While a strike isn’t necessarily imminent, the school board held an emergency meeting Monday to approve higher pay for fill-in substitutes to keep schools running.
Author Archives: Jana Kadah
What I cover: I write about Richmond schools and youth issues, Contra Costa College, the county Board of Education and other general topics.
My background: I made my way to the East Bay after covering city hall at San Jose Spotlight where I earned several first-place awards for my local government, business/economy and public service reporting from the California News Publishers Association. Before that, I was a reporter for Bay City News, where I wrote about issues ranging from homelessness to the environment and education.
Posted inCommunity
Richmond author’s children’s book follows fictional friends separated by Iran war
Richmond author Nikoo Yahyazadeh’s debut picture book captures the bittersweet reality of being forced to flee home through the eyes of two young girls in Iran.
Posted inSchools
WCCUSD board rejects budget cut resolution, defying county, superintendent
With millions in budget cuts looming and teachers threatening to strike, WCCUSD says board’s 3-to-2 vote against resolution could put them at risk of county oversight.
Posted inSchools
Kennedy High reinstates AP Spanish class after student and teacher outcry
Richmond educators and families are glad an advanced Spanish literature class is back, but scheduling conflicts and administrative silence has them still frustrated.
Posted inSchools
300 teachers protest at school board meeting, accusing WCCUSD of underspending
Educators, who’ve worked without a contract since June, are frustrated at what they say is underspending on salaries and special education services, among other student programs.
Posted inCommunity
73-year-old East Bay woman deported to India says ICE denied her water, bed
Harjit Kaur, a grandmother with no criminal record, said she was only given ice to take medicine with and was denied meals in accordance with her religious beliefs.
Posted inSchools
Betty Reid Soskin, the nation’s oldest park ranger, is still discovering herself at 104
Retired from her role telling stories at Rosie the Riveter park in Richmond, Betty Reid Soskin celebrated her birthday at her namesake middle school in El Sobrante.
Posted inCommunity
From youth offenders to first responders, documentary tells stories of aspiring EMTs
“In the Red,” which includes the story of a Richmond youth, screens Monday at Grand Lake Theatre in Oakland. It follows participants in the Bay Area Youth EMT Program.
Posted inSchools
Kennedy High cuts AP classes, frustrating teachers and students
Students say the school is failing to support their academic ambitions as AP Spanish literature, English literature, and calculus are struck from the curriculum.
Posted inSchools
Here’s your chance to help solve WCCUSD’s money problems
The school district has scheduled more than a dozen community meetings to collect input on how it can become fiscally stable.
Posted inCommunity
ICE detains East Bay grandmother, 73, with health issues, no criminal history
Indivisible West Contra Costa held a rally Sept. 12 in El Sobrante to demand the release of Harjit Kaur, a longtime Hercules resident facing deportation despite health issues and a record of complying with immigration rules.
Posted inCommunity
UPDATE: BART resumes limited service but not to San Francisco
Computer problems delayed the start of train service Friday. Bay Area Rapid Transit is advising people to seek alternatives.
Posted inSchools
$10M parcel tax for schools likely to appear on a 2026 ballot
WCCUSD is considering the best time to ask west Contra Costa voters to renew a school parcel tax that funds programs such as athletics, libraries and counselors.
Posted inCommunity
‘The time of need is now:’ Rally at Rosie park denounces Trump attacks
Community leaders gather in Richmond on the 109th birthday of the National Park Service to emphasize the need to safeguard the country’s stories.
Posted inSchools
WCCUSD teachers could authorize strike this fall, union says
West Contra Costa teachers union declares “impasse” over issues including salary, workload and class sizes.
Posted inSchools
Richmond students go back to school with optimism as district reports some progress
From new leadership and programs to playground joy and campus renovations, the new school year marks a fresh start for many in WCCUSD.
Posted inSchools
New WCCUSD superintendent launches 100-day plan to rebuild trust, stabilize district
Superintendent Cheryl Cotton, a product of Richmond schools, said transparency and community input are keys to fixing entrenched challenges such as absenteeism, staffing shortages and budget cuts.
Posted inCommunity
Angel Montaño, AKA ‘Carrot,’ remembered as goofy, gentle, loyal, caring
Man shot by police during an apparent mental health crisis was active in high school sports and clubs and known as a “deeply intelligent.”
Posted inSchools
Voices charter school in Richmond gets 2nd campus amid WCCUSD board red flags
WCCUSD school board OKs second site for transitional kindergarten and kindergarten classes but raised concerns about finances, diversity and transparency.
Posted inSchools
From shiny like-new gym floors to a ‘cafeterium,’ take a peek at school upgrades
As Stege Elementary is fully rebuilt, Kennedy and Richmond high schools each get $280 million overhaul.
