Local news in the classroom: Weekly roundup 1/14/26
The local community is already making their voice heard in 2026. Recent backlash towards Flock Safety automatic licence plate readers, especially concerning data privacy, has contributed to its Santa Cruz contract being ended at a recent city council meeting. At UC Santa Cruz, construction on a new family student housing complex has been delayed once again, and residents voice their complaints.
With community uplift in mind, Lookout Santa Cruz is proud to introduce the next chapter of our Lookout in the Classroom program: Lookout for Teachers, giving local middle and high school educators free, unlimited access to Lookout Santa Cruz’s independent, fact-based local journalism. Beyond full access to our reporting, teachers receive a weekly stream of curated current events paired with classroom-ready resources — quizzes, lesson guides, discussion prompts and media literacy activities aligned to real curricula. Here is a story about our launch, written by our director of student and community engagement, Jamie Garfield.
We have tested this program for a few years, but now, thanks to our donors and Changemaker Members, we are now able to publicly provide free memberships for 450 middle school and high school teachers. Sign-ups are first come, first served, and they are going fast! So, if you haven’t taken advantage of our free teacher memberships, sign up today! And if you have, share this information with a secondary teacher in your life!
Secondary teachers can sign up with the link on this page
This week’s highlighted stories
City council votes to end Santa Cruz’s contract with Flock Safety
Why it matters: Data breaches and community dislike prompted Santa Cruz City Council to vote almost unanimously to end its contract with Flock Safety. The company, which provides automatic licence plate readers, has recently gotten negative attention both locally and nationwide for allowing federal and out-of-state law enforcement agencies to access data collected by the readers.
In the classroom: What would need to be changed, accounted for, or safeguarded in the event that the technology is reinstalled in the future? Also, how does this story indicate the importance of speaking up in your community and the effects it could have?
UC Santa Cruz family student housing opening delayed about six months
Why it matters: The in-progress family student housing complex at UC Santa Cruz is delayed six months because of construction issues. Families on campus say that this and other delays not only disrupt their housing and child care plans but also strain their budgets.
In the classroom: What are the various concerns current residents have, both about their current and future facilities? Imagine you were part of the university’s planning committee, can you come up with some ways to make this transition easier for student families?
More current events to use in the classroom
Hundreds of anti-ICE protesters fill Santa Cruz’s Ocean Street, remembering Renee Good
By Max Chun
As hundreds gathered to protest the killing of Renee Nicole Good by a federal immigration agent in Minneapolis last week, organizers urged the public to get involved. ”Find a political home in Santa Cruz County,” one organizer told Lookout as ICE monitoring activity grows locally.
Carmagedon: Public works exploring options for latest West Cliff erosion; public hearing for 2050 regional transportation plan
By Max Chun
While the latest erosion on West Cliff Drive isn’t endangering public access or infrastructure, the City of Santa Cruz is still looking at ways to handle the damage in both the short and long term. Meanwhile, the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission will hold a public hearing on Thursday for its 2050 regional transportation plan.
Continue reading…
Cabrillo trustees redesignate funds from pandemic-era tax credits amid budget squeeze
By Grace Chinowsky
Cabrillo College’s board voted Monday to redirect more than $7 million in one-time tax credit revenue to early retirement incentives, construction projects, general reserves and more.
No trees, no voice: How the City of Santa Cruz is greenlighting development without the public
By Gillian Greensite
After Santa Cruz’s planning commission approved doing away with public hearings for some large affordable housing projects and moved a special zoning area forward, activist Gillian Greensite warns that the public could not only be robbed of its voice but of some of the city’s heritage trees, too.
Interested in more stories? Browse all our recent coverage here.
California News
This change could deilver billions of more dollars to California schools. Here’s the tradeoff
By Carolyn Jones / CalMatters
By basing funding on enrollment, not attendance numbers, California schools would lose the incentive to get students to show up every day, a new report finds.
More Latino students are attending Cal State. But where are the Latino professors?
By Angel Corzo / CalMatters and Brittany Oceguera / CalMatters
Faculty representation in the California State University system is lagging far behind the growing number of Latino students. That burdens the small circles of Latino faculty who take on more mentorship tasks, many times in non-tenure positions and for lower pay.
Student Stories/News
Monterey County team bests Santa Cruz County in girls’ flag football all-star game
A breakdown of the 2nd annual Central Coast Girls Flag Football All-Star Game.
Educator Resources
2025 year in review: AI misinformation
From the News Literacy Project, an exploration of the ways in which AI spread false information on social media in 2025 with tips for discerning what’s real and what’s not.
Journalism Scholarship – Applications due on Feb 16th!
Lookout is accepting submissions for our journalism scholarship contest from November to February. We invite all high school students in Santa Cruz County to apply. Top three winners win $500 each and top ten winners get published on the Lookout site.
Book a class visit with Lookout Santa Cruz
We’d love to visit your classroom! Lookout staff can come to your classroom and lead a workshop about various things from journalism to elections. These workshops last the length of one class period and are a great way to get your students engaged in different aspects of learning. Reach out if you are interested.
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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