Local news in the classroom: Weekly roundup Sept. 18 – 24
We’re so glad you are a part of our growing educator group. Our educator alert is a weekly email alert designed for you – high school educators – where we handpick several stories that we think will resonate with you and your students – especially those that might spur discussion. These alerts also highlight different resources we offer, such as our upcoming journalism scholarship program, lesson plans and curriculum, in-class workshop options and more. We want to make using Lookout in your classroom easy! Please let us know how useful these are to you, and how best to tailor them.
Vote 2024: Your guide to the Santa Cruz County general election
Get all the information you need on Santa Cruz County candidates, local measures and important election dates as we inch toward the general election on Nov. 5.
Right now we are in the thick of local election coverage. If you are talking about elections in your classrooms, make sure to check out our local fall Election 2024 coverage and our Santa Cruz County Voter Guide. We will provide you full coverage for the November ballot, led by our campaign trail blog and dozens of articles on the issues and candidates in front of us throughout this diverse county. And our Community Voices will remain a vital crossroads of civil and civic support and opposition.
Current events to use in your classroom
Here’s a roundup of recent articles you could use in your classroom. Explore the linked lesson plans below for simple ways to facilitate reflection on these local events. Interested in more stories? Browse all our recent coverage here.
LOCAL NEWS
Dramatic shift in homeless from Santa Cruz to Watsonville has officials scrambling to provide services
By Tania Ortiz
A dramatic shift in Santa Cruz County’s homeless population, with more being counted in Watsonville this year than the city of Santa Cruz, has officials scrambling to provide more shelter beds and services in the southern part of the county. Watsonville will consider a tiny home village project at its city council meeting on Tuesday, and is convening a community meeting on the broader issue of action to confront homelessness on Oct. 5.
On the Campaign Trail: Get to know District 2 supervisor hopefuls De Serpa, Brown ahead of Lookout forum
By Lookout Santa Cruz
As Election Day approaches Nov. 5, Lookout’s On the Campaign Trail is your one-stop resource for Election 2024 coverage from around Santa Cruz County and beyond.
After past tension, Live Oak School District and Community Bridges sign two-year lease allowing Meals on Wheels to remain
By Hillary Ojeda
Live Oak School District and Community Bridges entered into a two-year lease agreement this week allowing the nonprofit to continue to operate the Meals on Wheels program at the district-owned property at 1777 Capitola Rd.
Carmageddon: RTC provides options for mobile homes in way of rail trail, but says it won’t pay for relocation
By Max Chun
The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission has completed a first draft of an analysis of mobile homes encroaching on the right of way for a new rail trail project along a section of the Santa Cruz Branch Rail Line in Live Oak. Residents have been told that their homes need to be shifted or relocated by June 2025. Officials with the commission said they’re not sure who will be responsible for paying, but it won’t be the RTC.
Santa Cruz County labor union prepares for a strike as contract expires
By Christopher Neely
Tensions are rising between the Santa Cruz County government and its largest labor union. SEIU Local 521, representing over 1,800 county employees, is threatening to strike for the first time in decades. The union is demanding significant wage increases, improved benefits and better working conditions. While negotiations continue, the county is preparing for a potential strike that could disrupt essential services.
The levee isn’t the problem in Santa Cruz – it’s the city’s policies on homelessness
By Stacey Falls
Stacey Falls, who teaches chemistry and environmental science at Santa Cruz High School, takes issue with a recent Lookout op-ed on the dangers of the San Lorenzo River levee. Yes, there are unhoused people and it is “certainly unpleasant and even disgusting” at times, she writes. But the problem is the “unjust systems that have created rampant homelessness in one of the most affluent counties on the planet.” The city cleans up beaches and downtown regularly – why not the levee, she wonders.
CALIFORNIA NEWS
Critics say lawmakers watered down California’s lemon car law after secret lobbyist negotiations
By Ryan Sabalow / CalMatters
A bill awaiting Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signature could make it harder for California consumers to get refunds for defective cars under the state’s lemon law. The Legislature hastily passed the complicated bill, which auto manufacturers and attorneys drafted in secret. Did lawmakers even have time to read it?
California ballot asks voters to invest in climate solutions
By Liza Gross / Inside Climate News
California officials cut billions from ambitious climate programs to offset an unexpected budget deficit. Now they hope voters approve a multibillion-dollar bond to fill the gap.
California Medicaid ballot measure is popular, well funded — and perilous, opponents warn
By Bernard J. Wolfson / KFF Health News
Proposition 35, aimed at creating a dedicated stream of funding to provide health care for California’s low-income residents, would put funding for many programs at risk because the ballot measure would supersede the budget, opponents say.
What happens to homeless people after encampment sweeps? That’s on cities, Gavin Newsom says
By Marisa Kendall / CalMatters
California cities and counties are to blame for failing to get people off the street, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Thursday — despite all the money he’s given them to do so.
EDUCATOR RESOURCES
Current Event Discussion Guide
- Our current event discussion guide is a great activity to engage with local news and can be used for any article. Below is the lesson plan and the bilingual guide.
- Current Event Discussion Guide Lesson Plan (PDF)
- Bilingual Current Event Discussion Guide (PDF)
Educator Page
- You can find more resources on our Educator Page, including a media literacy guide, specific new quizzes and more.
Reminder on student access
- If any of your students are having trouble with their free access, have them sign up for their free student access with their personal email address with this link.
Thank you for all the hard work you do in the community and for supporting our educational programs, helping the younger generations learn media literacy skills and become invested community members and democratic citizens. If you’d like to learn more about our school programs, get more involved or have any questions, please reach out to me jamie@lookoutlocal.com.
Best,
Jamie
