Education

Anaheim Union Superintendent Aims to Serve All Students

Published

11 years ago

January 25, 2016

Oakland Post

By Anh Do, L.A. Times

Anaheim Union Superintendent Aims to Serve All Students

Anaheim Supt. Michael Matsuda has a special connection the district and its homeless students

When community leaders gathered to welcome Michael Matsuda, the new superintendent decided to share the moment — and the limelight — with one of his students.

Abby Carreon, a 17-year-old homeless student who was beginning her senior year at Magnolia High School in Anaheim, shyly made her way to the microphone after Matsuda explained that the girl religiously made a 90-minute bus ride to get to class each day.

Matsuda, who took over as the Anaheim Union High School District’s top educator last spring and began his first full year on the job this fall, had made sure the girl’s father, mother and older sister were in the audience.

“We cannot forget that for everyone who’s visible in our classes, there are those who may be invisible,” he said.

Matsuda was an unexpected pick to lead a sprawling district of 31,000 students in central Orange County. He’d never served as a superintendent, never been a school principal, not even an assistant principal.

Anaheim high school student Abby Carreon, 17, meets with Supt. Michael Matsuda. Matsuda, whose mother was taken to an internment camp during WWII. He is particularly concerned with the issue of homeless students. Photo by Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times.

We cannot forget that for everyone who’s visible in our classes, there are those who may be invisible. – Anaheim Union Supt. Michael Matsuda

Most of his 21 years in Anaheim had been spent as a teacher, including stints in junior high school and as an honors English teacher at Oxford Academy, the district’s prestigious college prep school. Several school trustees openly expressed concern about his lack of administrative experience when he was hired on a 3-2 vote.

But Matsuda did arrive with a special connection.

As a high school freshman, Ruth Akiko Matsuda was forced out of the Anaheim school district after the attack on Pearl Harbor and ordered to report with her family to the Poston War Relocation Center in Arizona, the largest of the U.S. internment camps.

The 14-year-old student was “shocked and embarrassed” by the abruptness of it all, too young to understand the full weight of what was happening but old enough to see that her life would be forever altered.

Years later, when Michael Matsuda was in charge of developing programs for beginning teachers in Anaheim, he tried to persuade his mother, who had raised five children, to return to school and earn her high school diploma.

“I’m an employee here,” he told her. “I just don’t feel right about you not having graduated. We need to make things right.”

She finally relented, but with the condition that the district honor her former principal at Anaheim High School. Paul Demaret, she explained, had shown the courage to stand up at a school assembly and announce that he would not put up with any intolerance toward the district’s Japanese American students.

He also apologized on behalf of the country, writing letters to students at internment camps, encouraging them to continue their education.

“I am sorry this happened to you,” Demaret wrote in a note to Ruth.

“‘He showed us a lesson in unity,’ ” Matsuda said his now late-mother told him.

After the district held a ceremony for the former principal, Ruth Matsuda — at the age of 68 — went back to school.

When Matsuda took over as superintendent, one of the first things he did was to arrange to have dinner with one of the district’s homeless students.

There are 4,200 students in Anaheim Unified identified as being homeless under the McKinney-Vento Act, which ensures that students who don’t have permanent addresses may continue to attend the same school — regardless of where their family lives.

The district, which fans across the county, includes boulevards filled with cheap motels that provide temporary shelter for families drifting in and out of homelessness.

Adela Cruz, who handles the district’s outreach to homeless families, set up a dinner for her boss and Abby Carreon. Matsuda took the student and her family to a Pizza Hut in Anaheim, and then escorted them to the homeless shelter in downtown Santa Ana where they were staying.

“He’s very comfortable around anyone,” Cruz said.

Jan Billings, the district’s former superintendent, said she wasn’t surprised to see Matsuda reach out to youngsters on the edge.

“Mike is brilliant at bringing causes together,” Billings said. “You’d be surprised at how many people he knows. And he knows what makes them tick. That’s what it takes in this job — connecting.”

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Education

‘Raising a Child Shouldn’t Break the Bank’: California Is Helping Families Save on Childcare Costs

California has implemented new fee schedules and expanded programs to reduce the financial burden of childcare for families across the state. Under recent reforms, many households qualifying for subsidized care have seen their annual fees eliminated entirely. The state has also introduced universal transitional kindergarten and increased access to before- and after-school enrichment. Despite these investments in facilities and provider benefits, affordability remains a persistent challenge for many residents as the state works to bridge existing gaps in care. Read more.

Published

1 week ago

October 25, 2026

Post News Group

By Bo Tefu,, California Black Media

California families are paying less for subsidized childcare under new fee schedules introduced since 2019, according to information from the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC).

The state has expanded subsidized childcare, introduced free transitional kindergarten for 4-year-olds, and increased access to before- and after-school programs as part of broader efforts to reduce the financial burden of raising children. However, childcare affordability remains a challenge for many families.

According to a PPIC chart cited by the administration, a family of three earning $60,000 annually would have paid approximately $7,000 a year in fees for full-time subsidized childcare under the 2019-20 schedule. Under the 2025-26 schedule, the annual fee is zero. The figures are adjusted for inflation.

“Raising a child shouldn’t break the bank,” Newsom said. He added that the state has lowered costs, expanded access to affordable care, and increased educational opportunities to help parents and children thrive.

Since 2019, California has added approximately 149,000 subsidized childcare slots and awarded 3,800 grants to providers to improve facilities and expand capacity. The state has also expanded before-and after-school care and summer programs for students in transitional kindergarten through sixth grade, offering activities such as homework assistance, arts, music, and science enrichment.

Universal transitional kindergarten is another major component of the state’s strategy. The free program is available to all 4-year-olds in California, providing early education while helping families avoid some childcare expenses. California enrolled 213,313 children in transitional kindergarten during the 2025-26 school year. The Newsom administration says the state has invested $12.5 billion since 2019 to implement the program statewide.

Other initiatives include expanding paid family leave from six weeks to eight weeks and increasing wage replacement for eligible workers.

Those earning less than $65,000 annually can receive up to 90% of their regular wages while on leave.

California has also provided free meals to public school students and established the CalKIDS savings program, which provides eligible children with accounts to help cover future college and career training expenses.

The state has further supported childcare providers through collective bargaining, committing more than $800 million to health, retirement, and training benefits for members of Child Care Providers United.

While these initiatives have expanded support for families, the PPIC figures specifically illustrate changes in subsidized childcare fees, not the full cost of care for every household. Ensuring that affordable, accessible childcare is available to families across income levels remains an ongoing challenge for California.

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Education

U.S. Rep. Simon Secures More Than $1 Million for Public Safety at Mills College at Northeastern University Oakland, Surrounding Neighborhood

This week, Congresswoman Lateefah Simon (CA-12) announced $1,031,000 in Community Project Funding (CPF) for Mills College at Northeastern University Oakland (MCNUO). This federal funding will be used to purchase new emergency blue-light phone towers and security cameras that will

Published

1 week ago

October 25, 2026

Post News Group

Flanked by students, holding the check to the college are (l.-r.) U.S. Rep Lateefah Simon, Renee Jadushlever and Dan Sachs of MCNUO and Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee. Courtesy photo.

By Special to The Post

Simon announced the funding alongside Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee, Dean of Northeastern University Oakland Dan Sachs, Associated Vice President for Global Site Security Regina Coppa, and other Northeastern University leadership. This federal investment is part of Simon’s commitment to bringing federal resources back to the East Bay and supporting students, educators, and educational institutions who are creating the next generation of leaders in the East Bay.

This Community Project Funding (CPF) is a part of the $11.2 million that Simon secured for 15 projects across the East Bay in Fiscal Year 2026. Each fiscal year, members of Congress can submit Community Project Funding requests for consideration with the House Committee on Appropriations.

“Mills College at Northeastern University is one of the jewels of Oakland. I came to this campus as a student and young, single mother and walked these paths with my child. I know this campus is home to far more than a university.

“It is home to the little ones at the preschool, the girls at Julia Morgan, the neighbors who swim in the pool and walk the trail, and the faculty and workers who keep it all running,” Simon said. “This funding invests in every one of them and in the simple things that make a place safe: light, open paths, updated equipment like call booths.

“NE’s leadership is committed to a campus that takes responsibility for its neighbors as much as its own. Safety is a public good, and that is exactly the kind of investment Oakland deserves. Thank you to Mayor Barbara Lee for her partnership on this funding.”

“This campus changed my life when I came here as a single mother on public assistance, and this million-dollar investment continues that legacy of support by keeping our students, families, and neighbors safe,” said Mayor Barbara Lee. “Before leaving Congress, I requested federal funding for this project, and I am deeply grateful to Congresswoman Lateefah Simon for carrying it forward so we can build the safe, thriving community Oakland deserves.”

“We’re grateful to Congresswoman Lateefah Simon for her leadership in securing this funding for our Oakland campus,” said Renee Jadushlever, vice president for Campus Administration and Strategic Initiatives at Northeastern University. “It’s a place where students learn, do research, build community, and gain real-world experience with our industry partners across the region. This investment will help maintain the safety of our campus community while we continue to welcome our neighbors and deepen our connections across Oakland.”

U.S. Rep. Lateefah Simon’s media relations office is the source of this story.

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Community

WCCUSD Joins Statewide Organic School Food Purchasing Cooperative

Other districts involved include: Alameda USD, Albany USD, Berkeley USD, Capistrano USD, Cupertino Union SD, Hayward USD, Laguna Beach USD, Lagunitas Elementary SD, Mt. Diablo USD, North Monterey County USD, Pajaro Valley USD, San Leandro USD, San Ramon Valley USD, Santa Clara USD, Sausalito Marin City SD, Tahoe-Truckee USD and West Contra Costa USD.

Published

3 weeks ago

October 13, 2026

Post News Group

West Contra Costa Unified School District food services team members pose for a photo at Back-to-School Night. Photo courtesy of WCCUSD.

By Richmond Standard Staff

Seventeen California public school districts, including West Contra Costa Unified (WCCUSD), have joined a purchasing cooperative to pool their buying power and expand access to organic food in school meals.

The nonprofit Conscious Kitchen recently announced the launch of the Conscious Organic School Food Purchasing Cooperative. Its founding districts serve more than 300,000 students combined.

The cooperative partnered with food distributors UNFI and Sysco to expand the organic products available to participating districts. Combining schools’ purchasing demand helps distributors plan with suppliers while creating more dependable markets for organic farmers and food makers, according to Conscious Kitchen.

Other eligible California school districts can access the cooperative’s products and pricing through its existing contracts without conducting their own bids. Mt. Diablo Unified School District serves as the lead district for the cooperative’s grocery bid.

Barbara Jellison, WCCUSD’s executive director of food services, said the cooperative builds on years of work bringing fresh, organic food into school kitchens.

“The next challenge has always been how to make that possible for more districts,” Jellison said. “The Co-op gives schools a way to take what we have learned and move it to a completely different scale.”