The Brief

On a recent morning, nearly 100 children clapped, sang, and danced in a large circle filling the cafeteria at Nystrom Elementary School in Richmond as part of a joyous Harambee celebration, the Swahili word for “all pull together.”

The students, ranging in age from 4 to 11, were participating in the daily opening ceremony of the CDF Freedom School. The no-cost summer program focused on intensive reading and vocabulary building; after-school offerings that ranged from skateboarding and robotics to mural painting and African dance.

The CDF Freedom School is one of nearly a dozen summer programs offered by the West Contra Costa Unified School District. Most of the programs are in partnership with a range of nonprofit organizations; many are made possible by support from the $4 billion-a-year Expanded Learning Opportunities Program or ELOP, initiated by Gov. Gavin Newsom five years ago.

Zara Phillips, an instructor at the CDF Freedom School in Richmond, reads to a group of students from a book titled “March,” co-authored by the late civil rights leader John Lewis.

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Louis Freedberg

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The initiative represents one of the largest investments in California education in decades — one that has received scant attention. It is based on research showing that high-quality summer learning can slow or eliminate the well-known “summer slide,” which contributes to maintaining or even widening the achievement gap.

The initiative has allowed districts serving large numbers of low-income students, like West Contra Costa Unified, where Richmond is located, and others around the state, such as the Compton Unified School District in Los Angeles County, to launch an array of what are called summer “enrichment” programs.

These programs go beyond traditional summer remedial or developmental classes and “credit recovery” courses for high school students at risk of not graduating. Instead, they are designed to foster creativity, critical thinking and a love of learning in a fun and supportive environment.

The multibillion-dollar initiative makes it possible to offer after-school and summer programs “on a scale not seen in any other state,” said Linda Darling-Hammond, an education professor emeritus at Stanford University and president of the California State Board of Education. “While we are still growing the capacity of the program to meet the demand, it has been a game-changer in many districts.”

Over the past five years, the state has spent nearly $14 billion on the initiative, which must be spent only on children from transitional kindergarten through the sixth grade.

By the end of the current fiscal year, the state will have spent over $18 billion on the program. That’s because Newsom convinced the Legislature to increase the funding by an additional half billion dollars (to $4.5 billion) this year so that more of the state’s children can participate.

Because no research component was built into the initiative, it is impossible to know whether it is having the statewide impact that legislators hoped for.

That is why the best — and perhaps only — way to gauge its impact is to look at districts like West Contra Costa Unified, where educators say the infusion of expanded learning dollars has had a huge impact on their summer offerings.

Funds allowed West Contra Costa to grow to nine enrichment programs

Last year, West Contra Costa Unified, with a student enrollment of just under 30,000 students, received $18.5 million in funds from the initiative. Of that, it spent two-thirds on after-school and other activities during the regular school year. The rest went into its expanded summer offerings.

Martine Black, the district’s director of family and community engagement, recalls that before the initiative got underway, the district only offered two summer enrichment programs.

Now, she says, there are at least nine such programs. “ELOP has vastly enhanced our ability to ensure that more students, particularly underserved students, have access to expanded learning,” she said.

Gabriel Chilcott, the district’s director of curriculum, instruction and assessment, says the funds the district receives “definitely fill in a gap that enables us to get kids into fantastic programming.”

In addition to the CDF Freedom School, the district contracts with nonprofit organizations such as the Headwaters Science Institute, which teaches scientific methods to children as young as 4 in outdoor settings. Aim High, serving sixth to ninth graders, teaches science through hands-on projects. Its Issues and Choices curriculum helps sixth graders tackle questions like “How do I utilize my strengths to transition to middle school successfully?” The nonprofit Love. Learn. Success. offers Mandarin language instruction, among many other activities at different school sites.

This summer, nearly 1,300 students enrolled in enrichment programs, at least partially supported by Expanded Learning funds. That’s still a relatively small percentage of the district’s 10,000 or more TK-6th-grade low-income and other high-need students. But it is a far larger number than it could serve in the past, and Chilcott says the district is “relatively close to achieving that sweet spot of matching interest with the need.”

Shakira Reynolds, the dynamic director of the Richmond Freedom School, which belongs to a nationwide network of programs founded by the Children’s Defense Fund, is particularly proud that many of her summer enrollees are in special education programs during the year, and several of them are on the autism spectrum. The Freedom School offers a rare opportunity for many of them to spend time with peers without disabilities in a relaxed, non-stressful environment.

Reinforcing curriculum while strengthening social-emotional skills

A staffer with the Rotary Nature Center at Lake Merritt in Oakland describes birds that students might see in the area.

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Louis Freedberg

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After the opening Harambee ceremony, students — or scholars, as Reynolds calls them — break into groups of eight to 10 students, where they read about Black history and civil rights. Each class is led by a college student or recent graduate who is often considering becoming a teacher. They’re assisted by high school students from district schools who are paid interns.

Nomi Harris, 12, who lives in Richmond, has attended the Freedom School for five consecutive summers. She says she likes the “positivity” of the program, especially the opening celebration, and the “comforting” environment it offers.

Nomi said the program offers a welcome opportunity to be around other Black children, who make up the majority of the summer school’s enrollment. Richmond was a majority Black city as recently as the 1980s.

Mack Dixon, 10, is a fifth grader at Nystrom Elementary School in Richmond who attended the CDF Freedom School this summer.

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Louis Freedberg

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Fifth grader Mack Dixon, 10, especially likes the wide range of after-school activities, which he wouldn’t usually have access to.

Last summer, his parents gave him math exercises to do — math is his favorite subject, he says — and books to read, while bugging him to get off video games like Fortnite or Call of Duty, which do nothing for his mood. “I just lose my temper,” he said.

Asked what the favorite parts of the program are, he says, “Everything. I like all of it.”

Across town, about 100 students enrolled in the Headwaters Science Institute start their day at Riverside Elementary School.

On a recent morning, they headed out in yellow school buses to the botanical garden on the banks of Lake Merritt, an Oakland landmark. There, they broke into small groups to carry out a range of scientific “experiments” or to find answers to questions students themselves have chosen.

On this day, the younger children tackled questions like, “Are there more birds in the tree or on the ground? and “Are there more plants in wet soil or dry soil?” They gathered “data” from observations, which older students and staff helped record for them.

Their findings: There are more birds in the trees (in part, they explain, because they may have scared birds on the ground away) and more plants in wet soil, despite the drought-resistant emphasis in the gardens.

Megan Seifert, who has a Ph.D. in zoology and is the executive director of the Headwaters Science Institute, accompanies students on a field trip to The Gardens at Lake Merritt in Oakland.

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Megan Seifert, the Headwaters program’s director and founder who has a Ph.D. in zoology, is enthusiastic about her partnership with the district, where officials were looking “for a lot more than child care … our goals really aligned with the district’s,” she said.

Ylan Hunt, whose 6-year-old son, Miles, is in the program, says a similar one in San Ramon, a much more affluent community a half hour away, would cost at least $800. “This is absolutely needed for our children,” she said. That includes children with special needs who might not be able to get into other programs. “There are no exclusionary criteria,” she said.

As for her son, “he loves school anyway, but if he can get a field trip two or three days a week, and he is outside, he is happy,” she says. And she recognizes the importance of introducing kids to science at a very early age.

The summer program, Seifert points out, reinforces the regular school curriculum and strengthens social-emotional skills that many educators now recognize as key to long-term success.

Seifert says students learn math skills like graphing in a way that is much more fun — and relevant — than in a regular classroom. “There’s no stress around it,” Seifert says. They also become more confident about public speaking through presenting their research findings to classmates and parents at the end of each week.

“We love it, the kids love it,” said Donavan Szarka, who has three children in the program.

Initially, he concedes, they didn’t want to be there at all. They asked him to pick them up as early as possible. After a few days, the message changed. “Leave us here longer,” they pleaded. “Let us stay later.”

Louis Freedberg is a veteran education journalist and served as EdSource executive director from July 2011-April 2021.

This story first appeared on The LA Local.

Since 1977, Richard Santillan has been to every Opening Day game at Dodger Stadium. 

“The tradition goes from my father, to me, to my children and grandchildren. Some of my best memories are with my father and children here at Dodger Stadium,” Santillan told The LA Local, smiling under the shade of palm trees near the entrance to the ballpark Wednesday morning. He was there to protest the team less than 24 hours before Opening Day.

Santillan, like countless other loyal Dodgers fans, is grappling with his fan identity over the team’s decision to accept an invitation to the White House and owner Mark Walter’s ties to ICE detention facilities.

More than 30 people joined Santillan on Wednesday morning for a press conference held near 1000 Vin Scully Drive to convey a message directly to the team. 

“We are demanding the Dodgers stop participating in funding of inhumane treatment of families and do not go to the White House to celebrate with the criminal in chief,” Evelyn Escatiola told the crowd. “Together, we have the power to make a change.”

Escatiola, a former dean of East Los Angeles College and longtime community organizer, urged fans to flex their economic power by “letting the Dodgers know that we do not support repression.”

Jorge “Coqui” Rodriguez, a lifelong Dodgers fan, spoke to the crowd and called on Dodgers ownership to divest from immigration detention centers owned and operated by GEO Group and CoreCivic.

Jorge Coqui H Rodriguez speaks at a press conference outside Dodger Stadium on March 25, 2026, to demand the Dodgers not to visit the White House following their 2025 World Series win.

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J.W. Hendricks

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In a phone interview a day before the protest, Rodriguez told The LA Local he did not want the Dodgers using his “cheve” or beer money to fund detention centers. 

“They can’t take our parking money, our cacahuate money, our cheve money, our Dodger Dog money and invest those funds into corporations that are imprisoning people. It’s wrong,” Rodriguez said. 

Rodriguez considers the Dodgers one of the most racially diverse teams and said the players need to support fans at a time when heightened immigration enforcement has become more common across L.A.

The team’s 2025’s visit to the White House drew ire from the largely Latino fan base, citing the Trump administration’s ongoing attacks on immigrants. 

In June, the team came under further scrutiny when rumors swirled online that federal immigration agents were using the stadium’s parking, which immigration authorities later denied in statements posted on social media accounts.

The team again came under fire after not releasing a statement on the impacts of ICE raids on its mostly Latino fan base at the height of immigration enforcement last summer. The team later agreed to invest $1 million to support families affected by immigration enforcement.

When he learned the Dodgers were pledging only $1 million to families in need, Rodriguez called the amount a  “slap in the face.” 

“These guys just bought the Lakers for billions of dollars and they give a million dollars to fight for legal services? That’s a joke,” Rodriguez said. “They need to have a moral backbone and not be investing in those companies.”

According to reporting from the Los Angeles Times, former Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershawsaid last week that he is looking forward to the trip.

“I went when President [Joe] Biden was in office. I’m going to go when President [Donald] Trump is in office,” Kershaw said. “To me, it’s just about getting to go to the White House. You don’t get that opportunity every day, so I’m excited to go.”

The Dodgers have yet to announce when their planned visit will take place. 

Santillan sometimes laments his decision to give up his season tickets in protest of the team. His connection to the stadium and the memories he has made there with family and friends will last a lifetime, he said. On Thursday, he will uphold his tradition and be there for the first pitch of the season, but with a heavy heart.

“It’s a family tradition, but the Dodgers have a lot of work to do,” he said.

A local favorite mom-and-pop bookshop in Eagle Rock is facing displacement due to a steep rent hike. The owners say theirs is just one of several small businesses along Eagle Rock Boulevard struggling to keep up with lease increases.

Over the past 19 years, many in the neighborhood have come to love READ Books for its eclectic collection of used titles and shop dog Florence.

Co-owner Jeremy Kaplan said it’s been a delight to grow with the community over the years.

“Like seeing kids come back in, who were in grade school and now they’re in college,” Kaplan said.

But the building where Kaplan and wife Debbie rent was recently sold, and the rent increased by more than 130% to $2,805 a month, Kaplan said. He told LAist it was an increase his small business simply could not absorb.

Kaplan said he originally was given 30 days notice of the rent increase. After some research, assistance from Councilmember Ysabel Jurado’s office and some pro-bono legal help, Kaplan said he pushed back and got the 90-day notice he’s afforded by state law.

California Senate Bill 1103 requires landlords to give businesses with five or less employees 90 days’ notice for rent increases exceeding 10%, among other protections.

Systems Real Estate, the property management company, did not immediately respond to LAist’s request for comment.

What can small businesses do? 

Nadia Segura, directing attorney of the Small Business Program at pro bono legal aid non-profit Bet Tzedek said California law does not currently allow for rent control for commercial tenancies.

Outside of the protections under SB 1103, Segura said small businesses like READ Books don’t have much other recourse. And even then, commercial landlords are not required to inform their tenants of their protections under the law.

“There’s still a lot of people that don’t know about SB 1103. And then it’s very sad that they tell them they have these rent increases and within a month they have to leave,” Segura said.

She said her group is seeing steep rent hikes like this for commercial tenants across the city.

“We are seeing this even more with the World Cup coming up, the Olympics coming up. And I will say it was very sad to see that also after the wildfires,” Segura said.

Part of Bet Tzedek’s ongoing work is to advocate for small businesses, working with landlords who are increasing rents to see if they are willing to give business owners longer leases that lock in rents.

What’s next 

After READ Books posted about their situation on social media, commenters chimed in to express their outrage and love for the little shop.

While he looks for a new spot, Kaplan says he’s forming a coalition of local businesses and activist groups to see what can be done to help other small businesses facing similar displacement. He wants to address the displacement issue for businesses like his, which have made Eagle Rock the distinctive neighborhood that it is today.

Owl Talk, a longtime Eagle Rock staple selling clothing and accessories in a unit in the same building as READ Books, is facing a “more than double” rent increase, according to a post on their Instagram account.

Kaplan said he’s been in touch with the office of state Assemblywoman Jessica Caloza and wants to explore the possibility of introducing legislation to set up protections for small businesses like his, including rent-control measures or a vacancy tax for landlords. Kaplan said he also reached out to the office of state Sen. Maria Durazo.

By his count, Kaplan said there are about a dozen businesses within surrounding blocks that are at risk of closing their doors or have shuttered due to rent increases or other struggles.

When READ Books was founded during the Great Recession, Kaplan said he knew it was a longshot to open a bookstore at the same time so many were struggling to stay in business.

“It was kind of interesting to be doing something that neighborhoods needed. That was important to me growing up, that was important to my children, that was important to my wife growing up,” Kaplan said.

“And then somebody comes in and says, ‘We’re gonna over double your rent.”

Topline:

Frozen budget: Most of the city’s Bureau of Street Lighting budget comes from an assessment that people who own property illuminated by lights pay on their county property tax bill. The amount people pay depends on the kind of property they own and how much they benefit from lighting. A typical single-family home currently pays $53 annually, and in total, the assessments bring in about $45 million annually for the city to repair and maintain streetlights. Changing the amount the Bureau of Street Lighting gets from the assessment requires a vote among property owners who benefit from the lights.

Ballots: L.A. City Council’s vote gives city staff the green light to prepare and send out those ballots. Miguel Sangalang, who oversees the bureau, said at a committee meeting earlier this month that he expects to send out ballots by April 17. Notices about the ballots will be sent out prior to the ballots themselves.

Near unanimous vote: L.A. City Councilmember Monica Rodriguez was the only “No” vote Tuesday, saying she wanted to see a more current strategic plan for the bureau. Sangalang said the bureau developed a plan in 2022 that lays out how money will be spent. Councilmember Imelda Padilla was absent for the vote.

Vote count: Votes will be weighted according to the assessment amount. Basically, the more you’re asked to pay yearly to maintain streetlights, the more your vote will count. Ballots received before June 2 will be tabulated by the L.A. City Clerk.

How much more money: According to a report, the amount needed in assessments from property owners to meet the repair and maintenance needs of the city’s streetlighting in the next fiscal year is nearly $112 million.

Use of the money: Sangalang said at a March 11 committee meeting that the extra funds would be used to double the number of staff to handle repairs and procure solar streetlights, which don’t face the threat of copper wire theft. That would all potentially reduce the time it takes to repair simple fixes down to a week. Currently, city residents wait for months to see broken streetlights repaired. The assessment would come with a three-year auditing mechanism.