
Zaidee Stavely
Zaidee Stavely covers bilingual education, early education and immigration as it relates to schools and hosts EdSource’s Education Beat podcast. She is a bilingual print and radio reporter who has worked in Mexico and the U.S. She has covered education, immigration, environmental justice and traditional arts for KQED, Radio Bilingüe, and Public Radio International’s “The World,” among other outlets. Zaidee has won numerous awards for her journalism, including an Emmy, a Regional Edward R. Murrow Award, an Excellence in Journalism Award from SPJ Northern California, and the Rubén Salazar Award from CCCNMA: Latino Journalists of California. She grew up in rural Mendocino County, where both her parents taught in public one-room schoolhouses. She has a Master’s degree from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and a B.A. in Latin American and Latino Studies and Community Studies from UC Santa Cruz. She lives in Oakland with her husband and two children.
All articles by Zaidee Stavely
Can common ground be found on teaching reading in California?
A new paper aims to find consensus about literacy curriculum for English language learners and other students and early screeners for reading.
Zaidee Stavely
March 9, 2023
Family reunited after four years separated by Trump-era immigration policy
José Luis Ruiz Arévalos thought he would be in Mexico for six days. Instead, he was forced to stay out of the country for almost four years, disrupting his kids' education.
Zaidee Stavely
March 6, 2023
Bilingual students do better on tests than native English speakers. Why?
Some researchers say the bar to be considered proficient in English is so high that only students who perform well can be reclassified.
Zaidee Stavely
February 6, 2023
Education Beat in 2022: Our favorite podcast episodes of the year
As 2022 comes to a close, here are a few of our favorite podcast episodes from this year.
Zaidee Stavely
December 27, 2022
Governor vetoes full-day and mandatory kindergarten bills
California won’t be making kindergarten mandatory or extending the kindergarten school day any time soon.
Zaidee Stavely
September 26, 2022
Teachers and students both learned from this intensive summer English class
A course on plastic pollution was designed to both boost English learners' language skills and help teachers learn strategies to support these students.
Zaidee Stavely
September 13, 2022
Dual-immersion programs show promise in fighting enrollment declines
Some California school districts have stopped or reversed declining enrollment in a school by beginning dual-language immersion programs.
Zaidee Stavely
August 29, 2022
Frustration after bilingual education bill dies in State Assembly
The bill would have established a program to offer grants of up to $750,000 to expand or establish dual-language immersion programs.
Zaidee Stavely
August 22, 2022
California could paint a clearer picture of English learner achievement if new bill passes
The bill would require the state to separate out test scores in English language arts, math and science for subgroups of English learners.
Zaidee Stavely
August 1, 2022
How a journalism class in Compton boosts students’ English skills
Students learn listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills, by interviewing and writing articles, in this six-week summer class.
Zaidee Stavely
July 28, 2022
California to boost number of bilingual teachers in Asian languages
School districts struggle to hire bilingual teachers in all languages, but the shortage is more severe for teachers fluent in Asian languages.
Zaidee Stavely
June 24, 2022
How language-rich math can help students learning English
Teachers in three school systems learned strategies to help multilingual learners engage with rigorous math assignments.
Zaidee Stavely
May 24, 2022
To find more bilingual teachers, California needs to cast a wider net
Some experts say California needs to expand the number of programs that offer bilingual teaching authorizations and recruit new potential teachers.
Zaidee Stavely
April 20, 2022
LA schools make headway with English learners, but challenges remain
Many Los Angeles County districts are changing some English language development classes to make them more engaging and so that they meet college entrance requirements.
Zaidee Stavely
April 7, 2022
Will a universal screening test for dyslexia mislabel California’s English learners?
Some California teachers and researchers say tests must be carefully designed to avoid misdiagnosing dyslexia in students who are learning English.