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Union-backed Torlakson beating reformer Tuck

It looks like the state’s ultra-powerful teachers unions won another one. Early returns show incumbent State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson defeating reformer Marshall Tuck, 55-45. The unions’ strategy of spending tens of millions of dollars — all of

Brown wins 4th term as gov.

John Seiler November 4, 2014

Bucking a national Republican trend, Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown easily won re-election tonight, with early returns indicating a 58-42 win over Neel Kashkari. If the numbers hold, that would top his 53-41 victory over Meg Whitman in 2010, when Third

CTA pours extra money into Torlakson-Tuck race

Chris Reed November 4, 2014

Polls have shown the race between Superintendent of Public Schools Tom Torlakson and fellow Democrat Marshall Tuck to be within the margin of error, but I’m hearing there was a big infusion of CTA funds to run attack ads Monday

Live-blogging the election

John Seiler November 3, 2014

At the CalWatchdog.com blog, we’ll be live-blogging the election this evening. So tune in. The main races to watch are: Superintendent of public instruction, between union ally Tom Torlakson and reformer Marshall Tuck. Several California races for U.S. Congress, which

Mercury-News report on mass CA poverty may change coverage

Chris Reed November 2, 2014

The pack mentality of the Sacramento beat reporters is striking. No one wants to point out that the Obama administration says fracking is safe. No one wants to point out that the Local Control Funding Formula turned out to be

BK judge slams taxpayers on Stockton pensions

John Seiler November 2, 2014

In boon to public pensioners and a shock to taxpayers throughout California, federal Judge Christopher M. Klein approved a bankruptcy plan to put Stockton city retirees at the top of the heap. That means taxpayers are at the bottom. Also stiffed

Economic boom fake

John Seiler November 1, 2014

The U.S. economy in the third quarter supposedly enjoyed strong economic growth of 3.5 percent. But look between the lines and the growth was fake. Reported the L.A. Times: Government spending surged 4.6% in the third quarter, the fastest annual

Izumi study sparks law promoting online learning

John Seiler October 31, 2014

Maybe things actually are starting to change for the better in California’s embattled public schools. The latest: Kids who enroll in virtual or online charter schools now can continue their studies even if they move out of their original school

Part of bullet-train legal mystery may be answered

Chris Reed October 31, 2014

For close followers of the bullet-train saga, one of the most basic mysteries of recent years has been what happened after Sacramento Superior Court Judge Michael Kenny’s tentative ruling in August 2013 that blocked the state from starting construction on

Field Poll: Dems win in CA, schools chief close

John Seiler October 30, 2014

It isn’t over till it’s over, Yogi Berra famously said. But in California’s partisan statewide races, it might be just about over for Republican challengers to Democrats. But the nonpartisan race for superintendent of public instruction remains too close to