Author: Chris Funk (Chris Funk)

All the reports I have read since the release of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposed budget point to his education budget as being good for public education. There is some truth to that statement. His proposed budget is great for early learning education and for increasing funding in special education in grades K-3. He also proposes...

As we await Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposed state budget in his second term, early education advocates are hopeful he’ll continue his pledge of closing the opportunity gap by providing universal preschool. During his first year as governor, Newsom’s first budget included a proposal of nearly $1.8 billion for an array of cradle-to-kindergarten initiatives. Recently, presidential...

As Superintendent of East Side Union High School District, I am very thankful for a plethora of amazing things happening in our district and across the East Side Alliance. I’d like to highlight five areas I am thankful for during this Season of Giving. Downtown Doors – When I was principal at Lincoln High School,...

Every day, approximately 1.7 million students attend public schools. Families place an enormous amount of trust on teachers, counselors, coaches and administrators to take care of their child for six or more hours per day. Yet, with the cost of living skyrocketing in Santa Clara County, the ability to attract and retain highly qualified school...

My column published on Aug. 19 on Cristo Rey Jesuit High School focused on two public policy issues: Using public funds to underwrite the tuition at a Catholic high school and the procurement process that was used by the San Jose City Manager’s office. In all my columns, I have tried to share educational issues...

California public schools serve approximately 1.7 million students of whom more than 70% are students of color and speak 90 languages. In East Side Union High School District (ESUHSD), 93% of our student population are students of color and speak 40 plus languages. California is expected to become even more diverse in the coming years....

On Aug. 6, the San Jose City Council unanimously approved a contract with Cristo Rey San José Jesuit High School in the amount of $838,264 to provide work experience/paid internships for up to 24 students. The contract is paid directly to Cristo Rey to help cover the tuition cost for the students’ Jesuit education. Cristo...

Homelessness has become a daily discussion in San Jose and Santa Clara County for good reason; the 2019 homeless count reported in May revealed that from 2017 to 2019, homelessness increased by 42% in San Jose, from 4,350 individuals to 6,172 individuals. In Santa Clara County, the homeless population increased by 31%, from 7,394 people...

I had the extraordinary opportunity to attend six of our East Side Union High School District graduation ceremonies last month. In fact, I also had the opportunity to attend my niece’s high school graduation. It is an amazing time for our graduating seniors, their families and friends. However, for an educator who oversees a large...

At the end of former Gov. Jerry Brown’s tenure, charter school opponents sought relief in the “Charter Schools Act of 1992.” Specifically, school districts were seeking the ability to deny a charter based on financial stress to a district. Although no legislation was passed, the spark was generated. Within the first two months of Gov....