Author: Mary Ann Dewan (Mary Ann Dewan)

Economic development starts with early childhood development. Decades of evidence shows access to high-quality early learning and care programs has short- and long-term benefits. The best public investments ensure all children have access to high-quality child care, early care and education. Child care is essential infrastructure for our economy. Many child care providers are small...

As the new school year is underway, families are making decisions about travel to and from school. More and more families are considering options for their children to walk or ride a bike to school. The Safe Routes Partnership, a national group, offers ideas for communities to use in planning and preparing safer routes to...

It is back-to-school time for most children in Santa Clara County. Families are getting school supply lists and backpacks and preparing for all that is new and exciting when a school year begins. It is important families also prepare by ensuring their children have up-to-date immunizations and vaccines. Vaccines are another important part of growing...

Humans are naturally social beings. Socialization, companionship and healthy relationships are essential to our overall well-being and to thrive in life. The strength of our connections has an impact on our feelings of happiness, and our physical and mental health. Connecting with others eases stress, anxiety and depression and prevents loneliness. Many people have come...

Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identifies guns as the leading cause of death for children. National Gun Violence Awareness Day is June 2, a day set aside to raise awareness and promote positive change. Policymakers, community members, leaders and parents have taken steps to protect children from gun violence and keep...

A 2022 report, updated in March, found that firearms recently became the No. 1 cause of death for children and teens in the United States, surpassing motor vehicle deaths and those caused by other injuries. Additionally, child abuse persists, leading to injury, harm and sometimes death. National Child Abuse Prevention Month recognizes the importance of families...

Schools throughout Santa Clara County are looking for candidates to fill important positions for the upcoming school year. Working in education is incredibly rewarding. School personnel make a difference in the lives of children each and every day. The Santa Clara County Office of Education partners with local schools to recruit credentialed educators to fill...

Families with young children have a variety of early learning program options in Santa Clara County. Enrollment for next school year is already underway. Families who are interested in enrolling their child in preschool, transitional kindergarten (TK) or kindergarten can do so each year starting as early as December in some of Santa Clara County’s...

The recent winter rain offers potential drought relief, but the severity of the storms had detrimental impacts throughout the state, including power outages that disrupted learning. Locally, several schools experienced closures due to storm related power outages. Schools have faced several years of ongoing disruption to learning from the COVID-19 pandemic, wildfires, poor air quality,...

The COVID-19 pandemic affected education services and student learning worldwide. It also interrupted the statewide data collection, assessment and accountability systems for our public schools. Last week, the California Department of Education released the 2022 California School Dashboard. The dashboard is one part of California’s comprehensive accountability system for schools. The dashboard reflects data from the...