Local news in the classroom: Weekly roundup 4/2/26 Good afternoon, As Spring Break approaches, we’re highlighting two local stories that raise important questions about growth, safety and community decision-making in Santa Cruz County. One focuses on plans for a new battery storage facility near Watsonville, proposed after the Moss Landing fire, where supporters and opponents […]
educator alert
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Educator Update: UC Santa Cruz provost changes & Chávez response
Local news in the classroom: Week of 3/25/26 Good afternoon, As Spring Break approaches next week, we’re bringing you a timely roundup of local stories to spark meaningful classroom conversations – whether you’re planning ahead or wrapping up before time off. This week, major shifts are unfolding across Santa Cruz County’s education landscape. At UC […]
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Educator Update: New UCSC report shares farmworker hardships in Central California + six California governor candidates’ share priorities
Local news in the classroom: Weekly roundup 3/18/26 Good afternoon, Along with signs of spring across the Central Coast, new developments in research and state politics are drawing attention to issues shaping the region’s future. A new report from researchers at UC Santa Cruz examines the financial, social and legal challenges faced by farmworkers in […]
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Educator Update: 23-year-old UC Santa Cruz alum launches campaign for the California state Senate seat and Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors continues with ban on immigration enforcement using county-owned property
Local news in the classroom: Weekly roundup 3/11/26 Good afternoon, Along with sunnier evenings and the hint of spring on the horizon, developments in local politics offer some opportunities for optimism. Former Santa Cruz transportation commissioner and student housing advocate Zennon Ulyate-Crow (23) launches his campaign for a California state Senate seat, proposing to tackle […]
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Educator Update: Mountains lions now officially a threatened species and UC lecturers fight for increased job protections
Local news in the classroom: Weekly roundup 3/4/26 Good afternoon, Many researchers celebrate increased protections for puma populations around California, but others have worries regarding the potential land-use and livestock impacts for developers, ranchers, and farmers. The well-being of pumas isn’t the only concern in the county (or state) this week. The lecturers’ union at […]
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Educator Update: Uplifting reports from a coastal wetland study and considerations of adjusting UC Santa Cruz’s residential college system
Local news in the classroom: Weekly roundup 2/25/26 After last week’s rainy deluge, the sun is a welcome sight for many of us. Similarly positive is the data from a study of coastal wetlands across the North American continent by the National Estuarine Research Reserve Association (NERRA) that exhibits the significance and diversity of the […]
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Educator Update: Women of the water proposed statue and UC graduate workers authorize strike
Local news in the classroom: Weekly roundup 2/18/26 Good afternoon, Here’s your weekly educator alert designed just for you – high school educators – where we hand-pick several stories that we think will resonate with you and your students – especially those that might spur discussion. Local news is one of the easiest ways to […]
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Educator Update: Watsonville’s newest economic development efforts and the state of salmon conservation in Santa Cruz County
Local news in the classroom: Weekly roundup 2/11/26 In the second month of the new year, growth is on the mind of the community in various ways. Watsonville has hired the consulting firm Retail Strategies to market the town to national retailers at trade shows. The town is hoping to create new shopping and dining […]
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Educator Update: Local leaders prepare for the possibility of increased ICE activity and residents push back against proposed Catalyst development plans
Local news in the classroom: Weekly roundup 2/4/26 Santa Cruz County residents are speaking up and being heard. Anti-ICE sentiments increased after the events in Minneapolis, and throngs of people participated in peaceful protests across the county last Friday. County leaders have taken notice and have begun to address the types of policies and preparations […]
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Educator Update: An immigrant advocacy group is seeing an influx of volunteers and a school updates its computer policy after students voice concerns
Local news in the classroom: Weekly roundup 1/28/26 Winter storms aren’t the only thing unfolding across the nation this week; other events are resonating both locally and nationally, including increased U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity. In Santa Cruz County, Your Allied Rapid Response (YARR), a group that monitors ICE activity and provides legal resources, […]