Local news in the classroom: Weekly roundup 4/30/26
Good afternoon,
This week’s featured stories both amplify community voices. The first outlines Capitola’s renewed contract with Flock Safety cameras, and explores the grassroots organization Get the Flock Out’s unwavering commitment to continue to voice their concerns about the company and its impacts. The second article covers the funding and workload challenges that the county’s public defender’s office is currently facing, and their demands to the state legislature for changes, highlighting disparities in state funding. Keep reading to hear more about these articles and some discussion questions for you to use in the classroom.
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FEATURED STORIES:
Capitola automatically renews contract with Flock; anti-surveillance organizers see ‘long road ahead’
Why it matters: Capitola’s contract with Flock Safety’s automated license-plate readers will continue for 2 years, while a grassroots organization promises to continue to let police and county officials know about their opposition to Flock cameras, emphasizing the role of community activism in making concerns heard.
In the classroom: How did Santa Cruz’s contract with Flock Safety end and how might activists in Capitola work towards a similar outcome? What changes did Capitola Police Chief Sarah Ryan implement after Flock’s data breaches? Do you think these changes are enough? Should private companies like Flock Safety be trusted with large amounts of public data? Why or why not?
Santa Cruz County public defenders join statewide protest demanding more funding, lighter workloads
Why it matters: The Santa Cruz County Office of the Public Defender demands that the California Legislature creates dedicated funds for their services, claiming the office is currently overworked and underfunded and pointing to funding disparities between other agencies.
In the classroom: What kind of changes does Chief Public Defender Heather Rogers say are needed and how might they be achieved? What services does the public defender’s office provide? How might public services be impacted by overwhelmed public defenders?
Current events to use in your classroom
Here’s a a few more recent articles you could use in your classroom. Interested in more stories? Browse all our recent coverage here.
LOCAL NEWS
A Lookout View: Watsonville Community Hospital is too important to fail — but it can’t survive without transparency (OPINION)
By Lookout Editorial Board
April 27, 2026
Watsonville Community Hospital, a critical community lifeline, is under increasing financial strain and is actively seeking a major health care partner to help it evolve into a stronger […]
District 4 County Supervisor Felipe Hernandez points to track record, experience in office as he makes bid for a second term
By Tania Ortiz
April 26, 2026
Current District 4 Santa Cruz County Supervisor Felipe Hernandez spoke with Lookout about his first term, and responded to criticism from constituents over his stance on a battery […]
Carmageddon: Santa Cruz City Council eyes updates to active transportation plan; Bike Santa Cruz County annual survey
By Max Chun
April 27, 2026
The Santa Cruz City Council will vote on whether to approve this year’s updates to the city’s active transportation plan, a guide for implementing projects, policies and initiatives […]
CALIFORNIA NEWS
California election officials face false choice: Count votes quickly or count them right
By Maya C. Miller / CalMatters
April 27, 2026
California’s notoriously long ballot-counting process has sown distrust in the state’s election systems. But experts can’t agree on how to speed up the process; some say a delayed result is better than potentially disenfranchising […]
Achievement gaps, artificial intelligence and more: State superintendent hopefuls detail their plans at candidate forums
By Michael Burke / EdSource
April 24, 2026
EdSource hosted two forums this week for the top six candidates vying to be California’s next superintendent of public instruction.
STUDENT STORIES
Inside Minneapolis’ Giant Pencil Festival
In collaboration with PBS News Student Reporting Labs, a podcast episode produced by teens for teens explores a quirky Minnesota tradition, highlighting creativity, humor, and community spirit.
Celebrating our 2026 Student Journalism winners – and the teachers who inspire them
Students from all over Santa Cruz County entered our Journalism Scholarship which highlights an unsung hero from the Santa Cruz County community. You can read about the journalism scholarship and what made these winning stories special here. I want to give a big thank you to everyone who told their students about Lookout’s journalism scholarship! The 2026 winners have been chosen and they are published here and on the Student Stories page.
Thank you for all the work you do in our community. Your efforts help younger generations build media literacy skills, engage with their communities, and grow as active democratic citizens. If you’d like to learn more about our school programs, get involved, or have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at interns@lookoutlocal.com or my mentor Jamie Garfield (Director of Student and Community Engagement) at jamie@lookoutlocal.com
Best,
Ava Salinas
Educational Program Assistant
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