when they drop their kids off at school, go to a doctor’s appointment, or practice their religion.”

— Zaidee Stavely

Family Preparedness: Assembly Bill 495

Author: Assemblymember Celeste Rodriguez, D-Arleta

What it will do: The bill expands the number of relatives who can sign a “caregiver’s authorization affidavit” and be able to enroll a child in school and make decisions about medical care provided in school on behalf of a child to include all adults related to a child by blood or adoption, within five generations, or “degrees of kinship.” This includes great- or great-great aunts or uncles, and spouses of these relatives, in addition to stepparents, stepsiblings and other relatives. It also authorizes a court to appoint a person nominated by a parent to have joint custody of a child if the parent is unavailable due to circumstances such as immigration detention or deportation, and makes it easier for the parent to terminate those rights when they are available again. In addition, the bill extends protections that exist in TK-12 schools to child care facilities and preschools, prohibiting them from collecting information or documents regarding citizenship or immigration status of children or their family members, and requiring them to report requests for information or access to the California Department of Education and the attorney general. 

Status: Signed

Newsom said: “Our children deserve to feel safe at home, in school and in the community. We are putting on record that we stand by our families and their right to keep their private information safe, maintain parental rights and help families prepare in case of emergencies.”

— Zaidee Stavely

African American history: Senate Bill 510

Author: Sen. Laura Richardson, D-Torrance

What it will do: The bill requires that the Instructional Quality Commission consider including the historical contributions of African Americans in early California history when it revises the curriculum framework in history-social science or adopts new instructional materials.

Status: Signed

Richardson said: “This legislation is a step toward correcting historical omissions, empowering African American students with representation and educating all students to be more informed and socially conscious citizens.”

— Diana Lambert

CSU ADMISSION: Senate Bill 640

Author: Sen. Christopher Cabaldon, D-Napa

What it will do: The bill aims to make it easier for qualified California high school students to get admitted to California State University. Eligible high school students — those who have taken the required courses and maintained an appropriate grade point average — will receive mailers directly admitting them to participating CSU campuses.

Status: Signed

Cabaldon said: “It makes higher education the natural next step, not an intimidating maze of forms and fees. Every eligible student deserves that life-changing moment of opening an acceptance letter.”

— Amy DiPierro

CHARTER SCHOOL ACCOUNTABILITY: Senate Bill 414

Author: Sen. Angelique Ashby, D-Sacramento

What it would do: SB 414 will change the oversight, auditing and funding of nonclassroom-based charter schools, establish statewide contracting requirements to prevent misuse of public funds, and extend the moratorium on nonclassroom-based charters until June 30, 2026. The legislation also changes audit procedures for all school districts and charter schools, and creates an Education Inspector General’s Office to investigate allegations of fraud and financial mismanagement.

Status: Vetoed

Newsom said: “I deeply appreciate the efforts of the author and the negotiating parties to develop legislation that builds on these recommendations and the findings of the State Controller. However, this bill falls short. While the oversight and auditing provisions are meaningful, other sections are unworkable, would face legal challenges, and require hundreds of millions of dollars to implement. Additionally, provisions added late in the legislative process undermine important agreements my Administration made during my first term.”

— Diana Lambert

AVERAGE DAILY ATTENDANCE: Assembly Bill 1348

Author: Assemblymember Jasmeet Bains, D-Bakersfield

What it will do: School districts, county offices of education and charter schools can currently request average daily attendance (ADA) credit to make up for decreases in attendance reaching 10% of the student population that occur due to a specified list of reasons. This bill would have added immigration enforcement actions to that list, which includes fires, floods, epidemics, earthquakes, and more, until June 30, 2029. When such a request for ADA credit is made, students must also be offered independent study.

Status: Vetoed

Newsom said: “Current law already provides opportunities for local educational agencies to utilize attendance recovery and independent study programs to recoup lost attendance-based funding, while also ensuring students receive instruction and support. AB 1348 does not include sufficient safeguards to ensure that students who miss school due to immigration enforcement activities will receive alternative instructional opportunities. Additionally, this bill creates substantial cost pressures when state law is already designed to buffer school districts’ budgets from attendance fluctuations by allowing them to use a three-year rolling average of attendance when calculating school funding.”

— Betty Márquez Rosales

substitute teachers: Assembly Bill 1224

Authors: Assemblymembers Avelino Valencia, D-Anaheim, Robert Garcia, D-Rancho Cucamonga, Anamarie Ávila Farías, D-Concord

What it would do:  The legislation would help fill vacant teaching positions by doubling the number of days a substitute can teach in a single classroom from 30 to 60 in general education, and from 20 to 60 in special education. The legislation would go into effect on Jan. 1, 2026, and require school districts to report substitute usage in 2026-27.

Status: Vetoed

Newsom said: “Research demonstrates that substitute teachers tend to serve classrooms with a disproportionate number of students with disabilities, English learners, and students from low-income families. While this bill requires local educational agencies to offer mentorship, training and support to substitute teachers, it does not mandate their participation in these programs. As such, this bill would allow individuals to serve our highest-need students for as much as a third of a school year without minimally required training or mentorship.”

— Diana Lambert

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Edsource

Federal Education Policy

How the federal government shutdown will impact California’s schools and students 

Californians should see no changes in the short term, but that could change if it drags on

Mallika Seshadri, Betty Márquez Rosales, Amy DiPierro, And Michael Burke

Published

October 2, 2025

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For California students, parents and schools, there are many concerns about the federal government shutdown, the first since 2018. 

In the short term, Californians should see no changes. The U.S. Department of Education has said it will continue to move forward with many of its responsibilities, including financial aid dollars for college students and money for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and Title I schools. Most grant funding to schools won’t be affected either, since that money is largely issued over the summer. 

But 87% of the department’s workforce will be furloughed, and it won’t be issuing any new federal grants. Investigations into civil rights complaints made by students and families through the department’s Office for Civil Rights, which enforces federal civil rights laws, will also pause. 

Here’s what to know about the potential impacts for students and schools in California — including if the shutdown is prolonged.

Students with disabilities

The majority of funding for California students with disabilities comes from state and local sources, which remains uninterrupted. A portion of the federal funding distributed to implement the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which protects students with disabilities, will be sustained, according to the federal Department of Education’s shutdown plan. 

But for disabled students, the shutdown adds to ongoing uncertainty with the planned furlough of the majority of employees at the federal Department of Education.

Earlier this year, the only Office for Civil Rights office in California was shuttered. Over half of the pending cases the office had at the time were related to disability rights. Now, as the shutdown begins, any ongoing civil rights reviews and investigations are to be paused, according to the federal Department of Education.  

Head Start  

In the past, government shutdowns haven’t led to major consequences for Head Start, the free, federally funded preschool program, according to the National Head Start Association. And it is unlikely that this shutdown will have any negative impacts on the program, which is run by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Most Head Start preschools across the country have already had funding approved. And according to Head Start, programs nationwide will remain open, and its employees will continue to work, as they are not federal employees. 

“Head Start is still fully operational in California. All of our centers are open. Everyone is funded,” said Melanee Cottrill, the executive director of Head Start California. “Anyone who is enrolled in, or works at, a Head Start program should feel completely comfortable they are still open for the month of October.” 

But the program warns that the risk of classroom closures and staff furloughs will grow if the shutdown continues for weeks or months.

Specifically, Cottrill said that if the shutdown continues past October, a small number of California programs — particularly those whose grants that start in November or December — could be impacted. 

“We know children cannot put their development on pause while politics play out,” Yasmina Vinci, the executive director of the National Head Start Association, said in a statement. “As Congress moves forward, we urge lawmakers from both parties not only to resolve this shutdown but also to provide the increased funding needed to keep Head Start strong and sustainable.”

Students experiencing homelessness

While federal dollars cover only a fraction of homeless student funding in California, they offer one of the few dedicated sources of funding for this group of students. 

Some federal programs, like Education for Homeless Children and Youths, which provides dedicated funding for students experiencing homelessness, are expected to remain intact for now as the funding was awarded earlier this year. 

But applicants to other programs, such as the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act, were expecting to be notified in the coming days whether they will be awarded a grant in 2025. If an applicant hasn’t received an update regarding award approval, it is likely the announcement will be delayed, with the majority of staff on temporary leave. 

Advocates are recommending that anyone waiting for new grant awards should not expect to receive any notice or new funds during the shutdown and should plan for gaps in funding. 

What’s different from prior shutdowns is that some advocates are extending that recommendation to grantees whose applications have been approved. Drawing from some awarded funds now requires additional approval from federal employees, many of whom are expected to be furloughed, which was not needed during prior shutdowns. 

As such, the longer the shutdown, the higher the chances of service interruptions for youths.

Higher education 

Some graduate student researchers might see an interruption in their pay, but additional impacts on higher education in California so far appear to be insignificant or unknown. 

The University of California gets support from the federal government for student aid, research and patient care. UC said Wednesday that it is too early to know what the shutdown would mean for the system’s 10 campuses and six medical centers, adding that the impacts will depend on the length of the shutdown and on guidance from federal agencies.

“The University urges Congress and the White House to reach agreement to reopen the government and make robust investments in UC’s federal education, research and health care programs that are critical to the university achieving our mission and to keeping California at the forefront of innovation,” UC added in its statement.

However, some postdocs and graduate student researchers get fellowship funding directly from the federal government and may be affected. Guidance shared on Wednesday by UC Berkeley states that those students “should expect not to receive payments” during the shutdown, though they might be eligible for emergency grants from the campus.

The Berkeley guidance also notes that grant payments, new funding and communication with federal agencies will stop during the shutdown. Still, the shutdown doesn’t mean researchers must stop work on federally funded projects. Berkeley plans to “manage cash flows so research can continue in the immediate term,” the guidance states.

And in the California State University system, officials with the San Diego State University Research Foundation told researchers to “anticipate that awards, disbursements, and communications from agencies will be delayed for some time even after the shutdown is resolved.”

The lapse in federal funding should have “minimal impact” on financial aid for students, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Federal Student Aid says. Under a contingency plan unveiled by the U.S. Department of Education early this week, Pell Grants and federal direct student loans that help students pay for college will continue flowing. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form — a critical part of how colleges determine aid for students — will remain open. And borrowers should keep making payments on federal student loans.

The 2026-27 FAFSA has been online and available since Sept. 24. California started processing FAFSA forms and opened applications for the California Dream Act Application (CADAA) — which lets undocumented students and students from mixed-status families access state aid without filling out the federal form — on Oct. 1.

Daisy Gonzales, executive director of the California Student Aid Commission, said the commission’s call centers are open to field queries about both the CADAA and the FAFSA, and that she’s optimistic about the start of the financial aid cycle. But if the shutdown extends later into the academic year, she added, that could impact the typical timeline for colleges to issue financial aid packages to students for the 2026-27 academic year. 

“That’s really what we should be really concerned about as voters, as Californians, because we need a solution by then,” Gonzales said. “We need to be able to provide students and families clarity on how much aid is available for their students to be able to access higher education.”

Will the California Department of Education be impacted?

So far, the California Department of Education (CDE) doesn’t anticipate any impacts on the state agency. 

“While the CDE is currently evaluating any such impact, we do not anticipate any immediate disruption to CDE operations or funding for critical local educational agency programs due to a potential federal government shutdown,” read a statement from Chief Deputy Superintendent of Public Instruction Ingrid Roberson and Chief Deputy Superintendent of Public Instruction/Chief of Staff David Schapira, issued Sept. 29, before the shutdown went into effect. 

What happens if the shutdown goes on for longer than expected?

The U.S. Department of Education has said that if the shutdown persists beyond a week, it will revise its contingency plan and limit disruptions for schools. 

But some education leaders, including Los Angeles County Superintendent of Schools Debra Duardo, remain concerned that prolonging the shutdown could lead to uncertainty for districts as they continue their budgeting and could jeopardize early childhood services, nutrition programs and support for English learners and vulnerable student groups.

“The longer the shutdown persists, the greater the strain on school districts, educators and parents who are doing everything they can to fill the gaps,” Duardo said in a statement.