Karen D'Souza
Karen covers early education. She is an award-winning writer who comes to EdSource after covering lifestyle, parenting, health, housing, education and the arts for the San Jose Mercury News. She is a four-time Pulitzer juror and her writing has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Miami Herald, San Francisco Chronicle and Seattle Times. She has an MA in journalism and a BA in political science and dramatic art from UC Berkeley.
All articles by Karen D'Souza
Are young boys of color set up to fail in early education?
Examining implicit bias, experts say, may be the key to making early education more equitable.
Karen D'Souza
March 8, 2023
Arts education funding in California: How will Proposition 28 roll out?
Arts education could be an engine to spark family engagement in the school system, experts say.
Karen D'Souza
February 21, 2023
The pandemic fueled a public school exodus, study says
Disruptions wrought by the pandemic may be leading the education world toward a watershed moment, some say, a time to rebuild the critical connection between families and schools.
Karen D'Souza
February 10, 2023
Will arts education cuts in proposed California budget have a big impact?
Arts advocates point to the power of the arts to boost the state's student achievement and buttress social-emotional well-being.
Karen D'Souza
January 31, 2023
Inside the child care crisis: Q&A with a veteran provider
Child care workers want to be recognized as early educators, they say, and not just babysitters.
Karen D'Souza
January 19, 2023
Teaching young children how to read: What California parents need to know
What should parents do if they notice their child is falling behind in reading?
Karen D'Souza
December 20, 2022
10 things California parents should know about transitional kindergarten | Quick Guide
Many districts are beginning to register new students for the coming year, so now is the time to reach out.
Karen D'Souza
December 12, 2022
'Just-right' books: Does leveled reading hurt the weakest readers?
Teachers become gatekeepers to books, a longstanding practice in many schools where the assigned reading level is treated as a sacred cow.
Karen D'Souza
November 14, 2022
LAUSD superintendent joins experts in supporting pursuit of science of reading
One key way to fight falling test scores, experts suggest, is to dig deep into the exhaustive body of research on how the brain learns to read.
Karen D'Souza
November 2, 2022
How badly did the pandemic deepen California's early reading crisis?
The scores may be grim, some say, but they're far from shocking. Some experts warn that cratering test scores warn of a system that was broken long before the pandemic.
Karen D'Souza
November 2, 2022
Q&A: Teaching kids how to read on Zoom
Doing nothing is not an option, experts say. Poor literacy can impact a person’s lifetime income potential by up to 42%.
Karen D'Souza
October 17, 2022
The Right To Read: It took a lawsuit against California
California settled a lawsuit over literacy by giving 70 schools with the lowest 2019 test scores extra funding to teach children to read. Less than half of all third graders in the state scored at grade level in reading.
Karen D'Souza
September 29, 2022
A movement rises to change the teaching of reading
Scientists, teachers, and parents battle over the best way to teach reading amid a literacy crisis.
Karen D'Souza
August 17, 2022
What parents should know about getting kids ready for transitional kindergarten
This year even more than usual, teachers say, parents might want to help their children prepare for TK.
Karen D'Souza
August 15, 2022
Can arts education help kids heal from the trauma of the pandemic?
The arts can be a safe haven for California schoolchildren to face big emotions, experts say, to channel fears and frustrations into acts of creativity.