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"slug": "stanfords-aradshar-chaddar-dreamed-big-and-left-a-lasting-impact",
"title": "Stanford’s Aradshar Chaddar Dreamed Big — and Left a Lasting Impact",
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"content": "\u003cp>Aradshar Chaddar spent his life chasing big dreams — from debate halls and stages in Lahore to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/stanford-university\">Stanford University\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This spring, at 21, the Stanford sophomore was killed in a bike collision on campus, a death that stunned friends and family across two continents and cut short a life defined by ambition.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>His death — the first bike fatality on Stanford’s campus in nearly six years — rattled those who knew him as more than an accomplished student. To loved ones, Chaddar was someone who lifted up the people around him, carried the hopes of his family in Pakistan, and made others believe in the magnitude of their own dreams.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is the gravest blow,” his father, Sessions Judge Zafaryab Chaddar, said to KQED from Pakistan. “I would have gone to a grave before Aradshar, but life is very cruel.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“He was so smart, he was so beautiful.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chaddar’s determination showed early. At 7, he was one of the top students in his school’s debate competitions. The topics for first graders were simple, but his peers could tell he was something special. Born in the United States and raised in Pakistan, he quickly stood out among his classmates.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12067143\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12067143\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-STANFORDSTUDENTDEATH00717_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-STANFORDSTUDENTDEATH00717_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-STANFORDSTUDENTDEATH00717_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-STANFORDSTUDENTDEATH00717_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The intersection of Arboretum Road and Palm Drive, where 21-year-old Stanford sophomore Aradshar Chaddar was hit and killed in a bike collision this past summer at Stanford University in Palo Alto on Dec. 10, 2025. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“He was way ahead of everyone else around him,” said Ismail Iftikhar, his classmate and friend.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At 13, Chaddar, known as Arad or Chad to friends and family, began going to Model United Nations conferences, where he came alive during long, winding speeches about world affairs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You could tell that beneath the words, there were larger dreams and visions of a world that’s better,” said Mustafa Khan, who attended the same high school as Chaddar.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At 18, he shot up to 6-foot-3 — a college student with glasses, neat dark hair, a wide smile and a glimmer in his eyes as he would rope his friend Léon Garcia to help him run the Stanford Democrats or into a last-minute trek to San Francisco’s Chinatown.[aside postID=news_12047968 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250630-HUMANITARIANPAROLEDEEPDIVE-13-BL-KQED.jpg']“He would go out of his way to talk to people on the street whom he ran into, who he thought he could learn something interesting from,” Garcia said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At 21, Chaddar ran into his high school history teacher, Shaan Tahir, in Lahore, Pakistan. His teacher asked him: “Arad. Ambitious as ever?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Sir. Is there any other way?” Chaddar said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What are you aiming for?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“President of the USA,” he confidently responded.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tahir laughed, then remembered who he was talking to.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I don’t doubt it,” he said to his former student.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Months later, at a memorial service at the high school, Tahir recalled the memory as he sat among a crowd wracked with grief.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I knew that he meant it … He is possibly the most ambitious person that I’ve ever met in my life,” Tahir told KQED. “Extremely determined to be someone in life and be something in life.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chaddar’s story is “about dreaming,” Khan said. “Not just for yourself, but dreaming for other people. Recognizing other people’s dreams and making them feel like they’re capable of achieving them because they are.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Chasing big dreams\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Iftikhar was 7 when he met Chaddar, and the first impression was not positive.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I thought he was full of himself,” Iftikhar said, laughing. “I thought he was incredibly selfish.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But even then, he could tell Chaddar was ambitious and smart. They were among the top students at their school in Lahore, a city of over 14 million people and Pakistan’s academic center. Their friendly rivalry persisted until eighth grade, when Chaddar asked Iftikhar to join his Model United Nations team.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Iftikhar agreed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12067034\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 1500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12067034\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251212-Stanford-Student-Death-02-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1500\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251212-Stanford-Student-Death-02-KQED.jpg 1500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251212-Stanford-Student-Death-02-KQED-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251212-Stanford-Student-Death-02-KQED-1152x1536.jpg 1152w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Chaddar once described himself as “an avid mountaineer.” In a 2023 Instagram post, he said he hoped to “summit all the eight thousander peaks.” \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Ismail Iftikhar)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I realized that selfish is the last word I would use for him,” Iftikhar said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It was the type of friendship only two high achievers could have, one that endlessly pushed each other. They were prefects together and ran the Model UN club together. They poured over films together, diving into dialogue, politics and themes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I couldn’t name a single thing he hadn’t seen,” he said. “There was basically nothing I could beat him in.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chaddar’s favorite directors were Ingmar Bergman and Akira Kurosawa. He devoured books. While it’s common for Americans to be fans of the 2015 biographical musical \u003cem>Hamilton\u003c/em>, it’s less common for a kid from Pakistan — and Iftikhar said that Chaddar knew the dialogue by heart. He commanded English and Urdu with ease. He had a course load that confounded teachers. He brought home awards and distinctions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Vulnerability was hard for Chaddar, who felt deeply for the people around him, as if there was no separation between someone’s sorrow and his own. Their happiness was his.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sometimes the emotions got to him. In high school, Iftikhar and Chaddar’s team lost a Model UN competition. Chaddar was “a really bad loser, because he wasn’t used to losing,” Iftikhar said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At home, after the rest of the team left, Iftikhar found Chaddar lying down on the couch. He was clearly distressed, almost on the verge of tears. Iftikhar walked over and hugged him. Chaddar cried.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Later on, he told me that that was like his favorite memory of us,” Iftikhar, now 21 and living in Southern California, said. “It just holds a special place in my heart.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It felt natural that they would be the only two of their class to go to California for college — Iftikhar to Claremont McKenna College near Los Angeles, Chaddar to Stanford in the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A life cut short\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Chaddar arrived at Stanford in fall 2023 on a scholarship, planning to study political science and international relations. He tried to convince Garcia, a fellow freshman, to drop physics and pursue the same path.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“He was a big evangelist for the humanities,” Garcia said. “He believed that it was his job to lift up the people around him.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If Chaddar’s goal was to be president, spending time with him felt like being on the campaign trail. To Garcia, he was a “Don Quixote-style character.” When he wasn’t studying, Chaddar was pushing Garcia to leave the Stanford bubble and venture into San Francisco, where Chaddar knew people and places as if he lived in the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12067144\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12067144\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-STANFORDSTUDENTDEATH00786_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-STANFORDSTUDENTDEATH00786_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-STANFORDSTUDENTDEATH00786_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-STANFORDSTUDENTDEATH00786_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A vigil for 21-year-old Stanford sophomore Aradshar Chaddar, who was hit and killed in a bike collision this past summer, sits under a tree at Terman Fountain at Stanford University in Palo Alto on Dec. 10, 2025. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“He kind of lived life in his own world, almost, and he brought everybody around him into that world,” Garcia said. “He was like one of the last true romantics.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He would spontaneously pop up at the San Francisco apartment of Khan, who graduated from Stanford.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“His energy is quite infectious as well. Always having this cheeky grin on his face,” Khan said. “It was hard not to fall in love with.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It was hard to imagine someone so full of life being gone.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On May 31, Chaddar was riding an electric bike on the Stanford University campus when, around 3 a.m., he was struck by a car. He was taken to a hospital, where he died at 3:25 a.m.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He had been crossing the intersection of Palm Drive and Arboretum Road in the dark, with limited visibility, when an Uber driver entered the intersection and hit him on his left side.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When a collision on campus results in an injury, CHP responds for an investigation and a report, said Bill Larson, public information officer for Stanford’s Department of Public Safety.[aside postID=news_12067175 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/250418-SFPDFile-46-BL_qed.jpg']Stanford data shows that from December 2018 to November 2025, there were 120 bike collisions on campus that resulted in a CHP investigation. Around 60% of those collisions were between a bike and a vehicle that resulted in an injury.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When expanding the dataset beyond collisions resulting in a CHP investigation, there have been almost 240 bike accidents on campus reported from September 2018 to October 2025. According to the Stanford Daily, some \u003ca href=\"https://stanforddaily.com/2020/02/11/mapping-bike-accidents-on-campus/\">spots on campus\u003c/a> have a kind of notoriety for being dangerous for cyclists. For example, the roundabout near the school’s Clock Tower is called the “Circle of Death.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A lot of the roads at Stanford are not very well lit,” Khan said. “I am so afraid every time I drive through.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Iftikhar said around the time of the collision, speculation arose about what happened. It made sense that people were searching for more answers, he said, trying to understand the sudden death of someone so loved. But he wasn’t sure there was more to know.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Iftikhar learned about Chaddar at 7:20 a.m. on June 2, 2025, after getting a message from Chaddar’s mother. Iftikhar was working on the Claremont McKenna College campus that summer and was the closest of his friends to the Bay Area. He booked a flight the same day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chaddar’s aunt from North Carolina also arrived. What followed was a succession of office visits. They went to the medical examiner’s office. They couldn’t see the body right away because the investigation was still ongoing. So they went to a funeral home and talked to the coroner. They signed documents and packed his dorm room. They attended a hastily organized vigil on campus, joining more than 200 students, staff and faculty as stories were shared and music played. Even more watched online.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A courier company predicted it would take at least weeks to bring Chaddar home to Pakistan, citing logistics. Iftikhar worked with Chaddar’s aunt to expedite the process — filling out documents, contacting the U.S. State Department and the Pakistani embassy. In early June, Chaddar was able to be transported back to Pakistan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I just was very restless,” he said. “I don’t know. I just ended up doing things, and that’s my way of dealing with things.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The boys went to California together. Now they were going home together.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A life remembered\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>While he went to school in Lahore, Chaddar’s family was from Mano Chak, a village three hours away.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chaddar was buried there, near his younger sister, who died a few years earlier. At the service, Iftikhar said he saw “more people than I’ve ever seen” in the village — all gathered for him. Friends from Stanford, including his girlfriend, also flew from California to see him.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He is survived by his father, mother and his 12-year-old sister.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12067141\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12067141\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-STANFORDFILE00607_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-STANFORDFILE00607_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-STANFORDFILE00607_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-STANFORDFILE00607_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Hoover Tower at Stanford University in Palo Alto on Dec. 10, 2025. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“He was such a friendly baby,” his mother, gynecologist Sadia Chaddar, said. He had a sweet disposition and happily chirped, “Yes, I can do it, Mama!” whenever she needed his help.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She laughed when remembering how the kids called him Mr. President.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I used to argue with him,” she said. “Ardi, there are many other options. Why do you want to be the President of the USA?’ But she supported him, no matter what. Whatever he wanted to do, she would be there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I can’t get my baby out of my mind,” his mother said. “I just sleep with his thoughts in my mind. I wake up with his thoughts in my mind.”[aside postID=arts_13893843 hero='https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2021/03/guillaume-de-germain-Z_br8TOcCpE-unsplash-1020x681.jpg']She thinks of him when she looks at her daughter, Farazeen. She is just like her big brother – sharp, thoughtful, ambitious.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“He’s basically my motivation whenever I’m studying,” Farazeen said. “He was a role model for me growing up.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chaddar’s room – and library full of books he devoured – is preserved just the way it was when he would visit home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>His father pores over his son’s writing, his debates, his speeches, his pictures, the tributes to him. His pride and love radiate as he talks about his eldest child; his grief immense.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It is not my personal loss. People claim that it is a national loss,” his father said. “Pakistan has lost a brilliant man.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a \u003ca href=\"https://theazb.com/does-the-american-dream-still-hold-true/#google_vignette\">June column\u003c/a> for an English-language online publication focused on Pakistan, Chaddar wrote that his middle-class background gave him opportunities not afforded to others in his village. When he was home, he said it was common to hear advice like, “There is nothing for you here,” and “Get out of here as soon as possible.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite this, being from Mano Chak and Pakistan meant everything to Chaddar. He missed home fiercely, especially when coming to the United States, Iftikhar said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chaddar knew his ambition would always take him away from home and the family he loved. He struggled with that, writing his thoughts out in his journal and sharing them with Iftikhar.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The village was a place that offered a lot of peace, a lot of security,” Iftikhar said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It is also where he drew his strength from. Chaddar wanted to be the best. Even more, his friend said, “He wanted to make his family proud.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Aradshar Chaddar, a 21-year-old Stanford student born in the U.S. and raised in Pakistan, died in a campus bike accident, leaving friends and family mourning his ambition and impact.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Aradshar Chaddar spent his life chasing big dreams — from debate halls and stages in Lahore to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/stanford-university\">Stanford University\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This spring, at 21, the Stanford sophomore was killed in a bike collision on campus, a death that stunned friends and family across two continents and cut short a life defined by ambition.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>His death — the first bike fatality on Stanford’s campus in nearly six years — rattled those who knew him as more than an accomplished student. To loved ones, Chaddar was someone who lifted up the people around him, carried the hopes of his family in Pakistan, and made others believe in the magnitude of their own dreams.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is the gravest blow,” his father, Sessions Judge Zafaryab Chaddar, said to KQED from Pakistan. “I would have gone to a grave before Aradshar, but life is very cruel.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“He was so smart, he was so beautiful.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chaddar’s determination showed early. At 7, he was one of the top students in his school’s debate competitions. The topics for first graders were simple, but his peers could tell he was something special. Born in the United States and raised in Pakistan, he quickly stood out among his classmates.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12067143\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12067143\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-STANFORDSTUDENTDEATH00717_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-STANFORDSTUDENTDEATH00717_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-STANFORDSTUDENTDEATH00717_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-STANFORDSTUDENTDEATH00717_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The intersection of Arboretum Road and Palm Drive, where 21-year-old Stanford sophomore Aradshar Chaddar was hit and killed in a bike collision this past summer at Stanford University in Palo Alto on Dec. 10, 2025. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“He was way ahead of everyone else around him,” said Ismail Iftikhar, his classmate and friend.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At 13, Chaddar, known as Arad or Chad to friends and family, began going to Model United Nations conferences, where he came alive during long, winding speeches about world affairs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You could tell that beneath the words, there were larger dreams and visions of a world that’s better,” said Mustafa Khan, who attended the same high school as Chaddar.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At 18, he shot up to 6-foot-3 — a college student with glasses, neat dark hair, a wide smile and a glimmer in his eyes as he would rope his friend Léon Garcia to help him run the Stanford Democrats or into a last-minute trek to San Francisco’s Chinatown.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“He would go out of his way to talk to people on the street whom he ran into, who he thought he could learn something interesting from,” Garcia said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At 21, Chaddar ran into his high school history teacher, Shaan Tahir, in Lahore, Pakistan. His teacher asked him: “Arad. Ambitious as ever?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Sir. Is there any other way?” Chaddar said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What are you aiming for?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“President of the USA,” he confidently responded.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tahir laughed, then remembered who he was talking to.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I don’t doubt it,” he said to his former student.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Months later, at a memorial service at the high school, Tahir recalled the memory as he sat among a crowd wracked with grief.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I knew that he meant it … He is possibly the most ambitious person that I’ve ever met in my life,” Tahir told KQED. “Extremely determined to be someone in life and be something in life.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chaddar’s story is “about dreaming,” Khan said. “Not just for yourself, but dreaming for other people. Recognizing other people’s dreams and making them feel like they’re capable of achieving them because they are.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Chasing big dreams\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Iftikhar was 7 when he met Chaddar, and the first impression was not positive.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I thought he was full of himself,” Iftikhar said, laughing. “I thought he was incredibly selfish.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But even then, he could tell Chaddar was ambitious and smart. They were among the top students at their school in Lahore, a city of over 14 million people and Pakistan’s academic center. Their friendly rivalry persisted until eighth grade, when Chaddar asked Iftikhar to join his Model United Nations team.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Iftikhar agreed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12067034\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 1500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12067034\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251212-Stanford-Student-Death-02-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1500\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251212-Stanford-Student-Death-02-KQED.jpg 1500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251212-Stanford-Student-Death-02-KQED-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251212-Stanford-Student-Death-02-KQED-1152x1536.jpg 1152w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Chaddar once described himself as “an avid mountaineer.” In a 2023 Instagram post, he said he hoped to “summit all the eight thousander peaks.” \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Ismail Iftikhar)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I realized that selfish is the last word I would use for him,” Iftikhar said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It was the type of friendship only two high achievers could have, one that endlessly pushed each other. They were prefects together and ran the Model UN club together. They poured over films together, diving into dialogue, politics and themes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I couldn’t name a single thing he hadn’t seen,” he said. “There was basically nothing I could beat him in.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chaddar’s favorite directors were Ingmar Bergman and Akira Kurosawa. He devoured books. While it’s common for Americans to be fans of the 2015 biographical musical \u003cem>Hamilton\u003c/em>, it’s less common for a kid from Pakistan — and Iftikhar said that Chaddar knew the dialogue by heart. He commanded English and Urdu with ease. He had a course load that confounded teachers. He brought home awards and distinctions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Vulnerability was hard for Chaddar, who felt deeply for the people around him, as if there was no separation between someone’s sorrow and his own. Their happiness was his.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sometimes the emotions got to him. In high school, Iftikhar and Chaddar’s team lost a Model UN competition. Chaddar was “a really bad loser, because he wasn’t used to losing,” Iftikhar said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At home, after the rest of the team left, Iftikhar found Chaddar lying down on the couch. He was clearly distressed, almost on the verge of tears. Iftikhar walked over and hugged him. Chaddar cried.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Later on, he told me that that was like his favorite memory of us,” Iftikhar, now 21 and living in Southern California, said. “It just holds a special place in my heart.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It felt natural that they would be the only two of their class to go to California for college — Iftikhar to Claremont McKenna College near Los Angeles, Chaddar to Stanford in the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A life cut short\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Chaddar arrived at Stanford in fall 2023 on a scholarship, planning to study political science and international relations. He tried to convince Garcia, a fellow freshman, to drop physics and pursue the same path.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“He was a big evangelist for the humanities,” Garcia said. “He believed that it was his job to lift up the people around him.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If Chaddar’s goal was to be president, spending time with him felt like being on the campaign trail. To Garcia, he was a “Don Quixote-style character.” When he wasn’t studying, Chaddar was pushing Garcia to leave the Stanford bubble and venture into San Francisco, where Chaddar knew people and places as if he lived in the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12067144\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12067144\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-STANFORDSTUDENTDEATH00786_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-STANFORDSTUDENTDEATH00786_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-STANFORDSTUDENTDEATH00786_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-STANFORDSTUDENTDEATH00786_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A vigil for 21-year-old Stanford sophomore Aradshar Chaddar, who was hit and killed in a bike collision this past summer, sits under a tree at Terman Fountain at Stanford University in Palo Alto on Dec. 10, 2025. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“He kind of lived life in his own world, almost, and he brought everybody around him into that world,” Garcia said. “He was like one of the last true romantics.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He would spontaneously pop up at the San Francisco apartment of Khan, who graduated from Stanford.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“His energy is quite infectious as well. Always having this cheeky grin on his face,” Khan said. “It was hard not to fall in love with.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It was hard to imagine someone so full of life being gone.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On May 31, Chaddar was riding an electric bike on the Stanford University campus when, around 3 a.m., he was struck by a car. He was taken to a hospital, where he died at 3:25 a.m.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He had been crossing the intersection of Palm Drive and Arboretum Road in the dark, with limited visibility, when an Uber driver entered the intersection and hit him on his left side.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When a collision on campus results in an injury, CHP responds for an investigation and a report, said Bill Larson, public information officer for Stanford’s Department of Public Safety.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Stanford data shows that from December 2018 to November 2025, there were 120 bike collisions on campus that resulted in a CHP investigation. Around 60% of those collisions were between a bike and a vehicle that resulted in an injury.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When expanding the dataset beyond collisions resulting in a CHP investigation, there have been almost 240 bike accidents on campus reported from September 2018 to October 2025. According to the Stanford Daily, some \u003ca href=\"https://stanforddaily.com/2020/02/11/mapping-bike-accidents-on-campus/\">spots on campus\u003c/a> have a kind of notoriety for being dangerous for cyclists. For example, the roundabout near the school’s Clock Tower is called the “Circle of Death.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A lot of the roads at Stanford are not very well lit,” Khan said. “I am so afraid every time I drive through.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Iftikhar said around the time of the collision, speculation arose about what happened. It made sense that people were searching for more answers, he said, trying to understand the sudden death of someone so loved. But he wasn’t sure there was more to know.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Iftikhar learned about Chaddar at 7:20 a.m. on June 2, 2025, after getting a message from Chaddar’s mother. Iftikhar was working on the Claremont McKenna College campus that summer and was the closest of his friends to the Bay Area. He booked a flight the same day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chaddar’s aunt from North Carolina also arrived. What followed was a succession of office visits. They went to the medical examiner’s office. They couldn’t see the body right away because the investigation was still ongoing. So they went to a funeral home and talked to the coroner. They signed documents and packed his dorm room. They attended a hastily organized vigil on campus, joining more than 200 students, staff and faculty as stories were shared and music played. Even more watched online.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A courier company predicted it would take at least weeks to bring Chaddar home to Pakistan, citing logistics. Iftikhar worked with Chaddar’s aunt to expedite the process — filling out documents, contacting the U.S. State Department and the Pakistani embassy. In early June, Chaddar was able to be transported back to Pakistan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I just was very restless,” he said. “I don’t know. I just ended up doing things, and that’s my way of dealing with things.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The boys went to California together. Now they were going home together.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A life remembered\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>While he went to school in Lahore, Chaddar’s family was from Mano Chak, a village three hours away.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chaddar was buried there, near his younger sister, who died a few years earlier. At the service, Iftikhar said he saw “more people than I’ve ever seen” in the village — all gathered for him. Friends from Stanford, including his girlfriend, also flew from California to see him.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He is survived by his father, mother and his 12-year-old sister.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12067141\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12067141\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-STANFORDFILE00607_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-STANFORDFILE00607_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-STANFORDFILE00607_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-STANFORDFILE00607_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Hoover Tower at Stanford University in Palo Alto on Dec. 10, 2025. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“He was such a friendly baby,” his mother, gynecologist Sadia Chaddar, said. He had a sweet disposition and happily chirped, “Yes, I can do it, Mama!” whenever she needed his help.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She laughed when remembering how the kids called him Mr. President.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I used to argue with him,” she said. “Ardi, there are many other options. Why do you want to be the President of the USA?’ But she supported him, no matter what. Whatever he wanted to do, she would be there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I can’t get my baby out of my mind,” his mother said. “I just sleep with his thoughts in my mind. I wake up with his thoughts in my mind.”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>She thinks of him when she looks at her daughter, Farazeen. She is just like her big brother – sharp, thoughtful, ambitious.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“He’s basically my motivation whenever I’m studying,” Farazeen said. “He was a role model for me growing up.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chaddar’s room – and library full of books he devoured – is preserved just the way it was when he would visit home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>His father pores over his son’s writing, his debates, his speeches, his pictures, the tributes to him. His pride and love radiate as he talks about his eldest child; his grief immense.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It is not my personal loss. People claim that it is a national loss,” his father said. “Pakistan has lost a brilliant man.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a \u003ca href=\"https://theazb.com/does-the-american-dream-still-hold-true/#google_vignette\">June column\u003c/a> for an English-language online publication focused on Pakistan, Chaddar wrote that his middle-class background gave him opportunities not afforded to others in his village. When he was home, he said it was common to hear advice like, “There is nothing for you here,” and “Get out of here as soon as possible.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite this, being from Mano Chak and Pakistan meant everything to Chaddar. He missed home fiercely, especially when coming to the United States, Iftikhar said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chaddar knew his ambition would always take him away from home and the family he loved. He struggled with that, writing his thoughts out in his journal and sharing them with Iftikhar.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The village was a place that offered a lot of peace, a lot of security,” Iftikhar said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It is also where he drew his strength from. Chaddar wanted to be the best. Even more, his friend said, “He wanted to make his family proud.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>San Francisco’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-francisco-board-of-education\">school board\u003c/a> on Tuesday will get a first look at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12066271/sfusd-has-overspent-for-years-major-cuts-could-have-it-on-the-path-to-stability\">district leaders’ plan to slash spending\u003c/a> by more than $100 million for the second year in a row.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The proposed cuts include deeper staffing reductions, changes to middle school schedules and school consolidations as soon as 2027.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>San Francisco Unified School District Superintendent Maria Su said earlier this month that the reductions aim to pull the district out of state oversight, but parents and teachers are worried about the impact further classroom reductions could have, especially on already vulnerable students and schools.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There is definitely some misalignment … in the sense that … our recommendations are calling out for sustainability in staffing, for mental health, and we’re cutting significant apportionments of positions,” said Vanessa Marrero, who heads Parents for Public Schools of San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last year, SFUSD cut $114 million in ongoing expenses through hundreds of early retirement buy-outs, a strict staffing model and administrative cuts. This year, it needs to identify another $102 million to cut.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The superintendent’s draft plan — which won’t be finalized until the spring — totals about $70 million in savings by 2028.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12046126\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12046126\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250418-SFUSD-01-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250418-SFUSD-01-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250418-SFUSD-01-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250418-SFUSD-01-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The San Francisco Unified School District Administrative Offices in San Francisco on April 18, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Under an updated staffing model, only Title I eligible schools will be allocated a social worker. Previously, non-Title I campuses that met specific enrollment criteria were eligible for at least a half-time position.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The proposal cuts 45 full-time roles, which could be spread across as many as 90 campuses. The district said it was looking to identify other restricted funding sources to pay for these roles, and to provide flexibility in schools’ discretionary spending to “prioritize investments.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The other major personnel reductions will come from a change to middle school schedules: campuses will transition from a seven-period block schedule rolled out over the last few years back to six-period school days.[aside postID=news_12066271 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250421-SFUSDCentralCuts-06-BL_qed-1.jpg']In 2018, the district introduced its “\u003ca href=\"https://mgredesign.sfusd.edu/\">Middle Grades Redesign\u003c/a>” initiative, which created longer class periods and aimed to add elective course opportunities for students. Presidio Middle School transitioned to the seven-period schedule in 2022, and allows students to \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfusd.edu/school/presidio-middle-school/departments/electives#:~:text=Presidio%2022%2D23%20Electives,%2C%20Dance%2C%20Music%2C%20Computers)\">choose\u003c/a> four quarter-long arts, computer science, language, health or other advanced courses throughout the year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to the district, returning to a standard six-period day will prioritize core classes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The new schedule would cut 56 classroom teaching positions, and another eight in health. That course material would be folded into other classes, like physical education or science, according to the plan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Security aide roles across campuses would also be cut in half, as well as 18 assistant principal jobs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Eliminating transportation for 2,500 non-special education students would save another $5 million. Marrero said the current funding serves students in neighborhoods with historically lower average test scores who attend schools further from their homes. Cutting that service could create an additional barrier for some to go to a school of their choice, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12039959\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12039959 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/052_SanFrancisco_ReopenSchoolsMarch_03132021_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1331\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/052_SanFrancisco_ReopenSchoolsMarch_03132021_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/052_SanFrancisco_ReopenSchoolsMarch_03132021_qed-800x532.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/052_SanFrancisco_ReopenSchoolsMarch_03132021_qed-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/052_SanFrancisco_ReopenSchoolsMarch_03132021_qed-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/052_SanFrancisco_ReopenSchoolsMarch_03132021_qed-1536x1022.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/052_SanFrancisco_ReopenSchoolsMarch_03132021_qed-1920x1278.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Meredith Willa Dodson speaks during a rally to reopen San Francisco Unified Schools at City Hall in San Francisco on March 13, 2021, on the first anniversary of school buildings being closed. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Another $14.6 million could come from central office personnel and service reductions, an area that the teachers’ union has long said keeps funds away from students. The district made significant reductions by restructuring the office last year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We understand that [the district] needs to make cuts, but we don’t yet understand, are these really the best cuts for our students or is there some other way?” said Meredith Dodson, who runs the advocacy group SF Parents. She said families want to know what other cuts were considered and how the ones identified in the fiscal stabilization plan were determined.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re just looking for that information from the district to understand that that level of analysis was done [to determine] that these are the solutions that bring the minimal amount of harm to kids. I just don’t see it yet,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Beginning in the fall of 2027, the district is also suggesting savings of more than $3 million thanks to a “consolidation of [its] educational program portfolio.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In recent weeks, SFUSD leadership has begun to discuss reconsidering school closures, after a controversial plan to shutter 11 schools was shelved last fall. Su took over in the wake of the closure crisis, and has prioritized the district’s budget before addressing its footprint, but she said last month that after the fiscal stabilization plan is complete this year, it would be time to take back up the initiative.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12064757\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12064757 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/241009-SFUSDClosuresMarch-30-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/241009-SFUSDClosuresMarch-30-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/241009-SFUSDClosuresMarch-30-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/241009-SFUSDClosuresMarch-30-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Teachers, K-5 students, and their families at Harvey Milk Civil Rights Academy rally at Harvey Milk Plaza in the Castro neighborhood of San Francisco on Oct. 9, 2024, to protest against the potential closure of the school. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>SFUSD, like many districts in the state, faces declining enrollment, and campuses across the city have hundreds of empty seats.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While shuttering schools alone won’t save the district significant amounts of money, the district has said that having fewer schools could allow for more robust staffing and make room for more specialized programs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dodson said showing families those potential benefits will be key to garnering community support.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“For a parent to be told that their school is going to be closed, and to be okay with it, I think they would have to believe that there’s better education on the other side of that for their kid,” she told KQED.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The reductions planned so far are still about $30 million shy of what the district will need to cut to avoid deficit spending. And, SFUSD currently faces an escalating threat of a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12066097/sfusd-teachers-overwhelmingly-vote-to-authorize-the-first-strike-in-49-years\">teacher strike after months\u003c/a> of halting negotiations over a new two-year contract.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While SFUSD has said it cannot meet the educators’ demands due to the budget crisis, the union has signaled that members are prepared to strike over wages, staffing demands and more subsidized health care benefits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>San Francisco’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-francisco-board-of-education\">school board\u003c/a> on Tuesday will get a first look at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12066271/sfusd-has-overspent-for-years-major-cuts-could-have-it-on-the-path-to-stability\">district leaders’ plan to slash spending\u003c/a> by more than $100 million for the second year in a row.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The proposed cuts include deeper staffing reductions, changes to middle school schedules and school consolidations as soon as 2027.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>San Francisco Unified School District Superintendent Maria Su said earlier this month that the reductions aim to pull the district out of state oversight, but parents and teachers are worried about the impact further classroom reductions could have, especially on already vulnerable students and schools.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There is definitely some misalignment … in the sense that … our recommendations are calling out for sustainability in staffing, for mental health, and we’re cutting significant apportionments of positions,” said Vanessa Marrero, who heads Parents for Public Schools of San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last year, SFUSD cut $114 million in ongoing expenses through hundreds of early retirement buy-outs, a strict staffing model and administrative cuts. This year, it needs to identify another $102 million to cut.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The superintendent’s draft plan — which won’t be finalized until the spring — totals about $70 million in savings by 2028.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12046126\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12046126\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250418-SFUSD-01-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250418-SFUSD-01-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250418-SFUSD-01-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250418-SFUSD-01-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The San Francisco Unified School District Administrative Offices in San Francisco on April 18, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Under an updated staffing model, only Title I eligible schools will be allocated a social worker. Previously, non-Title I campuses that met specific enrollment criteria were eligible for at least a half-time position.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The proposal cuts 45 full-time roles, which could be spread across as many as 90 campuses. The district said it was looking to identify other restricted funding sources to pay for these roles, and to provide flexibility in schools’ discretionary spending to “prioritize investments.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The other major personnel reductions will come from a change to middle school schedules: campuses will transition from a seven-period block schedule rolled out over the last few years back to six-period school days.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>In 2018, the district introduced its “\u003ca href=\"https://mgredesign.sfusd.edu/\">Middle Grades Redesign\u003c/a>” initiative, which created longer class periods and aimed to add elective course opportunities for students. Presidio Middle School transitioned to the seven-period schedule in 2022, and allows students to \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfusd.edu/school/presidio-middle-school/departments/electives#:~:text=Presidio%2022%2D23%20Electives,%2C%20Dance%2C%20Music%2C%20Computers)\">choose\u003c/a> four quarter-long arts, computer science, language, health or other advanced courses throughout the year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to the district, returning to a standard six-period day will prioritize core classes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The new schedule would cut 56 classroom teaching positions, and another eight in health. That course material would be folded into other classes, like physical education or science, according to the plan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Security aide roles across campuses would also be cut in half, as well as 18 assistant principal jobs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Eliminating transportation for 2,500 non-special education students would save another $5 million. Marrero said the current funding serves students in neighborhoods with historically lower average test scores who attend schools further from their homes. Cutting that service could create an additional barrier for some to go to a school of their choice, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12039959\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12039959 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/052_SanFrancisco_ReopenSchoolsMarch_03132021_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1331\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/052_SanFrancisco_ReopenSchoolsMarch_03132021_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/052_SanFrancisco_ReopenSchoolsMarch_03132021_qed-800x532.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/052_SanFrancisco_ReopenSchoolsMarch_03132021_qed-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/052_SanFrancisco_ReopenSchoolsMarch_03132021_qed-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/052_SanFrancisco_ReopenSchoolsMarch_03132021_qed-1536x1022.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/052_SanFrancisco_ReopenSchoolsMarch_03132021_qed-1920x1278.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Meredith Willa Dodson speaks during a rally to reopen San Francisco Unified Schools at City Hall in San Francisco on March 13, 2021, on the first anniversary of school buildings being closed. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Another $14.6 million could come from central office personnel and service reductions, an area that the teachers’ union has long said keeps funds away from students. The district made significant reductions by restructuring the office last year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We understand that [the district] needs to make cuts, but we don’t yet understand, are these really the best cuts for our students or is there some other way?” said Meredith Dodson, who runs the advocacy group SF Parents. She said families want to know what other cuts were considered and how the ones identified in the fiscal stabilization plan were determined.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re just looking for that information from the district to understand that that level of analysis was done [to determine] that these are the solutions that bring the minimal amount of harm to kids. I just don’t see it yet,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Beginning in the fall of 2027, the district is also suggesting savings of more than $3 million thanks to a “consolidation of [its] educational program portfolio.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In recent weeks, SFUSD leadership has begun to discuss reconsidering school closures, after a controversial plan to shutter 11 schools was shelved last fall. Su took over in the wake of the closure crisis, and has prioritized the district’s budget before addressing its footprint, but she said last month that after the fiscal stabilization plan is complete this year, it would be time to take back up the initiative.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12064757\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12064757 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/241009-SFUSDClosuresMarch-30-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/241009-SFUSDClosuresMarch-30-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/241009-SFUSDClosuresMarch-30-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/241009-SFUSDClosuresMarch-30-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Teachers, K-5 students, and their families at Harvey Milk Civil Rights Academy rally at Harvey Milk Plaza in the Castro neighborhood of San Francisco on Oct. 9, 2024, to protest against the potential closure of the school. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>SFUSD, like many districts in the state, faces declining enrollment, and campuses across the city have hundreds of empty seats.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While shuttering schools alone won’t save the district significant amounts of money, the district has said that having fewer schools could allow for more robust staffing and make room for more specialized programs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dodson said showing families those potential benefits will be key to garnering community support.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“For a parent to be told that their school is going to be closed, and to be okay with it, I think they would have to believe that there’s better education on the other side of that for their kid,” she told KQED.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The reductions planned so far are still about $30 million shy of what the district will need to cut to avoid deficit spending. And, SFUSD currently faces an escalating threat of a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12066097/sfusd-teachers-overwhelmingly-vote-to-authorize-the-first-strike-in-49-years\">teacher strike after months\u003c/a> of halting negotiations over a new two-year contract.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While SFUSD has said it cannot meet the educators’ demands due to the budget crisis, the union has signaled that members are prepared to strike over wages, staffing demands and more subsidized health care benefits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>Applying for student aid can be a stressful, fraught process at the best of times.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But in the past two years, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/fafsa\">FAFSA\u003c/a>) has been a particular source of anxiety for mixed-status families — when the college applicant has a Social Security number, but one or both parents don’t, due to their immigration status.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to 2023 numbers from \u003ca href=\"https://immigrantdataca.org/indicators/mixed-status-families?breakdown=by-age-group\">the California Immigrant Data Portal\u003c/a>, 20% of Californians under 18 are either undocumented or living with undocumented family members.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And after this group faced the challenge of a glitch in the 2024-25 FAFSA that \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11979367/fafsa-2024-the-big-error-affecting-mixed-status-families-and-what-to-do-if-youre-an-affected-student\">locked many students from mixed-status families out of their applications\u003c/a> entirely, a new concern has emerged for this year’s applicants.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Between President Donald Trump’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/immigration\">immigration crackdown\u003c/a> and news of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12035735/what-we-now-know-about-the-irs-ice-tax-data-deal\">an agreement\u003c/a> between the Internal Revenue Service and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, some \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/2025/07/financial-aid-immigration-deportation-fears/\">mixed-status students are concerned\u003c/a> that filling out the FAFSA can put their family members at risk of deportation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.ncan.org/news/713255/Updated-FAFSA-Guidance-for-Mixed-Status-Families.htm\">National College Attainment Network\u003c/a>, the \u003ca href=\"https://fsapartners.ed.gov/knowledge-center/fsa-handbook/2020-2021/appendices/appx-g-higher-education-act-1965-table-contents-august-26-2020\">Higher Education Act\u003c/a> prohibits the use of data for any purposes other than financial assistance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11968720\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11968720\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/11/IMG_0524.jpg\" alt=\"An illustration showing a pair of hands holding a yellow sheet of paper that reads FAFSA. In the background, a number of figures representing family members talk.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1240\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/11/IMG_0524.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/11/IMG_0524-800x517.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/11/IMG_0524-1020x659.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/11/IMG_0524-160x103.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/11/IMG_0524-1536x992.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Completing FAFSA nearly always means involving your family in discussions about finances. For many students, that’s far from a simple conversation. \u003ccite>(Anna Vignet/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>However, the network warned students and their families that it can no longer “assure” them that data submitted through the FAFSA “will continue to be protected.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“While the Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) has confirmed that ED has not and will not share information that breaks the law, we understand many families’ confidence in this statement may not be as certain under the current administration,” the network’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.ncan.org/news/713255/Updated-FAFSA-Guidance-for-Mixed-Status-Families.htm\">guidance reads\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Department of Education did not respond to KQED’s request for comment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The priority application deadline for most colleges and institutions is just a few months away, on March 2, 2026. Keep reading to see what guidance is available for mixed-status families — while bearing in mind that this is not legal advice, and you should consult with an expert on your specific situation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Jump straight to: \u003ca href=\"#Wherecanmixedstatusfamiliesfindmoreinformationorsupport\">Where can mixed-status families find more information or support?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003ch2>What advice do California officials have for mixed-status families about financial aid?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) maintains that students from mixed-status families, as well as \u003ca href=\"https://www.csac.ca.gov/sites/default/files/file-attachments/california_dream_act_application_1.pdf\">undocumented students\u003c/a>, can apply to the state-based \u003ca href=\"https://dream.csac.ca.gov/landing\">California DREAM Act\u003c/a> (CADAA). This application allows access to state aid but not federal aid.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We encourage all mixed-status families to use that application,” said Daisy Gonzales, the Executive Director of CSAC, during a Dec. 3 press conference. “That is California’s solution to access financial aid.”[aside postID=news_12059007 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/03/GettyImages-1403066184-1020x680.jpg']According to \u003ca href=\"https://dream.csac.ca.gov/landing\">the California Dream Act website\u003c/a>, “any information you provide on a CA Dream Act Application (CADAA) is only used to determine eligibility for state financial aid.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Your information is never shared with the federal government or used for immigration enforcement,” the notice reads.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If a mixed-status family chooses to complete the FAFSA, the state \u003ca href=\"https://www.csac.ca.gov/cadaa-msf\">emphasized\u003c/a> that they “should be prepared to provide consent to direct data exchange with the IRS.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since “direct data exchange does not yet work for non-SSN contributors,” these applicants “will also be asked to manually enter their tax information from 2024,” \u003ca href=\"https://www.csac.ca.gov/cadaa-msf\">the California Dream Act website\u003c/a> explains.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What advice do advocates have for mixed-status families?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Ultimately, there isn’t one simple answer for a student and a family, said Catherine Marroquín, senior director at \u003ca href=\"https://www.missiongraduates.org/\">Mission Graduates\u003c/a>, a San Francisco-based organization that helps immigrant and low-income students go to college.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It really just comes down to individually talking to families and figuring out what they feel the most secure doing,” she said. She recommends families decide how much of their own information they are willing to share with state and federal agencies — and identify what they have already shared in the past.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11987761\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11987761 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/image-6.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1241\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/image-6.png 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/image-6-800x517.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/image-6-1020x659.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/image-6-160x103.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/image-6-1536x993.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">According to 2023 numbers from the California Immigrant Data Portal, 20% of Californians under 18 are either undocumented or living with undocumented family members. \u003ccite>(Anna Vignet/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“If a student was born here, their parents are undocumented, but the parents have done taxes before or have an ITIN number, then the IRS already has their information,” Marroquín said. If families have never filed taxes or requested an \u003ca href=\"https://www.irs.gov/tin/itin/individual-taxpayer-identification-number-itin\">Individual Taxpayer Identification Number\u003c/a>, they may choose to skip FAFSA and avoid any interaction with the federal system for now.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s still possible to receive financial aid for college by only completing CADAA and not FAFSA, but students may need to put in extra work and look for private scholarships to make up for the loss in federal financial aid. In fact, Mission Graduates is even “encouraging students to also apply for private schools, just because their funding can be more generous,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some students could also go to institutions that offer free tuition to eligible students — like \u003ca href=\"https://www.ccsf.edu/free-city\">City College of San Francisco\u003c/a> — and transfer in the future if federal policy changes. In all this uncertainty, Marroquín said that programs like hers want to emphasize “power, not panic.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“How do we prepare our families?” she said. “For them to feel safe [with] their kids going to college and the college choices they’re making … this is all part of the universe of concerns that the families are having right now with this administration.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"Wherecanmixedstatusfamiliesfindmoreinformationorsupport\">\u003c/a>Where can mixed-status families find more information or support?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Marroquín recommended consulting a spreadsheet of \u003ca href=\"https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1EDEaggHiMvXk1Vdg-34T_Njwgfw9GzXzaklS_mgP0LE/edit?gid=0#gid=0\">aid available to mixed-status and undocumented families\u003c/a> created by the Northern California College Promise Coalition. The group Immigration Rising also has a list of \u003ca href=\"https://immigrantsrising.org/resource/list-of-scholarships-and-fellowships/\">scholarships and fellowships\u003c/a> that don’t require proof of U.S. citizenship.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other places you can find support include:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://firstgenempower.org/advising-students-ca\">First Gen Empower\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.ncan.org/news/713255/Updated-FAFSA-Guidance-for-Mixed-Status-Families.htm\">National College Attainment Network\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.csac.ca.gov/cadaa-msf\">California Student Aid Commission’s guidance\u003c/a> for mixed-status families\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://contigoed.org/blog/supportingmixedstatusfamilies\">ContingoEd\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://immigrantsrising.org/resources?_sft_topics=higher-education\">Immigrants Rising\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.missiongraduates.org/\">Mission Graduates\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "In this college application cycle, here's what advocates say mixed-status families — students with at least one parent without a Social Security number due to their immigration status — should know about requesting financial aid.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Applying for student aid can be a stressful, fraught process at the best of times.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But in the past two years, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/fafsa\">FAFSA\u003c/a>) has been a particular source of anxiety for mixed-status families — when the college applicant has a Social Security number, but one or both parents don’t, due to their immigration status.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to 2023 numbers from \u003ca href=\"https://immigrantdataca.org/indicators/mixed-status-families?breakdown=by-age-group\">the California Immigrant Data Portal\u003c/a>, 20% of Californians under 18 are either undocumented or living with undocumented family members.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And after this group faced the challenge of a glitch in the 2024-25 FAFSA that \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11979367/fafsa-2024-the-big-error-affecting-mixed-status-families-and-what-to-do-if-youre-an-affected-student\">locked many students from mixed-status families out of their applications\u003c/a> entirely, a new concern has emerged for this year’s applicants.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Between President Donald Trump’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/immigration\">immigration crackdown\u003c/a> and news of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12035735/what-we-now-know-about-the-irs-ice-tax-data-deal\">an agreement\u003c/a> between the Internal Revenue Service and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, some \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/2025/07/financial-aid-immigration-deportation-fears/\">mixed-status students are concerned\u003c/a> that filling out the FAFSA can put their family members at risk of deportation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.ncan.org/news/713255/Updated-FAFSA-Guidance-for-Mixed-Status-Families.htm\">National College Attainment Network\u003c/a>, the \u003ca href=\"https://fsapartners.ed.gov/knowledge-center/fsa-handbook/2020-2021/appendices/appx-g-higher-education-act-1965-table-contents-august-26-2020\">Higher Education Act\u003c/a> prohibits the use of data for any purposes other than financial assistance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11968720\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11968720\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/11/IMG_0524.jpg\" alt=\"An illustration showing a pair of hands holding a yellow sheet of paper that reads FAFSA. In the background, a number of figures representing family members talk.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1240\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/11/IMG_0524.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/11/IMG_0524-800x517.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/11/IMG_0524-1020x659.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/11/IMG_0524-160x103.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/11/IMG_0524-1536x992.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Completing FAFSA nearly always means involving your family in discussions about finances. For many students, that’s far from a simple conversation. \u003ccite>(Anna Vignet/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>However, the network warned students and their families that it can no longer “assure” them that data submitted through the FAFSA “will continue to be protected.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“While the Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) has confirmed that ED has not and will not share information that breaks the law, we understand many families’ confidence in this statement may not be as certain under the current administration,” the network’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.ncan.org/news/713255/Updated-FAFSA-Guidance-for-Mixed-Status-Families.htm\">guidance reads\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Department of Education did not respond to KQED’s request for comment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The priority application deadline for most colleges and institutions is just a few months away, on March 2, 2026. Keep reading to see what guidance is available for mixed-status families — while bearing in mind that this is not legal advice, and you should consult with an expert on your specific situation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Jump straight to: \u003ca href=\"#Wherecanmixedstatusfamiliesfindmoreinformationorsupport\">Where can mixed-status families find more information or support?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003ch2>What advice do California officials have for mixed-status families about financial aid?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) maintains that students from mixed-status families, as well as \u003ca href=\"https://www.csac.ca.gov/sites/default/files/file-attachments/california_dream_act_application_1.pdf\">undocumented students\u003c/a>, can apply to the state-based \u003ca href=\"https://dream.csac.ca.gov/landing\">California DREAM Act\u003c/a> (CADAA). This application allows access to state aid but not federal aid.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We encourage all mixed-status families to use that application,” said Daisy Gonzales, the Executive Director of CSAC, during a Dec. 3 press conference. “That is California’s solution to access financial aid.”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>According to \u003ca href=\"https://dream.csac.ca.gov/landing\">the California Dream Act website\u003c/a>, “any information you provide on a CA Dream Act Application (CADAA) is only used to determine eligibility for state financial aid.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Your information is never shared with the federal government or used for immigration enforcement,” the notice reads.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If a mixed-status family chooses to complete the FAFSA, the state \u003ca href=\"https://www.csac.ca.gov/cadaa-msf\">emphasized\u003c/a> that they “should be prepared to provide consent to direct data exchange with the IRS.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since “direct data exchange does not yet work for non-SSN contributors,” these applicants “will also be asked to manually enter their tax information from 2024,” \u003ca href=\"https://www.csac.ca.gov/cadaa-msf\">the California Dream Act website\u003c/a> explains.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What advice do advocates have for mixed-status families?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Ultimately, there isn’t one simple answer for a student and a family, said Catherine Marroquín, senior director at \u003ca href=\"https://www.missiongraduates.org/\">Mission Graduates\u003c/a>, a San Francisco-based organization that helps immigrant and low-income students go to college.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It really just comes down to individually talking to families and figuring out what they feel the most secure doing,” she said. She recommends families decide how much of their own information they are willing to share with state and federal agencies — and identify what they have already shared in the past.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11987761\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11987761 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/image-6.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1241\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/image-6.png 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/image-6-800x517.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/image-6-1020x659.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/image-6-160x103.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/image-6-1536x993.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">According to 2023 numbers from the California Immigrant Data Portal, 20% of Californians under 18 are either undocumented or living with undocumented family members. \u003ccite>(Anna Vignet/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“If a student was born here, their parents are undocumented, but the parents have done taxes before or have an ITIN number, then the IRS already has their information,” Marroquín said. If families have never filed taxes or requested an \u003ca href=\"https://www.irs.gov/tin/itin/individual-taxpayer-identification-number-itin\">Individual Taxpayer Identification Number\u003c/a>, they may choose to skip FAFSA and avoid any interaction with the federal system for now.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s still possible to receive financial aid for college by only completing CADAA and not FAFSA, but students may need to put in extra work and look for private scholarships to make up for the loss in federal financial aid. In fact, Mission Graduates is even “encouraging students to also apply for private schools, just because their funding can be more generous,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some students could also go to institutions that offer free tuition to eligible students — like \u003ca href=\"https://www.ccsf.edu/free-city\">City College of San Francisco\u003c/a> — and transfer in the future if federal policy changes. In all this uncertainty, Marroquín said that programs like hers want to emphasize “power, not panic.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“How do we prepare our families?” she said. “For them to feel safe [with] their kids going to college and the college choices they’re making … this is all part of the universe of concerns that the families are having right now with this administration.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"Wherecanmixedstatusfamiliesfindmoreinformationorsupport\">\u003c/a>Where can mixed-status families find more information or support?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Marroquín recommended consulting a spreadsheet of \u003ca href=\"https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1EDEaggHiMvXk1Vdg-34T_Njwgfw9GzXzaklS_mgP0LE/edit?gid=0#gid=0\">aid available to mixed-status and undocumented families\u003c/a> created by the Northern California College Promise Coalition. The group Immigration Rising also has a list of \u003ca href=\"https://immigrantsrising.org/resource/list-of-scholarships-and-fellowships/\">scholarships and fellowships\u003c/a> that don’t require proof of U.S. citizenship.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other places you can find support include:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://firstgenempower.org/advising-students-ca\">First Gen Empower\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.ncan.org/news/713255/Updated-FAFSA-Guidance-for-Mixed-Status-Families.htm\">National College Attainment Network\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.csac.ca.gov/cadaa-msf\">California Student Aid Commission’s guidance\u003c/a> for mixed-status families\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://contigoed.org/blog/supportingmixedstatusfamilies\">ContingoEd\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://immigrantsrising.org/resources?_sft_topics=higher-education\">Immigrants Rising\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.missiongraduates.org/\">Mission Graduates\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>Tens of thousands of student loan borrowers who say their schools misled them may soon find out whether that debt will be cleared after a Thursday ruling from a federal judge in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-francisco\">San Francisco\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>U.S. District Judge William Alsup denied the Department of Education’s request for an 18-month deadline extension, as the agency grapples with roughly 250,000 applications for student loan relief, originally filed in the latter half of 2022.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think [Alsup]’s really come to see the way that the system has failed and that there are obligations in the law that are put on the people with power and authority, and they can ignore them and just leave students and individuals holding the bag,” said Eileen Connor, executive director for the Project on Predatory Student Lending and co-counsel for borrowers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The ruling stems from a class-action lawsuit by plaintiffs who claimed the Department of Education illegally delayed processing or improperly denied hundreds of thousands of borrower defense claims, a process that allows federal loans to be wiped out if a school engaged in misconduct or the student was misled when applying.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As part of a settlement reached in June 2022, the Department of Education was expected to meet a Jan. 28, 2026, deadline to decide on applications filed between late June and mid-November of 2022.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Alsup ruled that the government must abide by that looming deadline for applicants who attended schools with previous evidence of misconduct, or clear the debt entirely.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11974333\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11974333 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/01/Graduation.jpg\" alt=\"A tight shot captured from behind of hundreds of students in blue and yellow graduation caps sitting down.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/01/Graduation.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/01/Graduation-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/01/Graduation-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/01/Graduation-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/01/Graduation-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Nearly 43 million individuals — one in six adult Americans — have federal student loan debt. \u003ccite>(Vanessa Rancano/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>For applicants from any other schools, Alsup granted the government an extension to April 15, 2026.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a statement, the Department of Education said it is still evaluating the impact of Alsup’s order.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We remain committed to doing the right thing for students, families, and taxpayers,” Press Secretary Ellen Keast said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Alice Panzo is a clinical psychologist who racked up roughly $250,000 in loans attending the for-profit, and now-defunct, Argosy University for her graduate degree between 2009 and 2014.[aside postID=news_12065967 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/IMG_1280-2000x1500.jpg']“What I was sold on when I accepted and started attending was not at all what the program was,” Panzo said. “It was promises about an [American Psychological Association] accredited internship is guaranteed coming out of our program. That was a lie.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the years since graduating, Panzo said compounding interest ballooned her debt to roughly $400,000, despite making consistent payments. She applied for borrower defense in 2022 and has been waiting for a decision ever since.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It has been literally waiting in limbo,” Panzo said. “My husband and I have put off pursuing IVF until we know … it seems irresponsible to start doing that if we are going to have to pay all of these loans back.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the meantime, Panzo said the debt has ruined her credit score.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When her father died last month, Panzo said she didn’t qualify for a low-interest loan to cover the funeral expenses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Obviously, I was going to find whatever way I could, whether this is wise or not, to have a funeral for my father. So, I ended up having to take out an embarrassingly high-interest rate loan just to cover those expenses,” Panzo said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12063651\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12063651\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251110-COLLEGE-STUDENTS-CALFRESH-MD-07-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251110-COLLEGE-STUDENTS-CALFRESH-MD-07-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251110-COLLEGE-STUDENTS-CALFRESH-MD-07-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251110-COLLEGE-STUDENTS-CALFRESH-MD-07-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Students on campus at Santa Clara University on Nov. 10, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Argosy was among the list of roughly 150 schools with known misconduct allegations, so Panzo said she expects to learn the fate of her debt in just a few weeks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s incredibly comforting,” Panzo said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Panzo acknowledged that the government could choose to deny her application, meaning she will have to pay down that roughly $400,000, but she said it’s better than having to live with the uncertainty.[aside postID=news_12063723 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251110-COLLEGE-STUDENTS-CALFRESH-MD-01-KQED.jpg']Though the government is now working to review the applications in this group by the established deadlines, new applications continue to pour in from other students claiming to have been defrauded.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to court documents, 250,000 applications for borrower defense were filed between late 2022, after the group covered by the ruling, and May 2025.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Connor, the co-counsel for borrowers, expressed concern that, without significant change, the department will fall behind again, leaving new claimants in limbo for years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This settlement was meant to put leverage and pressure onto the department to stand up a system that would be able to handle the volume of borrower defense applications and force other reforms,” Connor said. “I don’t have confidence that that message has quite gotten through yet or that those reforms have happened.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On the contrary, Connor said the problem might be worsened by cuts and massive layoffs as part of the Trump administration’s “efficiency” initiative this year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The problem of fraud is only going to grow, because there’s no enforcement happening at the Department of Education right now,” Connor said. “It’s a failure on a very large scale, and it’s going to hurt a lot of people. And some people will make money off of it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Tens of thousands of student loan borrowers who say their schools misled them may soon find out whether that debt will be cleared after a Thursday ruling from a federal judge in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-francisco\">San Francisco\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>U.S. District Judge William Alsup denied the Department of Education’s request for an 18-month deadline extension, as the agency grapples with roughly 250,000 applications for student loan relief, originally filed in the latter half of 2022.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think [Alsup]’s really come to see the way that the system has failed and that there are obligations in the law that are put on the people with power and authority, and they can ignore them and just leave students and individuals holding the bag,” said Eileen Connor, executive director for the Project on Predatory Student Lending and co-counsel for borrowers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The ruling stems from a class-action lawsuit by plaintiffs who claimed the Department of Education illegally delayed processing or improperly denied hundreds of thousands of borrower defense claims, a process that allows federal loans to be wiped out if a school engaged in misconduct or the student was misled when applying.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As part of a settlement reached in June 2022, the Department of Education was expected to meet a Jan. 28, 2026, deadline to decide on applications filed between late June and mid-November of 2022.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Alsup ruled that the government must abide by that looming deadline for applicants who attended schools with previous evidence of misconduct, or clear the debt entirely.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11974333\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11974333 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/01/Graduation.jpg\" alt=\"A tight shot captured from behind of hundreds of students in blue and yellow graduation caps sitting down.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/01/Graduation.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/01/Graduation-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/01/Graduation-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/01/Graduation-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/01/Graduation-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Nearly 43 million individuals — one in six adult Americans — have federal student loan debt. \u003ccite>(Vanessa Rancano/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>For applicants from any other schools, Alsup granted the government an extension to April 15, 2026.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a statement, the Department of Education said it is still evaluating the impact of Alsup’s order.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We remain committed to doing the right thing for students, families, and taxpayers,” Press Secretary Ellen Keast said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Alice Panzo is a clinical psychologist who racked up roughly $250,000 in loans attending the for-profit, and now-defunct, Argosy University for her graduate degree between 2009 and 2014.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“What I was sold on when I accepted and started attending was not at all what the program was,” Panzo said. “It was promises about an [American Psychological Association] accredited internship is guaranteed coming out of our program. That was a lie.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the years since graduating, Panzo said compounding interest ballooned her debt to roughly $400,000, despite making consistent payments. She applied for borrower defense in 2022 and has been waiting for a decision ever since.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It has been literally waiting in limbo,” Panzo said. “My husband and I have put off pursuing IVF until we know … it seems irresponsible to start doing that if we are going to have to pay all of these loans back.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the meantime, Panzo said the debt has ruined her credit score.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When her father died last month, Panzo said she didn’t qualify for a low-interest loan to cover the funeral expenses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Obviously, I was going to find whatever way I could, whether this is wise or not, to have a funeral for my father. So, I ended up having to take out an embarrassingly high-interest rate loan just to cover those expenses,” Panzo said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12063651\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12063651\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251110-COLLEGE-STUDENTS-CALFRESH-MD-07-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251110-COLLEGE-STUDENTS-CALFRESH-MD-07-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251110-COLLEGE-STUDENTS-CALFRESH-MD-07-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251110-COLLEGE-STUDENTS-CALFRESH-MD-07-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Students on campus at Santa Clara University on Nov. 10, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Argosy was among the list of roughly 150 schools with known misconduct allegations, so Panzo said she expects to learn the fate of her debt in just a few weeks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s incredibly comforting,” Panzo said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Panzo acknowledged that the government could choose to deny her application, meaning she will have to pay down that roughly $400,000, but she said it’s better than having to live with the uncertainty.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Though the government is now working to review the applications in this group by the established deadlines, new applications continue to pour in from other students claiming to have been defrauded.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to court documents, 250,000 applications for borrower defense were filed between late 2022, after the group covered by the ruling, and May 2025.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Connor, the co-counsel for borrowers, expressed concern that, without significant change, the department will fall behind again, leaving new claimants in limbo for years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This settlement was meant to put leverage and pressure onto the department to stand up a system that would be able to handle the volume of borrower defense applications and force other reforms,” Connor said. “I don’t have confidence that that message has quite gotten through yet or that those reforms have happened.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On the contrary, Connor said the problem might be worsened by cuts and massive layoffs as part of the Trump administration’s “efficiency” initiative this year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The problem of fraud is only going to grow, because there’s no enforcement happening at the Department of Education right now,” Connor said. “It’s a failure on a very large scale, and it’s going to hurt a lot of people. And some people will make money off of it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "‘Your Free Speech Does Not Apply’: Suspended UC Berkeley Lecturer Speaks Out",
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"content": "\u003cp>The suspension of a UC Berkeley computer science lecturer \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12059351/the-cal-lecturer-who-went-on-a-38-day-hunger-strike-for-gaza\">who went on a hunger strike over the war in Gaza\u003c/a> and made pro-Palestinian remarks in the classroom has raised questions about free speech and the scope of academic freedom on the Bay Area campus.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Late last week, UC Berkeley administrators notified Peyrin Kao, 26, of his six-month unpaid suspension, effective Jan. 1, 2026. The suspension, handed down at a time of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12032030/uc-berkeley-faculty-rally-to-defend-free-speech-and-protest-cuts\">heightened tensions over free speech on campus\u003c/a>, drew criticism from groups and faculty advocates, who immediately called for his reinstatement and launched a hunger strike in solidarity on Wednesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some argued that the university’s decision was a blatant violation of Kao’s First Amendment rights and part of a broader effort to chill pro-Palestinian speech on campus.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to \u003ca href=\"https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nxdR0hTEkSqv4LcHqp3t7SNU1BcWbrI0/view\">an October letter\u003c/a> from UC Berkeley Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Benjamin Hermalin, Kao misused the classroom “by distorting the instructional process” and deviated from “the responsibilities inherent in academic freedom” during the spring 2024 and fall 2025 semesters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kao maintains that he followed university policy by making the comments outside of official class time. He said his suspension is part of what’s called “\u003ca href=\"https://read.dukeupress.edu/critical-times/article/8/1/1/400618/Beyond-the-Palestine-Exception\">the Palestine exception\u003c/a>,” or the selective enforcement of rules to restrict Palestinian advocacy. Kao questioned whether he would have been suspended if he criticized the U.S. government or international issues that have drawn \u003ca href=\"https://news.berkeley.edu/2024/09/23/with-3-million-gift-berkeley-prepares-to-build-premier-ukrainian-studies-program/\">condemnation\u003c/a> by the university, such as the Russian invasion of Ukraine.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12066692\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12066692 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/Peyrin-at-Regents-meeting-still.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/Peyrin-at-Regents-meeting-still.png 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/Peyrin-at-Regents-meeting-still-160x90.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/Peyrin-at-Regents-meeting-still-1536x864.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/Peyrin-at-Regents-meeting-still-1200x675.png 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Peyrin Kao speaking at a UC Regents meeting on Sept. 17, 2025, at UCSF Mission Bay. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Peyrin Kao )\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“There’s this gaping exception in this so-called free speech that our university and our country champions,” Kao told KQED. “The university loves to talk about how they are ‘the free speech university,’ ‘the home of the free speech movement,’ … but when it comes to Palestine: ‘Sorry, we’re drawing the line, your free speech does not apply.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>UC Berkeley spokesperson Janet Gilmore declined to comment, saying the university doesn’t comment on confidential personnel matters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In Hermalin’s report, Kao was accused of twice violating Regents’ Policy 2301, a \u003ca href=\"https://evcp.berkeley.edu/news/political-advocacy-academic-freedom-and-instruction\">rule\u003c/a> that explicitly prohibits “political indoctrination” as misuse of the classroom and has been frequently cited by the university to regulate campus protest in the wake of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A recent analysis by \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12062192/uc-berkeley-law-school-says-school-likely-violated-civil-rights-of-pro-palestinian-protesters\">Berkeley law students found that the university’s administration\u003c/a> enforces the rule more harshly against faculty who speak in support of Palestinians, and Zahra Billoo, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations’ Bay Area office, said the policy’s vague language lends itself to weaponization against Palestine advocacy.[aside postID=news_12062192 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/uc-berkeley-malak-afaneh-handout_qed-1020x680.jpg']“One very important question: Is the policy being enforced in an even-handed way?” said Eugene Volokh, a former First Amendment law scholar at UCLA. “I do think that people ought to be asking, well, are you doing this fairly with regard to all viewpoints?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Volokh and other free speech advocates, however, questioned whether an argument for pedagogical autonomy works in this case, and argued that Kao’s use of the classroom to advocate for his political beliefs may have gone a step too far.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In general, the protection of free speech and academic freedom of students and faculty is essential to providing for the education of students and teaching them how to think — the university’s chief role, Volokh said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“At the same time, we have to recognize that in order for the educational process to work, there have to be limits on what is said in the classroom,” he continued. “In a classroom, I’m talking to a captive audience of students who are there to learn a particular subject, presumably not for political indoctrination.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The suspension is not Kao’s first brush with the administration over his vocal support for Palestinian human rights: the letter notes a 2023 censure by a former chair of the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences over the school’s anti-advocacy policy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the beginning of the school year, Kao’s name appeared on a list of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12055827/uc-berkeley-gives-trump-administration-160-names-in-antisemitism-investigation\">160 staff and faculty members whose identities UC Berkeley disclosed to the federal Department of Education\u003c/a> as part of what the university described as an antisemitism investigation. Around the same time, Kao began a 38-day hunger strike to protest the war and “how our tech is being to fuel genocide in Gaza,” the lecturer told KQED’s The Bay in October.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12058103\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12058103\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/20250929_UCBERKELEY_GC-11-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/20250929_UCBERKELEY_GC-11-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/20250929_UCBERKELEY_GC-11-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/20250929_UCBERKELEY_GC-11-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sather Tower at UC Berkeley in Berkeley on Sept. 29, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In April 2024, after dismissing students of an introductory computer science course at the end of his last lecture of the semester, Kao spoke for about four minutes about ethics in technology — using Google’s collaboration with the Israeli military as an example — and expressed solidarity with fellow educators in Gaza, according to the university’s report.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kao made those comments after the end of class, and prefaced his remarks by saying that students were free to leave.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“But again, if you want to go, then I don’t take any offense. It’s all good. And I will try not to waste too much of your time because it’s after 2 [pm],” Kao said, according to a transcription created by the university.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>More recently, Kao drew attention to his hunger strike in class, informing students that he was in poor health due to his activism — without explicitly stating that the act was in protest of the war in Gaza.[aside postID=news_12066592 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251209-STANFORDTRIAL-JG-9_qed.jpg']“Just a heads up that the lectures I give may be a little bit wobbly and poor quality,” Kao allegedly said during a class in the fall.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Based on these statements, the university determined that Kao “misused” his authority over students. Even without explicit acknowledgement of the advocacy during class time, the “visible toll” of the hunger strike, and Kao’s own admission that the strike may have affected his teaching, was enough for the university to determine it a violation of policy, Hermalin wrote.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The University Council–American Federation of Teachers, the union that represents lecturers, filed a grievance against the “wrongful discipline” of Kao, said field representative Jessica Conte. And \u003ca href=\"https://www.stem4pal.org/\">STEM 4 Palestine\u003c/a>, a campus group that Kao co-founded, announced a hunger strike beginning Wednesday, in solidarity with Kao and other “repressed academics.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Peyrin is known as a committed educator. He is not just committed to students at Berkeley,” the group told KQED by email. “Putting his own body on the line, he demonstrated public commitment to the students of Palestine, whose universities have been bombed into rubble using technology our university builds.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kao maintained that all of the discussions in question took place outside of official class time, during an optional lecture that many students elected not to attend, and that the hunger strike took place entirely outside of the classroom.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We were very careful not to talk about it in class with any of our students or any of my students or my staff. And it was something that I think is totally protected by the First Amendment, because I’m doing it in my own capacity,” Kao said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12030970\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12030970\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/GettyImages-2149730456.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1358\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/GettyImages-2149730456.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/GettyImages-2149730456-800x543.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/GettyImages-2149730456-1020x693.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/GettyImages-2149730456-160x109.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/GettyImages-2149730456-1536x1043.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/GettyImages-2149730456-1920x1304.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pro-Palestinian protesters set up a tent encampment in front of Sproul Hall on the UC Berkeley campus on April 22, 2024, in Berkeley, California. \u003ccite>(Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>He also pushed back against the university’s claims that his ethics discussion — and his presentation on cloud-computing contracts between Google and Amazon with Israel — was not germane to the classroom.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These are companies that our students are going to work for. We’re giving our students the tools that they’re then going to use to go and work for these companies and others that are complicit in this ongoing American-Israeli genocide in Gaza,” Kao said. “When you don’t talk about this, that is also making a political decision.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Academic freedom enshrined in the First Amendment protects a professor’s right to discuss pedagogically relevant material during class, and allows some breathing room — as long as it’s furthering the purpose of the course, said Zach Greenberg, director of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.thefire.org/defending-your-rights/legal-support/faculty-legal-defense-fund\">Faculty Legal Defense Fund\u003c/a> at advocacy group FIRE. However, the university has some leeway to limit free speech of faculty within the bounds of the institution’s own academic freedom and, ultimately, to make the judgment call.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The question that we always ask when it comes to political speech is, what’s related to the class and what were they speaking as a professor or as a private citizen?” Greenberg said. “And if you’re going on tangents during class or expressing a political advocacy to students during class as a professor, you’re on company time.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As a California state employee, Kao was entitled to a Skelly hearing, in which the proposed disciplinary action is reviewed by a third party. The lecturer met with Eric Meyer, the dean of UC Berkeley’s School of Information, but his appeal was denied, Kao said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He’s currently working to \u003ca href=\"https://chuffed.org/project/157643-make-back-peyrins-salary\">fundraise\u003c/a> the salary he will lose for the next semester, about $68,000, Kao said, which he vowed to donate to mutual-aid efforts in Gaza.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/tgoldberg\">\u003cem>Ted Goldberg\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Peyrin Kao, a computer science instructor, was disciplined over his discussions of his pro-Palestinian activism in the classroom, raising questions about academic freedom and its limits on campus.",
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"title": "‘Your Free Speech Does Not Apply’: Suspended UC Berkeley Lecturer Speaks Out | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>The suspension of a UC Berkeley computer science lecturer \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12059351/the-cal-lecturer-who-went-on-a-38-day-hunger-strike-for-gaza\">who went on a hunger strike over the war in Gaza\u003c/a> and made pro-Palestinian remarks in the classroom has raised questions about free speech and the scope of academic freedom on the Bay Area campus.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Late last week, UC Berkeley administrators notified Peyrin Kao, 26, of his six-month unpaid suspension, effective Jan. 1, 2026. The suspension, handed down at a time of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12032030/uc-berkeley-faculty-rally-to-defend-free-speech-and-protest-cuts\">heightened tensions over free speech on campus\u003c/a>, drew criticism from groups and faculty advocates, who immediately called for his reinstatement and launched a hunger strike in solidarity on Wednesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some argued that the university’s decision was a blatant violation of Kao’s First Amendment rights and part of a broader effort to chill pro-Palestinian speech on campus.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to \u003ca href=\"https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nxdR0hTEkSqv4LcHqp3t7SNU1BcWbrI0/view\">an October letter\u003c/a> from UC Berkeley Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Benjamin Hermalin, Kao misused the classroom “by distorting the instructional process” and deviated from “the responsibilities inherent in academic freedom” during the spring 2024 and fall 2025 semesters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kao maintains that he followed university policy by making the comments outside of official class time. He said his suspension is part of what’s called “\u003ca href=\"https://read.dukeupress.edu/critical-times/article/8/1/1/400618/Beyond-the-Palestine-Exception\">the Palestine exception\u003c/a>,” or the selective enforcement of rules to restrict Palestinian advocacy. Kao questioned whether he would have been suspended if he criticized the U.S. government or international issues that have drawn \u003ca href=\"https://news.berkeley.edu/2024/09/23/with-3-million-gift-berkeley-prepares-to-build-premier-ukrainian-studies-program/\">condemnation\u003c/a> by the university, such as the Russian invasion of Ukraine.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12066692\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12066692 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/Peyrin-at-Regents-meeting-still.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/Peyrin-at-Regents-meeting-still.png 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/Peyrin-at-Regents-meeting-still-160x90.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/Peyrin-at-Regents-meeting-still-1536x864.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/Peyrin-at-Regents-meeting-still-1200x675.png 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Peyrin Kao speaking at a UC Regents meeting on Sept. 17, 2025, at UCSF Mission Bay. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Peyrin Kao )\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“There’s this gaping exception in this so-called free speech that our university and our country champions,” Kao told KQED. “The university loves to talk about how they are ‘the free speech university,’ ‘the home of the free speech movement,’ … but when it comes to Palestine: ‘Sorry, we’re drawing the line, your free speech does not apply.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>UC Berkeley spokesperson Janet Gilmore declined to comment, saying the university doesn’t comment on confidential personnel matters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In Hermalin’s report, Kao was accused of twice violating Regents’ Policy 2301, a \u003ca href=\"https://evcp.berkeley.edu/news/political-advocacy-academic-freedom-and-instruction\">rule\u003c/a> that explicitly prohibits “political indoctrination” as misuse of the classroom and has been frequently cited by the university to regulate campus protest in the wake of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A recent analysis by \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12062192/uc-berkeley-law-school-says-school-likely-violated-civil-rights-of-pro-palestinian-protesters\">Berkeley law students found that the university’s administration\u003c/a> enforces the rule more harshly against faculty who speak in support of Palestinians, and Zahra Billoo, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations’ Bay Area office, said the policy’s vague language lends itself to weaponization against Palestine advocacy.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“One very important question: Is the policy being enforced in an even-handed way?” said Eugene Volokh, a former First Amendment law scholar at UCLA. “I do think that people ought to be asking, well, are you doing this fairly with regard to all viewpoints?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Volokh and other free speech advocates, however, questioned whether an argument for pedagogical autonomy works in this case, and argued that Kao’s use of the classroom to advocate for his political beliefs may have gone a step too far.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In general, the protection of free speech and academic freedom of students and faculty is essential to providing for the education of students and teaching them how to think — the university’s chief role, Volokh said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“At the same time, we have to recognize that in order for the educational process to work, there have to be limits on what is said in the classroom,” he continued. “In a classroom, I’m talking to a captive audience of students who are there to learn a particular subject, presumably not for political indoctrination.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The suspension is not Kao’s first brush with the administration over his vocal support for Palestinian human rights: the letter notes a 2023 censure by a former chair of the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences over the school’s anti-advocacy policy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the beginning of the school year, Kao’s name appeared on a list of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12055827/uc-berkeley-gives-trump-administration-160-names-in-antisemitism-investigation\">160 staff and faculty members whose identities UC Berkeley disclosed to the federal Department of Education\u003c/a> as part of what the university described as an antisemitism investigation. Around the same time, Kao began a 38-day hunger strike to protest the war and “how our tech is being to fuel genocide in Gaza,” the lecturer told KQED’s The Bay in October.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12058103\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12058103\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/20250929_UCBERKELEY_GC-11-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/20250929_UCBERKELEY_GC-11-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/20250929_UCBERKELEY_GC-11-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/20250929_UCBERKELEY_GC-11-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sather Tower at UC Berkeley in Berkeley on Sept. 29, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In April 2024, after dismissing students of an introductory computer science course at the end of his last lecture of the semester, Kao spoke for about four minutes about ethics in technology — using Google’s collaboration with the Israeli military as an example — and expressed solidarity with fellow educators in Gaza, according to the university’s report.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kao made those comments after the end of class, and prefaced his remarks by saying that students were free to leave.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“But again, if you want to go, then I don’t take any offense. It’s all good. And I will try not to waste too much of your time because it’s after 2 [pm],” Kao said, according to a transcription created by the university.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>More recently, Kao drew attention to his hunger strike in class, informing students that he was in poor health due to his activism — without explicitly stating that the act was in protest of the war in Gaza.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“Just a heads up that the lectures I give may be a little bit wobbly and poor quality,” Kao allegedly said during a class in the fall.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Based on these statements, the university determined that Kao “misused” his authority over students. Even without explicit acknowledgement of the advocacy during class time, the “visible toll” of the hunger strike, and Kao’s own admission that the strike may have affected his teaching, was enough for the university to determine it a violation of policy, Hermalin wrote.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The University Council–American Federation of Teachers, the union that represents lecturers, filed a grievance against the “wrongful discipline” of Kao, said field representative Jessica Conte. And \u003ca href=\"https://www.stem4pal.org/\">STEM 4 Palestine\u003c/a>, a campus group that Kao co-founded, announced a hunger strike beginning Wednesday, in solidarity with Kao and other “repressed academics.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Peyrin is known as a committed educator. He is not just committed to students at Berkeley,” the group told KQED by email. “Putting his own body on the line, he demonstrated public commitment to the students of Palestine, whose universities have been bombed into rubble using technology our university builds.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kao maintained that all of the discussions in question took place outside of official class time, during an optional lecture that many students elected not to attend, and that the hunger strike took place entirely outside of the classroom.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We were very careful not to talk about it in class with any of our students or any of my students or my staff. And it was something that I think is totally protected by the First Amendment, because I’m doing it in my own capacity,” Kao said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12030970\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12030970\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/GettyImages-2149730456.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1358\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/GettyImages-2149730456.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/GettyImages-2149730456-800x543.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/GettyImages-2149730456-1020x693.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/GettyImages-2149730456-160x109.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/GettyImages-2149730456-1536x1043.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/GettyImages-2149730456-1920x1304.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pro-Palestinian protesters set up a tent encampment in front of Sproul Hall on the UC Berkeley campus on April 22, 2024, in Berkeley, California. \u003ccite>(Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>He also pushed back against the university’s claims that his ethics discussion — and his presentation on cloud-computing contracts between Google and Amazon with Israel — was not germane to the classroom.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These are companies that our students are going to work for. We’re giving our students the tools that they’re then going to use to go and work for these companies and others that are complicit in this ongoing American-Israeli genocide in Gaza,” Kao said. “When you don’t talk about this, that is also making a political decision.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Academic freedom enshrined in the First Amendment protects a professor’s right to discuss pedagogically relevant material during class, and allows some breathing room — as long as it’s furthering the purpose of the course, said Zach Greenberg, director of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.thefire.org/defending-your-rights/legal-support/faculty-legal-defense-fund\">Faculty Legal Defense Fund\u003c/a> at advocacy group FIRE. However, the university has some leeway to limit free speech of faculty within the bounds of the institution’s own academic freedom and, ultimately, to make the judgment call.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The question that we always ask when it comes to political speech is, what’s related to the class and what were they speaking as a professor or as a private citizen?” Greenberg said. “And if you’re going on tangents during class or expressing a political advocacy to students during class as a professor, you’re on company time.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As a California state employee, Kao was entitled to a Skelly hearing, in which the proposed disciplinary action is reviewed by a third party. The lecturer met with Eric Meyer, the dean of UC Berkeley’s School of Information, but his appeal was denied, Kao said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He’s currently working to \u003ca href=\"https://chuffed.org/project/157643-make-back-peyrins-salary\">fundraise\u003c/a> the salary he will lose for the next semester, about $68,000, Kao said, which he vowed to donate to mutual-aid efforts in Gaza.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/tgoldberg\">\u003cem>Ted Goldberg\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/west-contra-costa-unified-school-district\">West Contra Costa County teachers\u003c/a> agreed to end their \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12066054/after-west-contra-costa-teachers-launch-strike-both-sides-will-return-to-the-table\">first-ever strike\u003c/a> early Wednesday, after reaching a tentative contract agreement with the school district overnight.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Educators will return to regular classroom instruction on Thursday, a week after they first walked off the job, according to the United Teachers of Richmond and the school district.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our fight for stability and respect was not easy and is not over. But make no mistake, our historic strike has broken a vicious cycle of neglect and disinvestment,” union president Francisco Ortiz said in a statement. “We are committed now, more than ever, to improving learning conditions for our students, because when they thrive, our communities thrive.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The two-year agreement includes 8% raises over that period for all members, and additional wage increases for special education teachers. The West Contra Costa Unified School District will offer a 100% employer-paid family health care benefit by June 2027 and commit to other provisions that improve classroom conditions and protect international teachers from the threat of changing immigration regulations, such as new high price tags for H-1B visas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The tentative agreement, which the district said is framed around a proposal from the school board, still needs to be ratified by the union and formally ratified by the board.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12066306\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12066306\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY00410_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY00410_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY00410_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY00410_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">West Contra Costa Unified School District teachers and families play with a parachute as children run under during a strike rally at Marina Bay Park in Richmond on December 5, 2025. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“This contract is a strong foundation for us to continue to build the learning environments our students deserve,” said Gabrielle Micheletti, union vice president and co-bargaining chair.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ortiz told KQED that the union was “encouraged and excited” that the board was aligning with their vision for district schools.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>UTR and the school district \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12065732/west-contra-costa-teachers-are-set-to-strike-across-the-bay-area-more-could-follow\">began negotiating for a contract\u003c/a> to span the current and next school year eight months ago. Over more than a dozen bargaining sessions, the parties failed to reach a consensus on wages and health care coverage, among other issues.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The union’s initial ask was a 10% raise over two years and full benefit coverage, while the district’s final offer came out to just a 3% salary increase during that time and some additional benefit coverage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>WCCUSD said it made that offer despite a budget shortfall. The union said it could, and must, offer more, prompting the work stoppage that began last week.[aside postID=news_12066401 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY00616_TV-KQED.jpg']The strike disrupted instruction across WCCUSD’s 56 schools as many families kept their students home. On the first day of the strike, more than 1,300 of the district’s 28,000 students registered for an independent study curriculum they could complete for attendance credit as an alternative to coming in person.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During the first two days of the strike, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12066401/west-contra-costa-teachers-strike-continues-as-support-staff-return-to-work\">teachers were joined\u003c/a> by 1,400 district custodians, food service workers and bus drivers represented by Teamsters Local 856, who had also been in unfruitful contract negotiations with the district.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They reached a tentative agreement on a three-year contract over the weekend, allowing some school operations to resume on Monday, but classroom interruptions continued through the start of this week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Throughout the strike, Superintendent Cheryl Cotton said that schools would “provide safe and supportive classrooms and learning activities” and continue to provide meals for students. She noted, though, that it would not feel like normal days.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, Ortiz said on the picket lines, the union received strong support from families and elected leaders. State Superintendent Tony Thurmond urged the parties to return to the negotiating table Sunday, offering to convene bargaining teams the following day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They see our students go disinvested in for far too long, and they know that change is necessary,” Ortiz said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12066311\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12066311\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY01296_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY01296_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY01296_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY01296_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Francisco Ortiz speaks at a rally during the West Contra Costa United School District rally at Marina Bay Park in Richmond on Dec. 5, 2025. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>He said the union will continue to push for smaller class sizes and improvements to special education programs in the future. According to Ortiz, the district’s special education director and superintendent were not present in bargaining sessions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We know that that’s a bigger fight ahead for special education, when we have leadership that is actually engaged in these processes,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since bargaining continued past 2 a.m., Wednesday, the day will be an optional classroom preparation day for teachers before classes resume on Thursday. Schools will remain open, as they have throughout the strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are relieved that the strike is over and our students and teachers will be reunited,” the district said in a statement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/aaliahmad\">\u003cem>Ayah Ali-Ahmad\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/west-contra-costa-unified-school-district\">West Contra Costa County teachers\u003c/a> agreed to end their \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12066054/after-west-contra-costa-teachers-launch-strike-both-sides-will-return-to-the-table\">first-ever strike\u003c/a> early Wednesday, after reaching a tentative contract agreement with the school district overnight.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Educators will return to regular classroom instruction on Thursday, a week after they first walked off the job, according to the United Teachers of Richmond and the school district.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our fight for stability and respect was not easy and is not over. But make no mistake, our historic strike has broken a vicious cycle of neglect and disinvestment,” union president Francisco Ortiz said in a statement. “We are committed now, more than ever, to improving learning conditions for our students, because when they thrive, our communities thrive.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The two-year agreement includes 8% raises over that period for all members, and additional wage increases for special education teachers. The West Contra Costa Unified School District will offer a 100% employer-paid family health care benefit by June 2027 and commit to other provisions that improve classroom conditions and protect international teachers from the threat of changing immigration regulations, such as new high price tags for H-1B visas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The tentative agreement, which the district said is framed around a proposal from the school board, still needs to be ratified by the union and formally ratified by the board.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12066306\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12066306\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY00410_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY00410_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY00410_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY00410_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">West Contra Costa Unified School District teachers and families play with a parachute as children run under during a strike rally at Marina Bay Park in Richmond on December 5, 2025. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“This contract is a strong foundation for us to continue to build the learning environments our students deserve,” said Gabrielle Micheletti, union vice president and co-bargaining chair.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ortiz told KQED that the union was “encouraged and excited” that the board was aligning with their vision for district schools.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>UTR and the school district \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12065732/west-contra-costa-teachers-are-set-to-strike-across-the-bay-area-more-could-follow\">began negotiating for a contract\u003c/a> to span the current and next school year eight months ago. Over more than a dozen bargaining sessions, the parties failed to reach a consensus on wages and health care coverage, among other issues.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The union’s initial ask was a 10% raise over two years and full benefit coverage, while the district’s final offer came out to just a 3% salary increase during that time and some additional benefit coverage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>WCCUSD said it made that offer despite a budget shortfall. The union said it could, and must, offer more, prompting the work stoppage that began last week.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The strike disrupted instruction across WCCUSD’s 56 schools as many families kept their students home. On the first day of the strike, more than 1,300 of the district’s 28,000 students registered for an independent study curriculum they could complete for attendance credit as an alternative to coming in person.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During the first two days of the strike, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12066401/west-contra-costa-teachers-strike-continues-as-support-staff-return-to-work\">teachers were joined\u003c/a> by 1,400 district custodians, food service workers and bus drivers represented by Teamsters Local 856, who had also been in unfruitful contract negotiations with the district.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They reached a tentative agreement on a three-year contract over the weekend, allowing some school operations to resume on Monday, but classroom interruptions continued through the start of this week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Throughout the strike, Superintendent Cheryl Cotton said that schools would “provide safe and supportive classrooms and learning activities” and continue to provide meals for students. She noted, though, that it would not feel like normal days.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, Ortiz said on the picket lines, the union received strong support from families and elected leaders. State Superintendent Tony Thurmond urged the parties to return to the negotiating table Sunday, offering to convene bargaining teams the following day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They see our students go disinvested in for far too long, and they know that change is necessary,” Ortiz said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12066311\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12066311\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY01296_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY01296_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY01296_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY01296_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Francisco Ortiz speaks at a rally during the West Contra Costa United School District rally at Marina Bay Park in Richmond on Dec. 5, 2025. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>He said the union will continue to push for smaller class sizes and improvements to special education programs in the future. According to Ortiz, the district’s special education director and superintendent were not present in bargaining sessions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We know that that’s a bigger fight ahead for special education, when we have leadership that is actually engaged in these processes,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since bargaining continued past 2 a.m., Wednesday, the day will be an optional classroom preparation day for teachers before classes resume on Thursday. Schools will remain open, as they have throughout the strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are relieved that the strike is over and our students and teachers will be reunited,” the district said in a statement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/aaliahmad\">\u003cem>Ayah Ali-Ahmad\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>A hearing in the case of pro-Palestinian protesters arrested for breaking into and vandalizing the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/stanford-university\">Stanford University\u003c/a> president’s office was marked Tuesday by heated discussions over the word genocide.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the court session focused on pretrial motions — which attorneys and the judge use to lay out the ground rules for a trial — a debate over whether the term genocide should be allowed during the proceedings elicited the most impassioned arguments from defense attorneys and a deputy district attorney alike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At one point, defense attorneys and the county prosecutor verbally sparred over whether Israel’s actions in Gaza being characterized as a genocide is a settled fact.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Using the word genocide is the same as saying the sky is blue. It is what it is,” Leah Gillis, a defense attorney in the case, said in court.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Robert Baker, the prosecutor heading up the case for the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office, said Gillis’ comment was offensive.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That’s absolutely absurd. And I think there’s people who were murdered in World War II that would probably think that the word genocide is a lot different than just the word blue,” Baker said, raising his voice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The flashpoint between attorneys in court stemmed from discussions on Tuesday about one of the central fights in the case thus far: the motivations of the protesters during their action on June 5, 2024.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12066600\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12066600\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251209-STANFORDTRIAL-JG-4_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251209-STANFORDTRIAL-JG-4_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251209-STANFORDTRIAL-JG-4_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251209-STANFORDTRIAL-JG-4_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Santa Clara County Deputy District Attorney Robert Baker listens during a Dec. 9, 2025, pretrial hearing in San José in the case of a group of pro-Palestinian protesters charged with vandalism and conspiracy for breaking into the Stanford University president’s office last year. \u003ccite>(Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Gillis and other defense attorneys representing the five former and current Stanford students in the trial have emphasized in court filings and in court on Tuesday that their clients’ actions were motivated by what they believe is a genocide in Gaza, and their protest was aimed at saving Palestinian lives.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The prosecution has questioned the validity of those arguments and has tried to limit the scope of what the jury could be influenced by during the trial.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s very clear the whole point of this argument is to prevent the defense from blaming a country that is currently litigating that very point,” Baker said of Israel’s dispute over its actions being labeled as genocide. “It is currently the subject of litigation in the United Nations.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Hanley Chew ultimately agreed to allow the use of the word genocide, he asked defense attorneys to be “very judicious” about it, and warned that if he felt they overused it, he would change his mind.[aside postID=news_12064351 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251117-STANFORDTRIAL-JG-7_qed.jpg']“I’m not going to exclude the use of the word genocide, but I don’t want the word genocide paraded throughout this trial. And if it is, I will exclude it,” Chew said. “As all of you have pointed out, the word genocide is very powerful and is very politically charged. And if I feel that the parties are exploiting that word with their own use … I will exclude its further use.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The courtroom at the Hall of Justice in San José was packed with several dozen people on Tuesday, nearly all of whom appeared to be supporting the protesters and donning keffiyehs, patterned black and white scarves that have become a visible signifier of Palestinian solidarity and resistance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The group of what was 12 protesters said on social media at the time they entered the university offices that they wanted Stanford leaders to “address their role in enabling and profiting from the ongoing genocide in Gaza.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The action came amid a series of larger campus demonstrations aimed at pressuring the school to divest from companies that support Israel’s military bombardment in Gaza.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Defense attorneys emphasized that international bodies and experts, such as the International Association of Genocide Scholars and an independent United Nations commission, have labeled Israel’s actions genocide.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Using a word like genocide is “setting the stage” for what was in the minds of their clients when they took their actions, Gillis said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12062229\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12062229\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/20251029_STANFORDFILE-_GH-6-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/20251029_STANFORDFILE-_GH-6-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/20251029_STANFORDFILE-_GH-6-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/20251029_STANFORDFILE-_GH-6-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A view of Hoover Tower on the Stanford University campus in Stanford on Oct. 29, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The prosecution asked the court to bar all use of the word genocide, arguing it is “inflammatory” and could prejudice the case, and also sought to exclude explanations of the motives of the protesters during testimony.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Baker said the motives of the protesters are irrelevant to a jury trying to decide whether they are guilty of felony vandalism and conspiracy charges.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If they were protesting the Gaza War, if they were protesting the 2020 election, if they were protesting President Biden, if they were protesting President Trump, it makes no difference,” Baker said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They’re going to transform this trial into a political forum rather than a search for the truth and determinative facts,” Baker said. “I think there needs to be significant limitations to sanitize what is presented to a jury.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Judge Chew took a middle stance in his ruling.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12062228\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12062228\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/20251029_STANFORDFILE-_GH-3-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/20251029_STANFORDFILE-_GH-3-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/20251029_STANFORDFILE-_GH-3-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/20251029_STANFORDFILE-_GH-3-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Students walk and bike past the fountain outside Memorial Auditorium at Stanford University in Stanford on Oct. 29, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I’m not going to do a blanket prohibition on defendants speaking about their motivation. However, I will severely limit that ability to speak about motivation,” Chew said, noting he would ban any hearsay evidence.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chew also decided to exclude, for now, testimony from a professor of human rights whom Gillis argued the defense should be able to use during the trial as an expert witness, to help establish facts around “Palestine and the genocide and the motivations of these young people in their request to Stanford to divest.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At one point during the hearing, some people in the audience of the courtroom chuckled, sighed or let out brief comments in response to arguments from Baker, prompting Chew to later issue a warning.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is the court, and you should act in accordance with the fact that you are in a courtroom. If there are any additional outbursts, I will clear this courtroom. You understand that?” Chew said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hunter Taylor-Black, one of the defendants, said the trial amounts to “political persecution.”[aside postID=news_12065375 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/240508-Berkeley-High-File-MD-03_qed.jpg']Taylor-Black said the case from prosecutors feels “meant to discourage future student activists from acting on the things they believe in in the ways that student activists have acted in the past.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While students at campuses across the country were arrested last spring for Gaza-related demonstrations, few of those arrests resulted in felony charges or trials, making the Stanford case unusual. And defense attorneys argued earlier this year that the District Attorney’s office was overcharging the case.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The five defendants chose to go to trial last month, after six other protesters who were charged in the case entered into mental health diversion programs, or indicated they would take a court-offered deal that would include pleading guilty to misdemeanor charges, with a pathway to potential dismissal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One other protester, Jack Richardson, served as a witness for prosecutors in a grand jury indictment and is now enrolled in a youth deferred entry of judgment program. Such programs allow young people to eventually have a charge dismissed if they do not commit crimes while free, and often include rehabilitative requirements like counseling and community service.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Germán González, also a defendant in the trial, said after the court hearing that it was disheartening to hear “genocide denialism” in the courtroom.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Throughout this sort of fear and anxiety that I do feel in the courtroom, I am just reminding myself that it is a privilege,” González said. “Nothing that happens in a courtroom or what happened to me is as severe as what’s happening to the Palestinians, who are facing genocide right now.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>More pretrial conferences are scheduled this week, including a hearing over whether or not the provost of Stanford, Jenny Martinez, will be called to testify as a witness.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jury selection in the trial is set to begin in early January.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Robert Baker, the prosecutor heading up the case for the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office, said Gillis’ comment was offensive.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That’s absolutely absurd. And I think there’s people who were murdered in World War II that would probably think that the word genocide is a lot different than just the word blue,” Baker said, raising his voice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The flashpoint between attorneys in court stemmed from discussions on Tuesday about one of the central fights in the case thus far: the motivations of the protesters during their action on June 5, 2024.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12066600\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12066600\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251209-STANFORDTRIAL-JG-4_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251209-STANFORDTRIAL-JG-4_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251209-STANFORDTRIAL-JG-4_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251209-STANFORDTRIAL-JG-4_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Santa Clara County Deputy District Attorney Robert Baker listens during a Dec. 9, 2025, pretrial hearing in San José in the case of a group of pro-Palestinian protesters charged with vandalism and conspiracy for breaking into the Stanford University president’s office last year. \u003ccite>(Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Gillis and other defense attorneys representing the five former and current Stanford students in the trial have emphasized in court filings and in court on Tuesday that their clients’ actions were motivated by what they believe is a genocide in Gaza, and their protest was aimed at saving Palestinian lives.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The prosecution has questioned the validity of those arguments and has tried to limit the scope of what the jury could be influenced by during the trial.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s very clear the whole point of this argument is to prevent the defense from blaming a country that is currently litigating that very point,” Baker said of Israel’s dispute over its actions being labeled as genocide. “It is currently the subject of litigation in the United Nations.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Hanley Chew ultimately agreed to allow the use of the word genocide, he asked defense attorneys to be “very judicious” about it, and warned that if he felt they overused it, he would change his mind.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“I’m not going to exclude the use of the word genocide, but I don’t want the word genocide paraded throughout this trial. And if it is, I will exclude it,” Chew said. “As all of you have pointed out, the word genocide is very powerful and is very politically charged. And if I feel that the parties are exploiting that word with their own use … I will exclude its further use.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The courtroom at the Hall of Justice in San José was packed with several dozen people on Tuesday, nearly all of whom appeared to be supporting the protesters and donning keffiyehs, patterned black and white scarves that have become a visible signifier of Palestinian solidarity and resistance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The group of what was 12 protesters said on social media at the time they entered the university offices that they wanted Stanford leaders to “address their role in enabling and profiting from the ongoing genocide in Gaza.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The action came amid a series of larger campus demonstrations aimed at pressuring the school to divest from companies that support Israel’s military bombardment in Gaza.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Defense attorneys emphasized that international bodies and experts, such as the International Association of Genocide Scholars and an independent United Nations commission, have labeled Israel’s actions genocide.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Using a word like genocide is “setting the stage” for what was in the minds of their clients when they took their actions, Gillis said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12062229\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12062229\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/20251029_STANFORDFILE-_GH-6-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/20251029_STANFORDFILE-_GH-6-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/20251029_STANFORDFILE-_GH-6-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/20251029_STANFORDFILE-_GH-6-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A view of Hoover Tower on the Stanford University campus in Stanford on Oct. 29, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The prosecution asked the court to bar all use of the word genocide, arguing it is “inflammatory” and could prejudice the case, and also sought to exclude explanations of the motives of the protesters during testimony.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Baker said the motives of the protesters are irrelevant to a jury trying to decide whether they are guilty of felony vandalism and conspiracy charges.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If they were protesting the Gaza War, if they were protesting the 2020 election, if they were protesting President Biden, if they were protesting President Trump, it makes no difference,” Baker said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They’re going to transform this trial into a political forum rather than a search for the truth and determinative facts,” Baker said. “I think there needs to be significant limitations to sanitize what is presented to a jury.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Judge Chew took a middle stance in his ruling.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12062228\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12062228\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/20251029_STANFORDFILE-_GH-3-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/20251029_STANFORDFILE-_GH-3-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/20251029_STANFORDFILE-_GH-3-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/20251029_STANFORDFILE-_GH-3-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Students walk and bike past the fountain outside Memorial Auditorium at Stanford University in Stanford on Oct. 29, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I’m not going to do a blanket prohibition on defendants speaking about their motivation. However, I will severely limit that ability to speak about motivation,” Chew said, noting he would ban any hearsay evidence.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chew also decided to exclude, for now, testimony from a professor of human rights whom Gillis argued the defense should be able to use during the trial as an expert witness, to help establish facts around “Palestine and the genocide and the motivations of these young people in their request to Stanford to divest.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At one point during the hearing, some people in the audience of the courtroom chuckled, sighed or let out brief comments in response to arguments from Baker, prompting Chew to later issue a warning.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is the court, and you should act in accordance with the fact that you are in a courtroom. If there are any additional outbursts, I will clear this courtroom. You understand that?” Chew said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hunter Taylor-Black, one of the defendants, said the trial amounts to “political persecution.”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Taylor-Black said the case from prosecutors feels “meant to discourage future student activists from acting on the things they believe in in the ways that student activists have acted in the past.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While students at campuses across the country were arrested last spring for Gaza-related demonstrations, few of those arrests resulted in felony charges or trials, making the Stanford case unusual. And defense attorneys argued earlier this year that the District Attorney’s office was overcharging the case.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The five defendants chose to go to trial last month, after six other protesters who were charged in the case entered into mental health diversion programs, or indicated they would take a court-offered deal that would include pleading guilty to misdemeanor charges, with a pathway to potential dismissal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One other protester, Jack Richardson, served as a witness for prosecutors in a grand jury indictment and is now enrolled in a youth deferred entry of judgment program. Such programs allow young people to eventually have a charge dismissed if they do not commit crimes while free, and often include rehabilitative requirements like counseling and community service.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Germán González, also a defendant in the trial, said after the court hearing that it was disheartening to hear “genocide denialism” in the courtroom.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Throughout this sort of fear and anxiety that I do feel in the courtroom, I am just reminding myself that it is a privilege,” González said. “Nothing that happens in a courtroom or what happened to me is as severe as what’s happening to the Palestinians, who are facing genocide right now.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>More pretrial conferences are scheduled this week, including a hearing over whether or not the provost of Stanford, Jenny Martinez, will be called to testify as a witness.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jury selection in the trial is set to begin in early January.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"title": "West Contra Costa Teachers Strike Continues as Support Staff Return to Work",
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"content": "\u003cp>Teachers in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/west-contra-costa-unified-school-district\">West Contra Costa Unified School District\u003c/a> entered their third day of a strike on Monday, with some maintenance and service workers returning to work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While teachers rallied at the Richmond Civic Center, calling for higher wages, smaller class sizes and better benefit coverage, the union representing custodians, food service workers and bus drivers reached a tentative agreement with the district over the weekend.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The split marked a significant development in the 10-month-long labor dispute simmering in the district’s 56 school sites. Teamsters Local 856 \u003ca href=\"https://teamsters856.org/wccusd/\">announced\u003c/a> Sunday evening that they had secured a three-year contract that includes a 3% retroactive raise for 2025, a 4% raise for 2026, and fully paid medical benefits starting in January 2026.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With support staff back on the job, some school operations resumed Monday, even as instruction remained disrupted by the absence of the United Teachers of Richmond, which represents roughly 1,500 educators.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the community rally, Christina Baronian, a teacher at Lake Elementary and a member of the bargaining team, told the crowd that UTR worked late into Saturday night to provide a comprehensive counterproposal, only to be met with silence.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We should be back in our classrooms right now,” Baronian said. “But because the district decided that they didn’t need to show up yesterday and continue negotiating with us, here we are.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12066308\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12066308\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY00960_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY00960_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY00960_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY00960_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">West Contra Costa Unified School District teachers and families continue their strike at Marina Bay Park in Richmond on Dec. 5, 2025. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In particular, staff expressed frustrations over the timeline of negotiations, with both sides offering conflicting narratives about the schedule. In a statement issued Monday morning, UTR leadership claimed they were notified that the district was “refusing to return to the bargaining table until sometime next week.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The District’s lack of urgency and refusal to bargain in good faith is the wrong message to send to our community,” the union said in a statement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, WCCUSD officials said the district had explicitly invited the union to continue negotiations on Dec. 9.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The District’s fiscal team, with the assistance of statewide fiscal experts, are thoroughly yet promptly evaluating the counterproposal,” the district said in a statement. “We are making some progress toward resolution and hope to return to regular school operations this week.”[aside postID=news_12066054 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY01085_TV-KQED.jpg']The district has argued it is facing tight budget constraints and must ensure it can meet long-term financial obligations while maintaining core services. But the union said the district can afford its ask.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At Richmond’s Civic Center, educators and students spoke passionately about the daily realities of the classroom, describing a “staffing crisis” caused by low retention. They argued this has resulted in overcrowded classes, a reliance on long-term substitutes and poor facilities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Students described having to sometimes sit on classroom floors due to a lack of desks or endure classrooms that are freezing cold or overheating due to crumbling infrastructure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re here one more day because the district has failed to provide our teachers with an offer that respects their work,” said Sasha Hahn, a student at El Cerrito High School and the student member of the Board of Education. “Every day that the district doesn’t negotiate with our teachers is another day that us as students are being neglected.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The rally drew support from local politicians and labor leaders from across the state. Cecily Myart-Cruz, president of United Teachers Los Angeles, told the crowd that districts rely on “fear, uncertainty and doubt” to break strikes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12066164\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12066164\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251204_RT_STRIKE_XZ_09-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251204_RT_STRIKE_XZ_09-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251204_RT_STRIKE_XZ_09-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251204_RT_STRIKE_XZ_09-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Teacher Jackie Reyes and her daughter Adelina join other West Contra Costa Unified School District teachers on strike at El Cerrito High School in Richmond on Dec. 4, 2025. \u003ccite>(Xavier Zamora for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Local officials, including Richmond City Councilmember Soheila Bana and Contra Costa County Supervisor John Gioia, also urged the district and WCCUSD Superintendent Cheryl Cotton to act faster to work out a solution.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I had a chance this morning to reach out and communicate with the superintendent to encourage her to encourage the district bargaining team to get back to the table today,” Gioia said. “There is nothing more important than getting schools back.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Eryka Cheval, a parent of two daughters at Montalvin Manor Elementary, questioned the district’s budgeting priorities and echoed the union’s sentiment that money is being mismanaged.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our teachers want to be back with our students. And the district is the only thing getting in the way,” Cheval said to the crowd. “Enough is enough.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond said he is monitoring the situation. According to the district, Thurmond has “urged the Parties to continue working toward a resolution that will end the strike.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Teachers in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/west-contra-costa-unified-school-district\">West Contra Costa Unified School District\u003c/a> entered their third day of a strike on Monday, with some maintenance and service workers returning to work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While teachers rallied at the Richmond Civic Center, calling for higher wages, smaller class sizes and better benefit coverage, the union representing custodians, food service workers and bus drivers reached a tentative agreement with the district over the weekend.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The split marked a significant development in the 10-month-long labor dispute simmering in the district’s 56 school sites. Teamsters Local 856 \u003ca href=\"https://teamsters856.org/wccusd/\">announced\u003c/a> Sunday evening that they had secured a three-year contract that includes a 3% retroactive raise for 2025, a 4% raise for 2026, and fully paid medical benefits starting in January 2026.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With support staff back on the job, some school operations resumed Monday, even as instruction remained disrupted by the absence of the United Teachers of Richmond, which represents roughly 1,500 educators.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the community rally, Christina Baronian, a teacher at Lake Elementary and a member of the bargaining team, told the crowd that UTR worked late into Saturday night to provide a comprehensive counterproposal, only to be met with silence.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We should be back in our classrooms right now,” Baronian said. “But because the district decided that they didn’t need to show up yesterday and continue negotiating with us, here we are.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12066308\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12066308\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY00960_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY00960_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY00960_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY00960_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">West Contra Costa Unified School District teachers and families continue their strike at Marina Bay Park in Richmond on Dec. 5, 2025. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In particular, staff expressed frustrations over the timeline of negotiations, with both sides offering conflicting narratives about the schedule. In a statement issued Monday morning, UTR leadership claimed they were notified that the district was “refusing to return to the bargaining table until sometime next week.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The District’s lack of urgency and refusal to bargain in good faith is the wrong message to send to our community,” the union said in a statement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, WCCUSD officials said the district had explicitly invited the union to continue negotiations on Dec. 9.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The District’s fiscal team, with the assistance of statewide fiscal experts, are thoroughly yet promptly evaluating the counterproposal,” the district said in a statement. “We are making some progress toward resolution and hope to return to regular school operations this week.”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The district has argued it is facing tight budget constraints and must ensure it can meet long-term financial obligations while maintaining core services. But the union said the district can afford its ask.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At Richmond’s Civic Center, educators and students spoke passionately about the daily realities of the classroom, describing a “staffing crisis” caused by low retention. They argued this has resulted in overcrowded classes, a reliance on long-term substitutes and poor facilities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Students described having to sometimes sit on classroom floors due to a lack of desks or endure classrooms that are freezing cold or overheating due to crumbling infrastructure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re here one more day because the district has failed to provide our teachers with an offer that respects their work,” said Sasha Hahn, a student at El Cerrito High School and the student member of the Board of Education. “Every day that the district doesn’t negotiate with our teachers is another day that us as students are being neglected.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The rally drew support from local politicians and labor leaders from across the state. Cecily Myart-Cruz, president of United Teachers Los Angeles, told the crowd that districts rely on “fear, uncertainty and doubt” to break strikes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12066164\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12066164\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251204_RT_STRIKE_XZ_09-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251204_RT_STRIKE_XZ_09-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251204_RT_STRIKE_XZ_09-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251204_RT_STRIKE_XZ_09-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Teacher Jackie Reyes and her daughter Adelina join other West Contra Costa Unified School District teachers on strike at El Cerrito High School in Richmond on Dec. 4, 2025. \u003ccite>(Xavier Zamora for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Local officials, including Richmond City Councilmember Soheila Bana and Contra Costa County Supervisor John Gioia, also urged the district and WCCUSD Superintendent Cheryl Cotton to act faster to work out a solution.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I had a chance this morning to reach out and communicate with the superintendent to encourage her to encourage the district bargaining team to get back to the table today,” Gioia said. “There is nothing more important than getting schools back.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Eryka Cheval, a parent of two daughters at Montalvin Manor Elementary, questioned the district’s budgeting priorities and echoed the union’s sentiment that money is being mismanaged.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our teachers want to be back with our students. And the district is the only thing getting in the way,” Cheval said to the crowd. “Enough is enough.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond said he is monitoring the situation. According to the district, Thurmond has “urged the Parties to continue working toward a resolution that will end the strike.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "California Students With Disabilities Fear Cuts After Trump's Policy Changes",
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"content": "\u003cp>Sleep is a rare commodity at Lindsay Crain’s house. Most nights, she and her husband are up dozens of times, tending to their daughter’s seizures. The 16-year-old flails her arms, thrashes and kicks — sometimes for hours.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But these days, that’s not the only thing keeping Crain awake. The Culver City mother worries about how President Donald Trump’s myriad budget cuts could strip their daughter of services she needs to go to school, live at home and enjoy a degree of independence that would have been impossible a generation ago.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Every family I know is terrified right now,” Crain said. “We still have to live our everyday lives, which are challenging enough, but now it feels like our kids’ futures are at stake.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Trump’s budget includes \u003ca href=\"https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=how+much+medicaid+cuts&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8\">nearly $1 trillion in cuts\u003c/a> to Medicaid, which funds a wide swath of services to disabled children, including speech, occupational and physical therapy, wheelchairs, in-home aides and medical care. All children with physical, developmental or cognitive disabilities – in California, nearly 1 million – receive at least some services through Medicaid.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, at the U.S. Department of Education, Trump has gutted the Office of Civil Rights, which is among the agencies that enforce the 50-year-old law granting students with disabilities the right to attend school and receive an education appropriate to their needs. Before that law was enacted, students with disabilities often didn’t attend school at all.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have a delicate web of services that, combined, support a whole child, a whole family,” said Kristin Wright, executive director of inclusive practices and systems at the Sacramento County Office of Education and the former California state director of special education. “So when the basic foundational structure is upended, like Medicaid, for example, it’s not just one cut from a knife. It’s multiple.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Republicans have also suggested moving the office of special education out of the Department of Education altogether and moving it to the Department of Health and Human Services. Disability rights advocates say that would bring a medical – rather than a social – lens to special education, which they described as a major reversal of progress.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Trump has chipped away at other rights protecting people with disabilities, as well. In September, the U.S. Department of Transportation said it \u003ca href=\"https://www.reuters.com/world/usdot-will-not-enforce-biden-wheelchair-passenger-protection-rule-2025-09-29/\">would not enforce a rule\u003c/a> that requires airlines to reimburse passengers for damaged or lost wheelchairs. Trump has also repeatedly used the word “\u003ca href=\"https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115625429081411360\">retarded\u003c/a>,” widely considered a slur, \u003ca href=\"https://www.specialolympics.org/stories/news/resurgence-of-r-word-alarms-disability-advocates\">alarming advocates\u003c/a> who say it shows a lack of respect and understanding of the historical discrimination against people with disabilities. It’s all \u003ca href=\"https://www.newyorker.com/news/deep-state-diaries/donald-trumps-assault-on-disability-rights\">left some wondering\u003c/a> if the administration plans more cuts to hard-fought rights protecting people with disabilities.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Fewer therapists, less equipment\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The Medicaid cuts may have the most immediate effect. People with developmental disabilities typically receive therapy, home visits from aides, equipment and other services through regional centers, a network of 21 mostly government-funded nonprofits in California that coordinate services for people with disabilities. The goal of regional centers is to help people with disabilities live as independently as possible.\u003cbr>\n[aside postID=\"mindshift_65382,news_12058726\" label=\"Related Stories\"]\u003cbr>\nMore than a third of regional centers’ funding comes from Medicaid, which is facing deep cuts under Trump’s budget. The money runs out at the end of January, and it’s unclear what services will be cut.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Schools also rely on Medicaid to pay for therapists, equipment, vision and hearing tests and other services that benefit all students, not just those with disabilities. In light of \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2025/11/california-budget-lao-forecast/\">state budget uncertainty\u003c/a>, it’s not likely the state could backfill the loss of Medicaid funding, and schools would have to pare down their services.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Uncertain futures\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>For Lelah Coppedge, whose teenage son has cerebral palsy, the worst part is the uncertainty. She knows cuts are coming, but she doesn’t know when or what they’ll include.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I go down this rabbit hole of worst-case scenarios,” said Coppedge, who lives in the Canoga Park neighborhood in Los Angeles. “Before this happened, I felt there was a clear path for my son. Now that path is going away, and it’s terrifying.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Coppedge’s son, Jack, is a 16-year-old high school student who excels at algebra and physics. He loves video games and has a wide circle of friends at school. He uses a wheelchair and struggles with speech, communicating mostly through eye movements. He’ll look at his mom’s right hand to indicate “yes,” her left hand for “no.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Coppedge and her husband rely on a nurse who comes four days a week to help Jack get dressed, get ready for bed and do other basic activities. Medicaid pays for the nurse, as well as other services like physical therapy. Even though Coppedge and her husband both work and have high-quality private health insurance, they could not afford Jack’s care without help from the government.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They also rely on the local regional center, which they assumed would help Jack after he graduates from high school, so he can remain at home, continue to hone his skills and generally live as independently as possible. If that funding vanishes, Coppedage worries Jack will someday end up in a facility where people don’t know him, don’t know how to communicate with him and don’t care about him.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It feels like we’re going backward,” Coppedge said. “Half the time, I put my head in the sand because I’m just trying to manage the day-to-day. The rest of the time I worry that (the federal government) is looking at people like Jack as medical problems, not as unique people who want to have full, happy lives. It feels like that’s getting lost.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The current uncertainty is stressful, but it’s even harder for families who are immigrants, Wright said. Those families are less likely to stand up for services they’re entitled to and are facing the extra fear of deportation. English learners, as well as low-income children, are disproportionately represented among students in special education, \u003ca href=\"https://dq.cde.ca.gov/dataquest/DQCensus/EnrELAS.aspx?cds=00&agglevel=State&year=2024-25\">according to state data\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That’s the other piece to all this — how it’s affecting immigrant families,” Wright said. “It’s a whole other level of anxiety and fear.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Decades of progress on the line\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Karma Quick-Panwala, an advocate at the nonprofit Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund, said she worries about the rollback of decades’ worth of progress that was hard-won by the disability rights community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://sites.ed.gov/idea/\">Individuals with Disabilities Education Act\u003c/a>, the 1975 law that created special education, actually predates the federal Department of Education. In fact, Congress created the department in part to oversee special education. Removing special ed would be a devastating blow to the disability community — not just because services might be curtailed, but philosophically, as well, Quick-Panwala said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the Department of Education, special education is under the purview of education experts who promote optimal ways to educate students with disabilities, so they can learn, graduate from high school and ideally go on to productive lives. In the Department of Health and Human Services, special education would no longer be overseen by educators but by those in the medical field, where they’re more likely to “look at disability as something to be cured or segregated and set aside,” Quick-Panwala said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The disability rights community has worked so hard and gave so much to make sure people with disabilities had a right to a meaningful education, so they could have gainful employment opportunities and participate in the world,” Quick-Panwala said. “The idea is that they wouldn’t just be present at school, but they would actually learn and thrive.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For the time being, Wright, Quick-Panwala and other advocates are reminding families that federal funding might be shrinking, but the laws remain unchanged. Students are still entitled under federal law to the services outlined in their individual education plans, regardless of whether there’s money to pay for it. The funding will have to come from somewhere, at least for now, even if that means cutting it from another program. And California is unlikely to roll back its own special education protections, regardless of what happens in Washington, D.C.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>An imperfect but successful routine\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Those reassurances are scant comfort to Crain, whose daughter Lena will rely on government support her entire life. Born seven weeks prematurely, Lena has cerebral palsy, epilepsy, a cognitive impairment and is on the deaf-blind spectrum. But she has a 100-watt smile and a relentless spirit, Crain said. Even after the whole family has been up all night, Lena insists on going to school and getting the most out of every day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12066343\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/120125-Lena-Deacy-ZS-13.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12066343\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/120125-Lena-Deacy-ZS-13.jpg\" alt=\"A man and two women stand next to each other on a deck outside a home.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/120125-Lena-Deacy-ZS-13.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/120125-Lena-Deacy-ZS-13-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/120125-Lena-Deacy-ZS-13-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">From left, Jack Deacy, his daughter Lena Deacy, and Lindsay Crain at their home in Culver City on Dec. 1, 2025. The family fears potential Medicaid cuts because Lena, who has cerebral palsy, epilepsy and other medical conditions, relies on Medicaid-funded services for her daily care and well-being. \u003ccite>(Zaydee Sanchez/CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Funny and assertive, she has a few close friends and, like many teenagers, plenty of opinions about her parents. She loves her English teacher and spends most of her day in regular classrooms with help from an aide. Her favorite book is about Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani activist who won a Nobel Peace Prize for fighting for girls’ right to an education.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Between school and home visits from aides and after-school therapists, Crain feels the family has pieced together an imperfect but mostly successful routine for Lena.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our entire lives are about teaching her self-advocacy, so she can have the most independent life possible,” Crain said. “Just because you need support doesn’t mean you can’t have a say in your life. There’s been so much work around the culture and the laws and the education system to make sure disabled people can make their own choices in life. We’re absolutely terrified of losing that.”\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "Trump has cut funding to Medicaid, which pays for many services for students with disabilities. He also gutted the Office of Civil Rights, which helps enforce disability law.",
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"title": "California Students With Disabilities Fear Cuts After Trump's Policy Changes | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Sleep is a rare commodity at Lindsay Crain’s house. Most nights, she and her husband are up dozens of times, tending to their daughter’s seizures. The 16-year-old flails her arms, thrashes and kicks — sometimes for hours.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But these days, that’s not the only thing keeping Crain awake. The Culver City mother worries about how President Donald Trump’s myriad budget cuts could strip their daughter of services she needs to go to school, live at home and enjoy a degree of independence that would have been impossible a generation ago.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Every family I know is terrified right now,” Crain said. “We still have to live our everyday lives, which are challenging enough, but now it feels like our kids’ futures are at stake.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Trump’s budget includes \u003ca href=\"https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=how+much+medicaid+cuts&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8\">nearly $1 trillion in cuts\u003c/a> to Medicaid, which funds a wide swath of services to disabled children, including speech, occupational and physical therapy, wheelchairs, in-home aides and medical care. All children with physical, developmental or cognitive disabilities – in California, nearly 1 million – receive at least some services through Medicaid.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, at the U.S. Department of Education, Trump has gutted the Office of Civil Rights, which is among the agencies that enforce the 50-year-old law granting students with disabilities the right to attend school and receive an education appropriate to their needs. Before that law was enacted, students with disabilities often didn’t attend school at all.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have a delicate web of services that, combined, support a whole child, a whole family,” said Kristin Wright, executive director of inclusive practices and systems at the Sacramento County Office of Education and the former California state director of special education. “So when the basic foundational structure is upended, like Medicaid, for example, it’s not just one cut from a knife. It’s multiple.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Republicans have also suggested moving the office of special education out of the Department of Education altogether and moving it to the Department of Health and Human Services. Disability rights advocates say that would bring a medical – rather than a social – lens to special education, which they described as a major reversal of progress.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Trump has chipped away at other rights protecting people with disabilities, as well. In September, the U.S. Department of Transportation said it \u003ca href=\"https://www.reuters.com/world/usdot-will-not-enforce-biden-wheelchair-passenger-protection-rule-2025-09-29/\">would not enforce a rule\u003c/a> that requires airlines to reimburse passengers for damaged or lost wheelchairs. Trump has also repeatedly used the word “\u003ca href=\"https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115625429081411360\">retarded\u003c/a>,” widely considered a slur, \u003ca href=\"https://www.specialolympics.org/stories/news/resurgence-of-r-word-alarms-disability-advocates\">alarming advocates\u003c/a> who say it shows a lack of respect and understanding of the historical discrimination against people with disabilities. It’s all \u003ca href=\"https://www.newyorker.com/news/deep-state-diaries/donald-trumps-assault-on-disability-rights\">left some wondering\u003c/a> if the administration plans more cuts to hard-fought rights protecting people with disabilities.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Fewer therapists, less equipment\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The Medicaid cuts may have the most immediate effect. People with developmental disabilities typically receive therapy, home visits from aides, equipment and other services through regional centers, a network of 21 mostly government-funded nonprofits in California that coordinate services for people with disabilities. The goal of regional centers is to help people with disabilities live as independently as possible.\u003cbr>\n\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cbr>\nMore than a third of regional centers’ funding comes from Medicaid, which is facing deep cuts under Trump’s budget. The money runs out at the end of January, and it’s unclear what services will be cut.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Schools also rely on Medicaid to pay for therapists, equipment, vision and hearing tests and other services that benefit all students, not just those with disabilities. In light of \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2025/11/california-budget-lao-forecast/\">state budget uncertainty\u003c/a>, it’s not likely the state could backfill the loss of Medicaid funding, and schools would have to pare down their services.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Uncertain futures\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>For Lelah Coppedge, whose teenage son has cerebral palsy, the worst part is the uncertainty. She knows cuts are coming, but she doesn’t know when or what they’ll include.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I go down this rabbit hole of worst-case scenarios,” said Coppedge, who lives in the Canoga Park neighborhood in Los Angeles. “Before this happened, I felt there was a clear path for my son. Now that path is going away, and it’s terrifying.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Coppedge’s son, Jack, is a 16-year-old high school student who excels at algebra and physics. He loves video games and has a wide circle of friends at school. He uses a wheelchair and struggles with speech, communicating mostly through eye movements. He’ll look at his mom’s right hand to indicate “yes,” her left hand for “no.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Coppedge and her husband rely on a nurse who comes four days a week to help Jack get dressed, get ready for bed and do other basic activities. Medicaid pays for the nurse, as well as other services like physical therapy. Even though Coppedge and her husband both work and have high-quality private health insurance, they could not afford Jack’s care without help from the government.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They also rely on the local regional center, which they assumed would help Jack after he graduates from high school, so he can remain at home, continue to hone his skills and generally live as independently as possible. If that funding vanishes, Coppedage worries Jack will someday end up in a facility where people don’t know him, don’t know how to communicate with him and don’t care about him.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It feels like we’re going backward,” Coppedge said. “Half the time, I put my head in the sand because I’m just trying to manage the day-to-day. The rest of the time I worry that (the federal government) is looking at people like Jack as medical problems, not as unique people who want to have full, happy lives. It feels like that’s getting lost.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The current uncertainty is stressful, but it’s even harder for families who are immigrants, Wright said. Those families are less likely to stand up for services they’re entitled to and are facing the extra fear of deportation. English learners, as well as low-income children, are disproportionately represented among students in special education, \u003ca href=\"https://dq.cde.ca.gov/dataquest/DQCensus/EnrELAS.aspx?cds=00&agglevel=State&year=2024-25\">according to state data\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That’s the other piece to all this — how it’s affecting immigrant families,” Wright said. “It’s a whole other level of anxiety and fear.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Decades of progress on the line\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Karma Quick-Panwala, an advocate at the nonprofit Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund, said she worries about the rollback of decades’ worth of progress that was hard-won by the disability rights community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://sites.ed.gov/idea/\">Individuals with Disabilities Education Act\u003c/a>, the 1975 law that created special education, actually predates the federal Department of Education. In fact, Congress created the department in part to oversee special education. Removing special ed would be a devastating blow to the disability community — not just because services might be curtailed, but philosophically, as well, Quick-Panwala said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the Department of Education, special education is under the purview of education experts who promote optimal ways to educate students with disabilities, so they can learn, graduate from high school and ideally go on to productive lives. In the Department of Health and Human Services, special education would no longer be overseen by educators but by those in the medical field, where they’re more likely to “look at disability as something to be cured or segregated and set aside,” Quick-Panwala said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The disability rights community has worked so hard and gave so much to make sure people with disabilities had a right to a meaningful education, so they could have gainful employment opportunities and participate in the world,” Quick-Panwala said. “The idea is that they wouldn’t just be present at school, but they would actually learn and thrive.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For the time being, Wright, Quick-Panwala and other advocates are reminding families that federal funding might be shrinking, but the laws remain unchanged. Students are still entitled under federal law to the services outlined in their individual education plans, regardless of whether there’s money to pay for it. The funding will have to come from somewhere, at least for now, even if that means cutting it from another program. And California is unlikely to roll back its own special education protections, regardless of what happens in Washington, D.C.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>An imperfect but successful routine\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Those reassurances are scant comfort to Crain, whose daughter Lena will rely on government support her entire life. Born seven weeks prematurely, Lena has cerebral palsy, epilepsy, a cognitive impairment and is on the deaf-blind spectrum. But she has a 100-watt smile and a relentless spirit, Crain said. Even after the whole family has been up all night, Lena insists on going to school and getting the most out of every day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12066343\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/120125-Lena-Deacy-ZS-13.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12066343\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/120125-Lena-Deacy-ZS-13.jpg\" alt=\"A man and two women stand next to each other on a deck outside a home.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/120125-Lena-Deacy-ZS-13.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/120125-Lena-Deacy-ZS-13-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/120125-Lena-Deacy-ZS-13-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">From left, Jack Deacy, his daughter Lena Deacy, and Lindsay Crain at their home in Culver City on Dec. 1, 2025. The family fears potential Medicaid cuts because Lena, who has cerebral palsy, epilepsy and other medical conditions, relies on Medicaid-funded services for her daily care and well-being. \u003ccite>(Zaydee Sanchez/CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Funny and assertive, she has a few close friends and, like many teenagers, plenty of opinions about her parents. She loves her English teacher and spends most of her day in regular classrooms with help from an aide. Her favorite book is about Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani activist who won a Nobel Peace Prize for fighting for girls’ right to an education.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Between school and home visits from aides and after-school therapists, Crain feels the family has pieced together an imperfect but mostly successful routine for Lena.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our entire lives are about teaching her self-advocacy, so she can have the most independent life possible,” Crain said. “Just because you need support doesn’t mean you can’t have a say in your life. There’s been so much work around the culture and the laws and the education system to make sure disabled people can make their own choices in life. We’re absolutely terrified of losing that.”\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "after-west-contra-costa-teachers-launch-strike-both-sides-will-return-to-the-table",
"title": "As West Contra Costa Teachers Strike, Negotiations Seem to Show Little Progress",
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"headTitle": "As West Contra Costa Teachers Strike, Negotiations Seem to Show Little Progress | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Update, Dec. 5:\u003c/strong> Striking teachers and West Contra Costa Unified School District officials reunited for bargaining Thursday afternoon after the first day of the walkout, but the two sides came away with strikingly contradictory descriptions of the meeting.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I am pleased to share that the district and UTR negotiations teams met this afternoon, and we are making progress on our negotiations,” Superintendent Cheryl Cotton said in a video message Thursday night. “It was a productive discussion, and we are making our way forward.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, during a Friday morning rally, union president Francisco Ortiz said the meeting was brief, district officials were 30 minutes late and they had no written proposals to offer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We let them know that we’re prepared to negotiate with them when they have something written down that we can consider,” Ortiz said. “Right now, there doesn’t seem to be any urgency regarding the settling of the contract.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The district did not respond to questions about the conflicting messaging or attendance figures for the first day of the strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Both sides have said they’re open to continued negotiations in the hopes of reaching a deal and ending the strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12066311\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12066311\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY01296_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY01296_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY01296_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY01296_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Francisco Ortiz speaks at a rally during the West Contra Costa United School District rally at Marina Bay Park in Richmond on Dec. 5, 2025. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Original story, Dec. 4 \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bundled against the morning cold, teachers marched outside the Nystrom Elementary School entrance in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/richmond\">Richmond\u003c/a> early Thursday, cheering as passing cars honked, and carrying yellow and red picket signs reading “We Can’t Wait.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Educators at all 56 West Contra Costa Unified School District sites picketed before and during school drop-off on the first day of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12065732/west-contra-costa-teachers-are-set-to-strike-across-the-bay-area-more-could-follow\">an open-ended strike\u003c/a>, marching for higher pay, smaller class sizes and a reduction of the use of long-term substitute teachers and outside contractors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Months of negotiations and a mediation process have \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12065486/west-contra-costa-teachers-are-near-a-pivotal-moment-in-their-potential-strike\">failed to yield an agreement\u003c/a> on a new three-year teaching contract. But Thursday afternoon, Superintendent Cheryl Cotton announced that the district and union had agreed to renegotiate and would meet at 4 p.m.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12066164\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12066164\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251204_RT_STRIKE_XZ_09-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251204_RT_STRIKE_XZ_09-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251204_RT_STRIKE_XZ_09-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251204_RT_STRIKE_XZ_09-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Teacher Jackie Reyes and her daughter Adelina join other West Contra Costa Unified School District teachers on strike at El Cerrito High School in Richmond on Dec. 4, 2025. \u003ccite>(Xavier Zamora for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“My hope is that we can reach agreement on salary and benefits and then turn our attention to collaboratively outline an action plan to address the deep-rooted, systemic issues that exist in our organization,” Cotton said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The district is facing a projected deficit and has maintained that its budget cannot support additional raises for teachers without risking a state takeover. Union members have argued that the district overspends on outside contractors rather than investing in district educators.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Outside Nystrom Elementary on Thursday morning, striking teachers chanted slogans such as “Education is a right, that is why we have to fight.”[aside postID=news_12065732 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250723-WEST-CO-CO-ICE-MD-04-KQED.jpg']“I’ve been here for 13 years and seen a lot of teachers come and go and the impact that has on our kids,” said Jocelyn Rohan, a sixth-grade teacher at Nystrom Elementary. “It’s hard to want to stay somewhere when you’re not being paid.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many families chose to keep their children home as the strike began. Of about 440 students enrolled at Nystrom Elementary, just 87 attended class on Thursday, according to the district.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Missing school to support the strike is not considered an excused absence by the district. For families that did not want to come to school, the district offered an alternative independent study curriculum that students could do at home and still receive school attendance credit. About 1,300 students registered for the curriculum out of the 28,000 in the district.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When people work, they ask for raises so they can support their families,” Nystrom Elementary parent Nidia Lopez said in Spanish, through a teacher interpreter. “If they don’t get a raise, they’ll find work somewhere else.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lopez brought her children to school, but she decided to take them home once she realized there was a strike, saying that there wasn’t a point to having her children in school if the teachers weren’t there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12066163\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12066163\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251204_RT_STRIKE_XZ_05-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251204_RT_STRIKE_XZ_05-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251204_RT_STRIKE_XZ_05-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251204_RT_STRIKE_XZ_05-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Nedea Lopez walks her children to school as West Contra Costa Unified School District teachers strike outside Nystrom Elementary School in Richmond on Dec. 4, 2025. \u003ccite>(Xavier Zamora for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Other parents brought their children to school.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Harrishiana Lee, parent of three children in the district, told KQED over a phone call as her children were being dropped off by their father that she supported the union but was frustrated with the strike. All of her children have special needs, she said, and she didn’t have an alternative for the services they needed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“With the strike, my baby can’t go to school,” Lee said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For weeks, the district has been planning to keep schools open in the case of a strike. In October, the school board voted to pay up to $550 per day for substitute teachers during the strike period, up from the regular day rate of up to $280.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12066306\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12066306\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY00410_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY00410_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY00410_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY00410_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">West Contra Costa Unified School District teachers and families play with a parachute as children run under during a strike rally at Marina Bay Park in Richmond on December 5, 2025. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In an email to parents and the school community on Wednesday, Superintendent Cotton said that schools would “provide safe and supportive classrooms and learning activities” and that meals would continue to be served to students.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cotton has expressed empathy for the union’s demands, but she has maintained that the district’s budget cannot afford them and that the strike is harmful to students.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The strike will not fix these problems,” Cotton said in an email statement on Wednesday. “A strike takes teachers out of classrooms, harms relationships, and makes it harder to recruit and retain strong educators. … We are heartbroken for our students. They deserve stability, care, and a learning environment where adults work together.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Meghan Crebbin-Coates is a student at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism and a contributor to KQED.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Update, Dec. 5:\u003c/strong> Striking teachers and West Contra Costa Unified School District officials reunited for bargaining Thursday afternoon after the first day of the walkout, but the two sides came away with strikingly contradictory descriptions of the meeting.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I am pleased to share that the district and UTR negotiations teams met this afternoon, and we are making progress on our negotiations,” Superintendent Cheryl Cotton said in a video message Thursday night. “It was a productive discussion, and we are making our way forward.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, during a Friday morning rally, union president Francisco Ortiz said the meeting was brief, district officials were 30 minutes late and they had no written proposals to offer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We let them know that we’re prepared to negotiate with them when they have something written down that we can consider,” Ortiz said. “Right now, there doesn’t seem to be any urgency regarding the settling of the contract.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The district did not respond to questions about the conflicting messaging or attendance figures for the first day of the strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Both sides have said they’re open to continued negotiations in the hopes of reaching a deal and ending the strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12066311\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12066311\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY01296_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY01296_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY01296_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY01296_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Francisco Ortiz speaks at a rally during the West Contra Costa United School District rally at Marina Bay Park in Richmond on Dec. 5, 2025. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Original story, Dec. 4 \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bundled against the morning cold, teachers marched outside the Nystrom Elementary School entrance in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/richmond\">Richmond\u003c/a> early Thursday, cheering as passing cars honked, and carrying yellow and red picket signs reading “We Can’t Wait.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Educators at all 56 West Contra Costa Unified School District sites picketed before and during school drop-off on the first day of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12065732/west-contra-costa-teachers-are-set-to-strike-across-the-bay-area-more-could-follow\">an open-ended strike\u003c/a>, marching for higher pay, smaller class sizes and a reduction of the use of long-term substitute teachers and outside contractors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Months of negotiations and a mediation process have \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12065486/west-contra-costa-teachers-are-near-a-pivotal-moment-in-their-potential-strike\">failed to yield an agreement\u003c/a> on a new three-year teaching contract. But Thursday afternoon, Superintendent Cheryl Cotton announced that the district and union had agreed to renegotiate and would meet at 4 p.m.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12066164\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12066164\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251204_RT_STRIKE_XZ_09-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251204_RT_STRIKE_XZ_09-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251204_RT_STRIKE_XZ_09-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251204_RT_STRIKE_XZ_09-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Teacher Jackie Reyes and her daughter Adelina join other West Contra Costa Unified School District teachers on strike at El Cerrito High School in Richmond on Dec. 4, 2025. \u003ccite>(Xavier Zamora for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“My hope is that we can reach agreement on salary and benefits and then turn our attention to collaboratively outline an action plan to address the deep-rooted, systemic issues that exist in our organization,” Cotton said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The district is facing a projected deficit and has maintained that its budget cannot support additional raises for teachers without risking a state takeover. Union members have argued that the district overspends on outside contractors rather than investing in district educators.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Outside Nystrom Elementary on Thursday morning, striking teachers chanted slogans such as “Education is a right, that is why we have to fight.”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“I’ve been here for 13 years and seen a lot of teachers come and go and the impact that has on our kids,” said Jocelyn Rohan, a sixth-grade teacher at Nystrom Elementary. “It’s hard to want to stay somewhere when you’re not being paid.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many families chose to keep their children home as the strike began. Of about 440 students enrolled at Nystrom Elementary, just 87 attended class on Thursday, according to the district.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Missing school to support the strike is not considered an excused absence by the district. For families that did not want to come to school, the district offered an alternative independent study curriculum that students could do at home and still receive school attendance credit. About 1,300 students registered for the curriculum out of the 28,000 in the district.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When people work, they ask for raises so they can support their families,” Nystrom Elementary parent Nidia Lopez said in Spanish, through a teacher interpreter. “If they don’t get a raise, they’ll find work somewhere else.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lopez brought her children to school, but she decided to take them home once she realized there was a strike, saying that there wasn’t a point to having her children in school if the teachers weren’t there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12066163\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12066163\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251204_RT_STRIKE_XZ_05-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251204_RT_STRIKE_XZ_05-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251204_RT_STRIKE_XZ_05-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251204_RT_STRIKE_XZ_05-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Nedea Lopez walks her children to school as West Contra Costa Unified School District teachers strike outside Nystrom Elementary School in Richmond on Dec. 4, 2025. \u003ccite>(Xavier Zamora for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Other parents brought their children to school.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Harrishiana Lee, parent of three children in the district, told KQED over a phone call as her children were being dropped off by their father that she supported the union but was frustrated with the strike. All of her children have special needs, she said, and she didn’t have an alternative for the services they needed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“With the strike, my baby can’t go to school,” Lee said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For weeks, the district has been planning to keep schools open in the case of a strike. In October, the school board voted to pay up to $550 per day for substitute teachers during the strike period, up from the regular day rate of up to $280.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12066306\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12066306\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY00410_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY00410_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY00410_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY00410_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">West Contra Costa Unified School District teachers and families play with a parachute as children run under during a strike rally at Marina Bay Park in Richmond on December 5, 2025. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In an email to parents and the school community on Wednesday, Superintendent Cotton said that schools would “provide safe and supportive classrooms and learning activities” and that meals would continue to be served to students.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cotton has expressed empathy for the union’s demands, but she has maintained that the district’s budget cannot afford them and that the strike is harmful to students.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The strike will not fix these problems,” Cotton said in an email statement on Wednesday. “A strike takes teachers out of classrooms, harms relationships, and makes it harder to recruit and retain strong educators. … We are heartbroken for our students. They deserve stability, care, and a learning environment where adults work together.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Meghan Crebbin-Coates is a student at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism and a contributor to KQED.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>San Francisco’s school district plans to make \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12044768/sf-school-district-unveils-balanced-budget-after-cutting-over-110-million-in-spending\">more than $100 million in budget cuts\u003c/a> for the second year in a row to stave off a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12059537/as-deficit-looms-sf-public-school-teachers-threaten-strike-over-fair-contracts\">massive deficit\u003c/a> and aim to end a yearslong pattern of overspending, district officials said Friday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The move, however, won’t come without pain for families and staff, and it could be threatened by ongoing labor negotiations with district teachers, who \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12066097/sfusd-teachers-overwhelmingly-vote-to-authorize-the-first-strike-in-49-years\">escalated their threat to strike\u003c/a> this week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our fiscal stabilization plan is working, and we are moving towards stability for our school district,” Superintendent Maria Su said Friday. “However, we are still struggling in really tough times. We still need to make additional reductions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These reductions will not be taken lightly,” she continued.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The San Francisco Unified School District plans to present $102 million in budget cuts this year, as it faces projected funding shortfalls of $51 million for next year, and $32 million and $19 million for the following two years, Su said. Insight into where those cuts will focus could come as soon as Dec. 16, when staff will present an update to their multi-year fiscal stabilization plan to the school board.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The first year of the plan, which was implemented for the current school year, included $114 million in ongoing expenditure reductions through an employee buyout initiative for hundreds of late-career educators, a strict campus staffing model and layoffs of administrative employees in the central office.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12053776\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12053776\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250818-SFUSDFirstDay-01_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250818-SFUSDFirstDay-01_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250818-SFUSDFirstDay-01_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250818-SFUSDFirstDay-01_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Students at Sanchez Elementary School in San Francisco arrive for their first day of the school year on Aug. 18, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Su has warned that making more cuts on top of those could be harder, but she said her team heard a resounding message from families at town halls across the district this fall: End the cycle of cutting services year after year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s a strong desire for us to be stable,” Su told KQED. “It’s not fair to students, it’s not fair to parents, [and] certainly not fair to our staff, where we cannot even guarantee the basic stability of a job or the basic stability of a student knowing that their teacher is going to be in their school.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Making these budget reductions, she said, is necessary to achieve stability.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The district’s cuts last year put it in a position to move out of a “negative” budget certification from the state, which indicates that financial advisors don’t believe it will be able to pay its bills over the coming two years. Now, the district expects a “qualified” certification, which indicates that it might be able to meet its financial obligations.[aside postID=news_12066097 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/20240827_SFUSDProtest_GC-5_qed.jpg']“Today is good news. Achieving qualified certification is a critical step towards exiting state oversight and fully regaining local control,” school board president Phil Kim said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Under that certification, the district would still be subject to financial oversight, but Su said it’s a step toward a “positive” certification, which would allow it to operate independent of the state for the \u003ca href=\"https://go.boarddocs.com/ca/sfusd/Board.nsf/files/C7JF2N82A0CD/%24file/21%20-%2009.15%20CDE%20Letter%20re%20San%20Francisco%20COE%20%26%20USD%202021-22%20Budget.pdf\">first time since 2021\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Su said the district hopes to reach that level as soon as March, but by the end of the academic year at the latest.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That plan could be threatened, though, by ongoing labor tensions between SFUSD and United Educators of San Francisco, which represents 6,500 district educators.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A strike authorization vote held by UESF overwhelmingly passed on Wednesday, the first of two votes needed to authorize a work stoppage, after nine months of unfruitful negotiations over their 2025-2027 contract.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The union can now call for a strike vote at any time, but it will have to complete a two-step mediation process before teachers are legally allowed to walk off the job.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The parties declared an impasse in October and are now in the second mediated negotiation phase, called “fact-finding.” They’ll present arguments to a panel of state-appointed mediators later this month, and that panel will issue non-binding compromise recommendations. SFUSD will be able to make a final offer to the union before educators can legally go on strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12051869\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12051869\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250418-SFUSD-04-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250418-SFUSD-04-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250418-SFUSD-04-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250418-SFUSD-04-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The San Francisco Unified School District Administrative Offices in San Francisco on April 18, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>While the union is demanding a raise, fully paid health care coverage for dependents and a new special education staffing model, the board said it isn’t in a position to offer the union more money.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The board truly wants to honor all of the hard work and meaningful work that our educators are doing to serve our students every single day. We just cannot give them money that we do not have,” school board vice president Jaime Huling said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We will and have offered them everything that we can afford,” she continued.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In October, SFUSD offered UESF a 2% raise in exchange for concessions on its other demands, and at the expense of some existing contract provisions, including a sabbatical program for veteran educators and extra preparation periods for advanced placement teachers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Union leaders said the results of this week’s vote — which was passed by 99.3% of members who voted — indicate that they’re willing to strike if their demands aren’t met.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If teachers strike, it would be the first in nearly 50 years in the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Right now, we hope district management is really looking at where they’re at in negotiations and preparing to bring us things that could be a potential agreement,” said Nathalie Hrizi, one of UESF’s bargaining coordinators. “No one wants to strike, but we are willing to.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>San Francisco’s school district plans to make \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12044768/sf-school-district-unveils-balanced-budget-after-cutting-over-110-million-in-spending\">more than $100 million in budget cuts\u003c/a> for the second year in a row to stave off a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12059537/as-deficit-looms-sf-public-school-teachers-threaten-strike-over-fair-contracts\">massive deficit\u003c/a> and aim to end a yearslong pattern of overspending, district officials said Friday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The move, however, won’t come without pain for families and staff, and it could be threatened by ongoing labor negotiations with district teachers, who \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12066097/sfusd-teachers-overwhelmingly-vote-to-authorize-the-first-strike-in-49-years\">escalated their threat to strike\u003c/a> this week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our fiscal stabilization plan is working, and we are moving towards stability for our school district,” Superintendent Maria Su said Friday. “However, we are still struggling in really tough times. We still need to make additional reductions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These reductions will not be taken lightly,” she continued.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The San Francisco Unified School District plans to present $102 million in budget cuts this year, as it faces projected funding shortfalls of $51 million for next year, and $32 million and $19 million for the following two years, Su said. Insight into where those cuts will focus could come as soon as Dec. 16, when staff will present an update to their multi-year fiscal stabilization plan to the school board.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The first year of the plan, which was implemented for the current school year, included $114 million in ongoing expenditure reductions through an employee buyout initiative for hundreds of late-career educators, a strict campus staffing model and layoffs of administrative employees in the central office.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12053776\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12053776\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250818-SFUSDFirstDay-01_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250818-SFUSDFirstDay-01_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250818-SFUSDFirstDay-01_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250818-SFUSDFirstDay-01_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Students at Sanchez Elementary School in San Francisco arrive for their first day of the school year on Aug. 18, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Su has warned that making more cuts on top of those could be harder, but she said her team heard a resounding message from families at town halls across the district this fall: End the cycle of cutting services year after year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s a strong desire for us to be stable,” Su told KQED. “It’s not fair to students, it’s not fair to parents, [and] certainly not fair to our staff, where we cannot even guarantee the basic stability of a job or the basic stability of a student knowing that their teacher is going to be in their school.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Making these budget reductions, she said, is necessary to achieve stability.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The district’s cuts last year put it in a position to move out of a “negative” budget certification from the state, which indicates that financial advisors don’t believe it will be able to pay its bills over the coming two years. Now, the district expects a “qualified” certification, which indicates that it might be able to meet its financial obligations.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“Today is good news. Achieving qualified certification is a critical step towards exiting state oversight and fully regaining local control,” school board president Phil Kim said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Under that certification, the district would still be subject to financial oversight, but Su said it’s a step toward a “positive” certification, which would allow it to operate independent of the state for the \u003ca href=\"https://go.boarddocs.com/ca/sfusd/Board.nsf/files/C7JF2N82A0CD/%24file/21%20-%2009.15%20CDE%20Letter%20re%20San%20Francisco%20COE%20%26%20USD%202021-22%20Budget.pdf\">first time since 2021\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Su said the district hopes to reach that level as soon as March, but by the end of the academic year at the latest.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That plan could be threatened, though, by ongoing labor tensions between SFUSD and United Educators of San Francisco, which represents 6,500 district educators.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A strike authorization vote held by UESF overwhelmingly passed on Wednesday, the first of two votes needed to authorize a work stoppage, after nine months of unfruitful negotiations over their 2025-2027 contract.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The union can now call for a strike vote at any time, but it will have to complete a two-step mediation process before teachers are legally allowed to walk off the job.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The parties declared an impasse in October and are now in the second mediated negotiation phase, called “fact-finding.” They’ll present arguments to a panel of state-appointed mediators later this month, and that panel will issue non-binding compromise recommendations. SFUSD will be able to make a final offer to the union before educators can legally go on strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12051869\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12051869\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250418-SFUSD-04-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250418-SFUSD-04-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250418-SFUSD-04-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250418-SFUSD-04-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The San Francisco Unified School District Administrative Offices in San Francisco on April 18, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>While the union is demanding a raise, fully paid health care coverage for dependents and a new special education staffing model, the board said it isn’t in a position to offer the union more money.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The board truly wants to honor all of the hard work and meaningful work that our educators are doing to serve our students every single day. We just cannot give them money that we do not have,” school board vice president Jaime Huling said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We will and have offered them everything that we can afford,” she continued.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In October, SFUSD offered UESF a 2% raise in exchange for concessions on its other demands, and at the expense of some existing contract provisions, including a sabbatical program for veteran educators and extra preparation periods for advanced placement teachers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Union leaders said the results of this week’s vote — which was passed by 99.3% of members who voted — indicate that they’re willing to strike if their demands aren’t met.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If teachers strike, it would be the first in nearly 50 years in the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Right now, we hope district management is really looking at where they’re at in negotiations and preparing to bring us things that could be a potential agreement,” said Nathalie Hrizi, one of UESF’s bargaining coordinators. “No one wants to strike, but we are willing to.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "student-loan-repayment-changes-save-plan-repayments-income-driven-default-trump-administration",
"title": "What to Know About Repaying Student Loans, as Delinquency in California Skyrockets",
"publishDate": 1764946814,
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"headTitle": "What to Know About Repaying Student Loans, as Delinquency in California Skyrockets | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>More than 350,000 Californians are now behind on their student loan payments — the highest delinquency rate for any type of debt in over two decades, according to the \u003ca href=\"https://capolicylab.org/news/student-loan-delinquencies-surging-especially-for-older-borrowers/\">California Policy Lab\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s also the highest rate of delinquencies that UC Berkeley California Policy Lab executive director Evan White said he’s seen in the data “for any credit product, including student loans, auto loans, mortgage loans, credit cards” since 2004.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The missed payments are a symptom of a financial safety net that was already frayed before the COVID-19 pandemic greatly disrupted loan repayments. And now, that safety net is unravelling as \u003ca href=\"https://protectborrowers.org/resource/obbba-increased-costs-fact-sheet/\">borrowers face higher bills\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://studentaid.gov/announcements-events/idr-court-actions\">fewer repayment options\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/10/31/2025-19729/william-d-ford-federal-direct-loan-direct-loan-program\">limited eligibility for loan forgiveness programs\u003c/a> amid a system that even experts call confusing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The federal student loan system is broken,” said Mike Pierce, Executive Director and co-founder of the legal advocacy group \u003ca href=\"https://protectborrowers.org/\">Protect Borrowers\u003c/a>. “It’s been broken for decades, and lawmakers have failed to deal with that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Amid this uncertainty, here’s what to know if you’re a borrower in the process of paying off student debt — from the changes to federal loan forgiveness and income-driven repayment plans to the latest legal proceedings and how they might affect you.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jump straight to:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#Whataremyoptionsforincomedrivenrepayment\">What are my options for income-driven repayment?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#IworkforanonprofitorganizationCanIstillqualifyforPublicServiceLoanForgivenessPSLF\">I work for a nonprofit organization. Can I still qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#ImenrolledintheSAVEplanWhatshouldIbedoing\">I’m enrolled in the SAVE plan. What should I be doing?\u003c/a> \u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#HowwilltheOneBigBeautifulBillimpactmyloans\">How will the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ impact my loans?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#IthinkmyloanservicermadeamistakeWhatshouldIdo\">I think my loan servicer made a mistake. What should I do?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003ch2>How did my student loans get so complicated?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/20/us/politics/coronavirus-student-loans-education-testing.html\">the federal government paused student loan payments and interest\u003c/a>, giving borrowers an unprecedented break that lasted over three years. Many Californians used that breathing room to pay down credit card debt, build up savings, and even open new lines of credit. Financial wellness metrics improved across the board, according to White and the California Policy Lab.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But as pandemic-era supports ended and loan payments restarted, that relief has now given way to widespread confusion. Borrowers faced mixed messages about repayment deadlines, forgiveness options and which income-driven plans they could actually enroll in. \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/13/business/biden-student-loans.html\">Federal loan forgiveness became a political hot potato during and after the 2020 election\u003c/a>, with \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/05/business/student-loan-pause-pandemic.html\">repayment deadlines rescheduled under President Donald Trump’s first term … and again\u003c/a> under President Joe Biden. And each delay created more uncertainty about when payments would resume and whether borrowers might qualify for relief, said Mike Pierce.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12061284\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12061284\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/033_KQED_SanFrancisco_SFSU_03112020_6923_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/033_KQED_SanFrancisco_SFSU_03112020_6923_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/033_KQED_SanFrancisco_SFSU_03112020_6923_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/033_KQED_SanFrancisco_SFSU_03112020_6923_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">San Francisco State University on March 11, 2020. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Then the legal battles began. The SAVE plan used by millions of student loan borrowers — along with several income-driven repayment options that predated this Biden-era plan — became embroiled in court challenges that have continued to drag on for months.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, student loan borrowers have found themselves stuck in limbo for most of 2025: unable to enroll in affordable repayment plans, unsure whether they qualify for loan forgiveness and unclear about the latest and most accurate guidance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The result is a system where even borrowers who \u003cem>want \u003c/em>to pay are struggling to get a handle on their loans, according to Jonathan Glater, a law professor at the University of California, Berkeley, and co-founder of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.slli.org/\">Student Loan Law Initiative\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“One of the criticisms of this whole complicated edifice that we’ve got is that it’s very, very difficult for borrowers to navigate,” said Glater. “It is way too complicated.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Which borrowers are most affected right now?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Lower-income student loan borrowers are “mostly worse off than they were before the pandemic happened,” said the California Policy Lab’s White, who’s also a member of the research team that created and maintains the \u003ca href=\"https://capolicylab.org/california-credit-dashboard/\">California Credit Dashboard\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Older borrowers are the most likely to be impacted in California, White added. According to the California Policy Lab. \u003ca href=\"https://capolicylab.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Student-Loan-Delinquencies-Surging.pdf\">One possible reason for higher delinquency rates among older borrowers is that they typically owe a larger monthly payment\u003c/a> on their student loans. [aside postID=mindshift_65377 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2025/03/capossela-npr-book-education-v2-final-1020x680.jpeg']The average Boomer with student debt owes $150 per month in student loan payments — 2.4 times that of the average Millennial ($62/month) and 5.8 times that of the average Gen Zer ($26/month). These loans may have been used to pay for their own education, one or more children’s education — or a combination.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The financial burden hitting older borrowers might also be attributed in part to the way the federal loan repayment system works, said White.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Loan repayment plans are designed to limit the amount of payments borrowers make to a fixed period of time. But after a long pandemic pause, borrowers may be resuming their payments with fewer monthly payments remaining — and a balance that hasn’t diminished, or has actually grown from interest.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The result: higher monthly payments than what borrowers may have been paying even prior to pandemic assistance.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"Whataremyoptionsforincomedrivenrepayment\">\u003c/a>What are my options for income-driven repayment?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>After a two-month freeze, \u003ca href=\"https://studentloanborrowerassistance.org/idr-application-is-back-up/#2\">the Department of Education is now processing applications for income-driven repayment (IDR) plans again\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There are currently four IDR plans available to borrowers with federal student loans. (Federal loans generally include “direct” or “federal” in the title, but you can find \u003ca href=\"https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/repayment/plans/income-driven#eligibility\">a complete list of eligible loan types here\u003c/a>, to make sure yours qualifies.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12047499\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12047499 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/DepartofEducation.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/DepartofEducation.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/DepartofEducation-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/DepartofEducation-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The U.S. Department of Education is seen before the Safeguard Students, Empower Education Rally & Press Conference on April 29, 2025, in Washington, D.C. \u003ccite>(Pete Kiehart for The Washington Post via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>It’s important to carefully compare plans, as each borrower’s situation is different. You can use this \u003ca href=\"https://studentaid.gov/loan-simulator/\">Federal Student Loan Simulator\u003c/a> to calculate and compare your monthly payments under each of the available federal IDR plans.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>All IDR plans base your monthly loan payment on a percentage of your discretionary income, in combination with your family size. The exact percentage of your income and how long you will have to repay varies by plan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You can find \u003ca href=\"https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/repayment/plans/income-driven#repayment-period\">detailed information about all federal IDR plans here\u003c/a>, but here are the highlights at a glance:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Pay As You Earn (PAYE) Repayment Plan\u003c/strong>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Capped at 10% of discretionary income, repaid over 20 years\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>New Income-Based Repayment (IBR) Plan\u003c/strong>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>For eligible loans borrowed \u003cem>after \u003c/em>July 1, 2014\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Capped at 10% of discretionary income, repaid over 20 years\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Old Income-Based Repayment (IBR) Plan\u003c/strong>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>For eligible loans borrowed \u003cem>before \u003c/em>July 1, 2014\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Capped at 15% of discretionary income, repaid over 25 years\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Income-Contingent Repayment (ICR) Plan\u003c/strong>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Capped at 20% of discretionary income, repaid over 25 years\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://studentaid.gov/idr/\">Apply for an income-driven plan for the first time, or switch between plans, here\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>The benefits of income-driven repayment plans\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>For some people, payments on an IDR plan can be as low as $0 per month. Others may be able to take advantage of another perk — exemption from interest on their loans — if their income-adjusted payments wouldn’t cover the interest accruing on their student loans each month.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>IDR plans also operate on a fixed schedule, meaning you’re committed to repaying them over a period of 20 or 25 years — \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/65643/how-is-your-student-loan-repayment-affected-by-the-one-big-beautiful-bill\">although the new Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) will offer a 30-year repayment period \u003c/a>beginning in 2028. While paying several decades of loan payments may not sound like your idea of a great time, any remaining loan balance could be forgiven outright if your federal student loans aren’t fully repaid by the end of this period.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>The drawbacks of income-driven repayment plans\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Before you celebrate loan forgiveness, be sure to read the fine print. Loan balances forgiven at the end of an IDR repayment period are actually subject to income tax — leading savvy borrowers to save for the \u003ca href=\"https://tax.thomsonreuters.com/news/changes-ahead-for-taxpayers-with-discharged-student-loan-debt/\">“tax bomb” that will accompany their emancipation from student debt\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Once you enroll in an IDR plan, you should also set a reminder to update, or “recertify,” your income and family size every year, even if there has been no change.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12049948\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12049948\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/AP25195724697543-scaled-e1764803931499.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Education Secretary Linda McMahon speaks during a Senate Appropriations hearing, Tuesday, June 3, 2025, on Capitol Hill in Washington. \u003ccite>(Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP Photo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The consequences for borrowers on IDR plans who don’t recertify their incomes are strict, as you could be removed from your plan and placed on an alternative plan where monthly payments are \u003cem>not \u003c/em>based on income, leading to higher monthly payments and resumed interest.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And while you can reapply for your preferred IDR plan, recertification issues can cause delays in loan forgiveness, not to mention financial stress. The Department of Education warns that \u003ca href=\"https://studentaid.gov/help-center/answers/article/status-of-idr-plan-application\">new applications for IDR plans typically take 30 days to process\u003c/a> – leaving you on the hook for any student loan payments and interest accrued in the meantime.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://studentaid.gov/idr/\">Apply for an income-driven plan for the first time, or switch between plans, here\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"IworkforanonprofitorganizationCanIstillqualifyforPublicServiceLoanForgivenessPSLF\">\u003c/a>I work for a nonprofit organization. Can I still qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>If you work for a nonprofit or government employer, Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) can be a powerful tool for managing your student debt.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here’s how it works: make 120 qualifying monthly payments over a 10-year period while working full-time for a qualifying employer, and any remaining federal student loan debt gets forgiven — without that “tax bomb” of income-driven repayment plans.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>PSLF was created by Congress in 2007 specifically to help recruit and retain talented people in public service jobs that often pay less than private sector positions. More than 1 million public servants, from teachers, nurses and social workers to librarians and public defenders, had their loans forgiven through this program under the Biden administration. [aside postID=news_11963857 hero='https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/10/GettyImages-1364803352-qut-1020x680.jpg']Now, \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/07/us/politics/trump-executive-order-student-loan-forgiveness.html\">President Donald Trump’s second administration is seeking to change who qualifies\u003c/a>. An executive order signed by Trump in March and set to take effect July 1, 2026, would allow the education secretary — not the courts or Congress — to deny loan forgiveness to workers whose employers engage in activities deemed to have a “substantial illegal purpose.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/10/31/2025-19729/william-d-ford-federal-direct-loan-direct-loan-program\">examples listed in the rule include\u003c/a> “aiding and abetting violations of Federal immigration laws” and providing certain types of gender-affirming care. San Francisco and several other cities are suing to block this rule.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Protect Borrowers has been involved in filing several of these lawsuits, claiming that restricting public service loan forgiveness is “an attempt to target organizations and jurisdictions whose missions and policies do not align with [the Trump administration’s] political positions on immigration, race, gender, free speech, and public protest.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The Trump administration recognized that there’s real power in the federal government, because it is the creditor for 40 million people,” Pierce said. He is concerned that public service workers could lose access to loan forgiveness simply because their employer resisted federal immigration enforcement or maintained diversity, equity and inclusion programs — even though those local policies may be perfectly legal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So amid this legal action, what should you do if you’re working toward PSLF forgiveness?\u003c/p>\n\u003col>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong> Don’t wait\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ol>\n\u003cp>Submit your employment certification forms now to get credit for the payments you’ve already made.\u003c/p>\n\u003col start=\"2\">\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong> Keep meticulous records \u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ol>\n\u003cp>Your employment, every loan payment you’ve made — collect screenshots, confirmation emails, everything.\u003c/p>\n\u003col start=\"3\">\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong> Work extra-fast if you’re close to hitting that 120-payment mark\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ol>\n\u003cp>Prioritize reaching that threshold before the July 2026 deadline when this rule takes effect.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And if you’re currently enrolled in SAVE, consider switching to another income-driven repayment plan to resume qualifying PSLF payments.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You should also pay attention to how this lawsuit unfolds, said Pierce. \u003ca href=\"https://protectborrowers.org/litigation/pslf-lawsuit/\">The plaintiffs argue the Education Department is overstepping its authority and rewriting what Congress clearly defined as “public service” — any government job or 501(c)(3) nonprofit\u003c/a>. The courts will ultimately decide whether the secretary has the power to add political litmus tests to a program Congress designed to support all public service workers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the meantime, protect yourself by documenting everything and staying informed about your rights.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"ImenrolledintheSAVEplanWhatshouldIbedoing\">\u003c/a>I’m enrolled in the SAVE plan. Should I switch to another income-driven repayment option?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The SAVE plan was designed to be a lifeline — the most affordable income-driven repayment option the federal government had offered to date.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Promising shorter repayment periods, more generous income calculations that would lower monthly payments and a faster path to loan forgiveness for low-income borrowers, \u003ca href=\"https://protectborrowers.org/new-court-filing-reveals-backlog-of-2-million-borrower-payment-plan-applications/#:~:text=Background,district%20court%20for%20further%20proceedings.\">the SAVE plan had eight million enrollees\u003c/a> as of May 2025.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11955722\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11955722\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/230714-SUPREME-COURT-STUDENT-DEBT-Getty-KD-KQED.jpg\" alt='People hold signs reading \"Cancel Student Debt Now!\" in front of the columned facade of the supreme court.' width=\"2000\" height=\"1302\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/230714-SUPREME-COURT-STUDENT-DEBT-Getty-KD-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/230714-SUPREME-COURT-STUDENT-DEBT-Getty-KD-KQED-800x521.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/230714-SUPREME-COURT-STUDENT-DEBT-Getty-KD-KQED-1020x664.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/230714-SUPREME-COURT-STUDENT-DEBT-Getty-KD-KQED-160x104.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/230714-SUPREME-COURT-STUDENT-DEBT-Getty-KD-KQED-1536x1000.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/230714-SUPREME-COURT-STUDENT-DEBT-Getty-KD-KQED-1920x1250.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Student debt relief activists participate in a rally at the U.S. Supreme Court on June 30, 2023, in Washington, D.C. \u003ccite>(Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But Missouri and several other Republican-led states filed lawsuits challenging the SAVE repayment plan and arguing that the Biden administration had overstepped its authority beginning in spring 2024 — and \u003ca href=\"https://studentloanborrowerassistance.org/part-2-the-current-impact-on-borrowers-of-lawsuits-challenging-the-save-plan-and-the-removal-of-idr-applications/\">SAVE has been frozen in legal limbo ever since\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’re enrolled in SAVE, here’s what’s happening with your loans right now: You haven’t been required to make payments since last summer while the case winds through the courts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You’re in what’s known as “forbearance,” and while those months do count toward eventual income-driven repayment forgiveness (typically after 20 to 25 years), they don’t count as qualifying payments toward Public Service Loan Forgiveness.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And as of August, interest has resumed accruing — which means your balance will continue to grow each month, unless you make payments to offset the interest.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For borrowers working toward PSLF who are close to the 120-payment finish line, staying in SAVE means you’re losing time: those paused months won’t count, and \u003ca href=\"https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/public-service/public-service-loan-forgiveness-buyback\">you may need to use a “buy back” option later to pay for these months retroactively\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The good news? You have options. Applications for other income-driven repayment plans — Income-Based Repayment, Pay as You Earn, and Income-Contingent Repayment — are now open again after a months-long delay. If you’re pursuing Public Service Loan Forgiveness, switching to one of these plans means your payments will start counting toward that 120-payment requirement again.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And if you’re simply trying to stop your balance from ballooning, moving to an active repayment plan gives you more control. The application process may take a few weeks, but for many borrowers — especially those close to PSLF eligibility or watching their interest pile up — making the switch may be worth it to get back on track.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"HowwilltheOneBigBeautifulBillimpactmyloans\">\u003c/a>How will the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ impact my loans?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>If you’re a federal student loan borrower, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1/text\">H.R.1 budget, known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act\u003c/a>, that passed in July, included changes to the federal loan system that could impact you.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The SAVE plan is being shut down by July 1, 2028 — but so are two other income-driven repayment plans: Pay as You Earn (PAYE) and Income-Contingent Repayment (ICR). If you’re currently enrolled in either of these plans, you’ll need to switch before that deadline.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12047827\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12047827\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/npr.brightspotcdn-copy-7.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1800\" height=\"1200\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/npr.brightspotcdn-copy-7.jpg 1800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/npr.brightspotcdn-copy-7-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/npr.brightspotcdn-copy-7-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1800px) 100vw, 1800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">President Trump bangs a gavel after signing the One Big Beautiful Bill Act at the White House on July 4. \u003ccite>(Brendan Smialowski/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The Income-Based Repayment (IBR) plan, a Reagan-era program that was implemented by Congress, will remain available for current borrowers. Pierce said it’s worth considering now, especially since it offers loan forgiveness after 20 or 25 years instead of the 30 years required under the Trump administration’s proposed replacement plan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That new Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) won’t be ready until next year, and key details haven’t been revealed yet — leaving borrowers with limited information to plan ahead.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The spending bill includes provisions that also affect future students: new borrowers taking out loans after July 1, 2026, will not have access to traditional income-driven repayment plans at all. They’ll be limited to the new RAP or a standard fixed-payment plan, both with far less flexibility than previous options. [aside postID=mindshift_65643 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2025/07/gettyimages-1676464096-2000x1220.jpeg']The law also introduces borrowing caps for graduate and professional degree students ($20,500 annually, $100,000 lifetime) and parents taking out loans to assist with a child’s education ($20,000 per year, $65,000 per child).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Student loan experts worry these caps will push more borrowers toward private lenders, which charge higher interest rates, offer less favorable terms and don’t qualify for any income-driven repayment or forgiveness programs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You’re pushing people into the private student loan market and away from safe federal student loans with good consumer protections,” said Pierce.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to Jonathan Glater, H.R.1 does nothing to address why student debt became a crisis in the first place: skyrocketing college tuition costs. By capping federal borrowing without tackling affordability, the law may simply shift the burden from federal loans to private debt, he warned — or price students out of higher education entirely.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“My fear is that what we are seeing is a lifting of the ladder of higher ed opportunity higher, so it’ll be out of reach for more people,” said Glater.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’re planning for graduate school or helping a child pay for college, factor these new limits into your timeline and consider whether starting \u003cem>before \u003c/em>July 2026 would give you access to more generous borrowing options.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And document everything — experts caution that, considering the sheer volume of changes, and the Education Department operating with reduced staff, keeping detailed records of your loans, payments, and applications is more important than ever.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"IthinkmyloanservicermadeamistakeWhatshouldIdo\">\u003c/a>I think my loan servicer made a mistake. What should I do?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Your federal student loans might be owned by the government, but they’re managed by private loan servicing companies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It is a black mark on the student loan system that people need to know what a student loan servicer is,” Pierce said. These are companies contracted to administer and collect your loans, handle your payments, process paperwork for income-driven repayment plans and answer your questions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11955727\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11955727 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/230714-SUPREME-COURT-STUDENT-DEBT-Getty-KN-KQED.jpg\" alt='A person with long hair and a black t-shirt holds up a bright yellow sign reading \"Cancel Student Debt\" amidst others doing similar.' width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/230714-SUPREME-COURT-STUDENT-DEBT-Getty-KN-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/230714-SUPREME-COURT-STUDENT-DEBT-Getty-KN-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/230714-SUPREME-COURT-STUDENT-DEBT-Getty-KN-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/230714-SUPREME-COURT-STUDENT-DEBT-Getty-KN-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/230714-SUPREME-COURT-STUDENT-DEBT-Getty-KN-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/230714-SUPREME-COURT-STUDENT-DEBT-Getty-KN-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A demonstrator holds a “Cancel Student Debt” sign outside of the Supreme Court of the United States after the nation’s high court stuck down President Biden’s student debt relief program in Washington, D.C. on June 30, 2023. \u003ccite>(Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The problem? In their role as the middleman between you and the Department of Education, several \u003ca href=\"https://www.consumerfinance.gov/about-us/newsroom/cfpb-bans-navient-from-federal-student-loan-servicing-and-orders-the-company-to-pay-120-million-for-wide-ranging-student-lending-failures/\">loan servicers have made serious administrative errors\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.aft.org/sites/default/files/media/documents/2024/AFT%20v.%20MOHELA_Complaint%2007.22.2024.pdf\">have been targets of class action lawsuits for mishandling borrower accounts\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We hear the worst stories about lost paperwork, changing balances, the rules being rewritten for people right in the middle of paying their loans back when those loan companies change,” said Pierce.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’ve been repaying loans for a while, you’ve probably experienced at least one transfer of your debt from one servicer to another. According to Pierce, each transfer creates an opportunity for information to get lost, payment counts to be recorded incorrectly or for the servicer to lose contact with you entirely.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you think your loan servicer made a mistake — whether it’s incorrect payment counts, wrong balance information, or problems with your repayment plan — don’t just accept it, urged Pierce.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Protect Borrowers has detailed resources on their website explaining what steps to take when your servicer gets it wrong, which include:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Start by documenting everything\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Take screenshots of your account, save emails and letters, and keep records of every phone call, said Pierce — including the date, time, and name of the representative.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>File a formal complaint with your servicer first\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>…but be ready to escalate to the \u003ca href=\"https://studentaid.gov/feedback-ombudsman\">Federal Student Aid Ombudsman\u003c/a> if the issue isn’t resolved.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California borrowers have an additional resource: the state’s dedicated \u003ca href=\"https://dfpi.ca.gov/consumers/student-loans/contact-us/\">Student Loan Ombudsman\u003c/a>, who can help navigate disputes and advocate on your behalf.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Be proactive and persistent\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Loan servicers handle millions of accounts, and mistakes happen — but those mistakes can cost you thousands of dollars or years of progress toward forgiveness if they’re not caught and corrected, said Pierce.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Don’t assume your servicer has correct information for you\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>…especially after a transfer. Regularly check your account, verify your payment counts match your records, and if something looks off, speak up immediately. The more documentation you have, the easier it will be to prove an error and get it fixed, said Pierce.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>His advice for borrowers “that are just stuck” is to go to your lawmaker and \u003ca href=\"https://protectborrowers.org/resource/protect-borrowers-congressional-casework-tool/\">open up a case with your local member of Congress or your state senator\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s only so much you can do with the current law, but for people that are stuck waiting on hold … or feel like they’ve been lied to by a student loan company, often going to your member of congress and opening up a case with them is the best way forward here,” he said, adding that Congressional casework can cut through red tape when the Education Department is overwhelmed or unresponsive.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>I need help navigating my student loans, but I’m not hearing back. Why?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12031831/i-have-student-loans-what-should-i-do-during-these-department-of-education-cuts\">The Department of Education has been hit hard by cuts under the Trump administration;\u003c/a> its workforce was slashed in half earlier this year, \u003ca href=\"https://www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/us-department-of-education-initiates-reduction-force\">dropping from about 4,100 employees to roughly 2,200\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many of the dismissed employees worked within the Federal Student Aid department and assisted with the technical administration of student loans, including handling disputes between borrowers and loan servicers and answering FAFSA questions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12058099\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12058099\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/20250929_UCBERKELEY_GC-1-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/20250929_UCBERKELEY_GC-1-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/20250929_UCBERKELEY_GC-1-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/20250929_UCBERKELEY_GC-1-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Students walk on campus at UC Berkeley in Berkeley on Sept. 29, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The recent government shutdown has only made things worse, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12058230/government-shutdown-affect-student-loans-fafsa-education-department-2025\">furloughing about 87% of the department’s remaining workforce\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The practical impact? Expect longer wait times for processing income-driven repayment applications, employment certification for PSLF and responses to borrower disputes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The good news is you’re not on your own. While the federal government has scaled back support, there are still nonprofit organizations and state resources available to help you navigate your loans.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The National Consumer Law Center offers \u003ca href=\"https://www.nclc.org/issue/student-loans/\">Student Loan Borrower Assistance\u003c/a>, providing free information for people struggling with payments or dealing with default. Protect Borrowers focuses on existing pathways to debt cancellation through the \u003ca href=\"https://www.cancelmystudentdebt.org/\">Cancel My Student Debt campaign\u003c/a>. And California borrowers have access to the state’s dedicated \u003ca href=\"https://dfpi.ca.gov/consumers/student-loans/contact-us/\">Student Loan Ombudsman\u003c/a>, who can help resolve disputes with loan servicers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These big structural problems, the fact that [borrowers] can’t afford their loan payment or that nobody will return their phone calls, this isn’t because they did something wrong,” Pierce added. “It’s scary for people that are staring down a bill they can’t afford. But this is a function of public policy. It’s not an individual failing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "More than 350,000 Californians are now behind on their student loan payments. Here's what to know if you're paying off student debt, from changes to income-driven repayment plans to the latest legal proceedings.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>More than 350,000 Californians are now behind on their student loan payments — the highest delinquency rate for any type of debt in over two decades, according to the \u003ca href=\"https://capolicylab.org/news/student-loan-delinquencies-surging-especially-for-older-borrowers/\">California Policy Lab\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s also the highest rate of delinquencies that UC Berkeley California Policy Lab executive director Evan White said he’s seen in the data “for any credit product, including student loans, auto loans, mortgage loans, credit cards” since 2004.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The missed payments are a symptom of a financial safety net that was already frayed before the COVID-19 pandemic greatly disrupted loan repayments. And now, that safety net is unravelling as \u003ca href=\"https://protectborrowers.org/resource/obbba-increased-costs-fact-sheet/\">borrowers face higher bills\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://studentaid.gov/announcements-events/idr-court-actions\">fewer repayment options\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/10/31/2025-19729/william-d-ford-federal-direct-loan-direct-loan-program\">limited eligibility for loan forgiveness programs\u003c/a> amid a system that even experts call confusing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The federal student loan system is broken,” said Mike Pierce, Executive Director and co-founder of the legal advocacy group \u003ca href=\"https://protectborrowers.org/\">Protect Borrowers\u003c/a>. “It’s been broken for decades, and lawmakers have failed to deal with that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Amid this uncertainty, here’s what to know if you’re a borrower in the process of paying off student debt — from the changes to federal loan forgiveness and income-driven repayment plans to the latest legal proceedings and how they might affect you.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jump straight to:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#Whataremyoptionsforincomedrivenrepayment\">What are my options for income-driven repayment?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#IworkforanonprofitorganizationCanIstillqualifyforPublicServiceLoanForgivenessPSLF\">I work for a nonprofit organization. Can I still qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#ImenrolledintheSAVEplanWhatshouldIbedoing\">I’m enrolled in the SAVE plan. What should I be doing?\u003c/a> \u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#HowwilltheOneBigBeautifulBillimpactmyloans\">How will the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ impact my loans?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#IthinkmyloanservicermadeamistakeWhatshouldIdo\">I think my loan servicer made a mistake. What should I do?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003ch2>How did my student loans get so complicated?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/20/us/politics/coronavirus-student-loans-education-testing.html\">the federal government paused student loan payments and interest\u003c/a>, giving borrowers an unprecedented break that lasted over three years. Many Californians used that breathing room to pay down credit card debt, build up savings, and even open new lines of credit. Financial wellness metrics improved across the board, according to White and the California Policy Lab.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But as pandemic-era supports ended and loan payments restarted, that relief has now given way to widespread confusion. Borrowers faced mixed messages about repayment deadlines, forgiveness options and which income-driven plans they could actually enroll in. \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/13/business/biden-student-loans.html\">Federal loan forgiveness became a political hot potato during and after the 2020 election\u003c/a>, with \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/05/business/student-loan-pause-pandemic.html\">repayment deadlines rescheduled under President Donald Trump’s first term … and again\u003c/a> under President Joe Biden. And each delay created more uncertainty about when payments would resume and whether borrowers might qualify for relief, said Mike Pierce.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12061284\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12061284\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/033_KQED_SanFrancisco_SFSU_03112020_6923_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/033_KQED_SanFrancisco_SFSU_03112020_6923_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/033_KQED_SanFrancisco_SFSU_03112020_6923_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/033_KQED_SanFrancisco_SFSU_03112020_6923_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">San Francisco State University on March 11, 2020. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Then the legal battles began. The SAVE plan used by millions of student loan borrowers — along with several income-driven repayment options that predated this Biden-era plan — became embroiled in court challenges that have continued to drag on for months.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, student loan borrowers have found themselves stuck in limbo for most of 2025: unable to enroll in affordable repayment plans, unsure whether they qualify for loan forgiveness and unclear about the latest and most accurate guidance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The result is a system where even borrowers who \u003cem>want \u003c/em>to pay are struggling to get a handle on their loans, according to Jonathan Glater, a law professor at the University of California, Berkeley, and co-founder of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.slli.org/\">Student Loan Law Initiative\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“One of the criticisms of this whole complicated edifice that we’ve got is that it’s very, very difficult for borrowers to navigate,” said Glater. “It is way too complicated.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Which borrowers are most affected right now?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Lower-income student loan borrowers are “mostly worse off than they were before the pandemic happened,” said the California Policy Lab’s White, who’s also a member of the research team that created and maintains the \u003ca href=\"https://capolicylab.org/california-credit-dashboard/\">California Credit Dashboard\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Older borrowers are the most likely to be impacted in California, White added. According to the California Policy Lab. \u003ca href=\"https://capolicylab.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Student-Loan-Delinquencies-Surging.pdf\">One possible reason for higher delinquency rates among older borrowers is that they typically owe a larger monthly payment\u003c/a> on their student loans. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The average Boomer with student debt owes $150 per month in student loan payments — 2.4 times that of the average Millennial ($62/month) and 5.8 times that of the average Gen Zer ($26/month). These loans may have been used to pay for their own education, one or more children’s education — or a combination.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The financial burden hitting older borrowers might also be attributed in part to the way the federal loan repayment system works, said White.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Loan repayment plans are designed to limit the amount of payments borrowers make to a fixed period of time. But after a long pandemic pause, borrowers may be resuming their payments with fewer monthly payments remaining — and a balance that hasn’t diminished, or has actually grown from interest.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The result: higher monthly payments than what borrowers may have been paying even prior to pandemic assistance.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"Whataremyoptionsforincomedrivenrepayment\">\u003c/a>What are my options for income-driven repayment?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>After a two-month freeze, \u003ca href=\"https://studentloanborrowerassistance.org/idr-application-is-back-up/#2\">the Department of Education is now processing applications for income-driven repayment (IDR) plans again\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There are currently four IDR plans available to borrowers with federal student loans. (Federal loans generally include “direct” or “federal” in the title, but you can find \u003ca href=\"https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/repayment/plans/income-driven#eligibility\">a complete list of eligible loan types here\u003c/a>, to make sure yours qualifies.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12047499\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12047499 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/DepartofEducation.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/DepartofEducation.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/DepartofEducation-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/DepartofEducation-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The U.S. Department of Education is seen before the Safeguard Students, Empower Education Rally & Press Conference on April 29, 2025, in Washington, D.C. \u003ccite>(Pete Kiehart for The Washington Post via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>It’s important to carefully compare plans, as each borrower’s situation is different. You can use this \u003ca href=\"https://studentaid.gov/loan-simulator/\">Federal Student Loan Simulator\u003c/a> to calculate and compare your monthly payments under each of the available federal IDR plans.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>All IDR plans base your monthly loan payment on a percentage of your discretionary income, in combination with your family size. The exact percentage of your income and how long you will have to repay varies by plan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You can find \u003ca href=\"https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/repayment/plans/income-driven#repayment-period\">detailed information about all federal IDR plans here\u003c/a>, but here are the highlights at a glance:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Pay As You Earn (PAYE) Repayment Plan\u003c/strong>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Capped at 10% of discretionary income, repaid over 20 years\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>New Income-Based Repayment (IBR) Plan\u003c/strong>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>For eligible loans borrowed \u003cem>after \u003c/em>July 1, 2014\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Capped at 10% of discretionary income, repaid over 20 years\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Old Income-Based Repayment (IBR) Plan\u003c/strong>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>For eligible loans borrowed \u003cem>before \u003c/em>July 1, 2014\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Capped at 15% of discretionary income, repaid over 25 years\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Income-Contingent Repayment (ICR) Plan\u003c/strong>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Capped at 20% of discretionary income, repaid over 25 years\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://studentaid.gov/idr/\">Apply for an income-driven plan for the first time, or switch between plans, here\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>The benefits of income-driven repayment plans\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>For some people, payments on an IDR plan can be as low as $0 per month. Others may be able to take advantage of another perk — exemption from interest on their loans — if their income-adjusted payments wouldn’t cover the interest accruing on their student loans each month.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>IDR plans also operate on a fixed schedule, meaning you’re committed to repaying them over a period of 20 or 25 years — \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/65643/how-is-your-student-loan-repayment-affected-by-the-one-big-beautiful-bill\">although the new Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) will offer a 30-year repayment period \u003c/a>beginning in 2028. While paying several decades of loan payments may not sound like your idea of a great time, any remaining loan balance could be forgiven outright if your federal student loans aren’t fully repaid by the end of this period.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>The drawbacks of income-driven repayment plans\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Before you celebrate loan forgiveness, be sure to read the fine print. Loan balances forgiven at the end of an IDR repayment period are actually subject to income tax — leading savvy borrowers to save for the \u003ca href=\"https://tax.thomsonreuters.com/news/changes-ahead-for-taxpayers-with-discharged-student-loan-debt/\">“tax bomb” that will accompany their emancipation from student debt\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Once you enroll in an IDR plan, you should also set a reminder to update, or “recertify,” your income and family size every year, even if there has been no change.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12049948\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12049948\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/AP25195724697543-scaled-e1764803931499.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Education Secretary Linda McMahon speaks during a Senate Appropriations hearing, Tuesday, June 3, 2025, on Capitol Hill in Washington. \u003ccite>(Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP Photo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The consequences for borrowers on IDR plans who don’t recertify their incomes are strict, as you could be removed from your plan and placed on an alternative plan where monthly payments are \u003cem>not \u003c/em>based on income, leading to higher monthly payments and resumed interest.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And while you can reapply for your preferred IDR plan, recertification issues can cause delays in loan forgiveness, not to mention financial stress. The Department of Education warns that \u003ca href=\"https://studentaid.gov/help-center/answers/article/status-of-idr-plan-application\">new applications for IDR plans typically take 30 days to process\u003c/a> – leaving you on the hook for any student loan payments and interest accrued in the meantime.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://studentaid.gov/idr/\">Apply for an income-driven plan for the first time, or switch between plans, here\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"IworkforanonprofitorganizationCanIstillqualifyforPublicServiceLoanForgivenessPSLF\">\u003c/a>I work for a nonprofit organization. Can I still qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>If you work for a nonprofit or government employer, Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) can be a powerful tool for managing your student debt.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here’s how it works: make 120 qualifying monthly payments over a 10-year period while working full-time for a qualifying employer, and any remaining federal student loan debt gets forgiven — without that “tax bomb” of income-driven repayment plans.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>PSLF was created by Congress in 2007 specifically to help recruit and retain talented people in public service jobs that often pay less than private sector positions. More than 1 million public servants, from teachers, nurses and social workers to librarians and public defenders, had their loans forgiven through this program under the Biden administration. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Now, \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/07/us/politics/trump-executive-order-student-loan-forgiveness.html\">President Donald Trump’s second administration is seeking to change who qualifies\u003c/a>. An executive order signed by Trump in March and set to take effect July 1, 2026, would allow the education secretary — not the courts or Congress — to deny loan forgiveness to workers whose employers engage in activities deemed to have a “substantial illegal purpose.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/10/31/2025-19729/william-d-ford-federal-direct-loan-direct-loan-program\">examples listed in the rule include\u003c/a> “aiding and abetting violations of Federal immigration laws” and providing certain types of gender-affirming care. San Francisco and several other cities are suing to block this rule.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Protect Borrowers has been involved in filing several of these lawsuits, claiming that restricting public service loan forgiveness is “an attempt to target organizations and jurisdictions whose missions and policies do not align with [the Trump administration’s] political positions on immigration, race, gender, free speech, and public protest.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The Trump administration recognized that there’s real power in the federal government, because it is the creditor for 40 million people,” Pierce said. He is concerned that public service workers could lose access to loan forgiveness simply because their employer resisted federal immigration enforcement or maintained diversity, equity and inclusion programs — even though those local policies may be perfectly legal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So amid this legal action, what should you do if you’re working toward PSLF forgiveness?\u003c/p>\n\u003col>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong> Don’t wait\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ol>\n\u003cp>Submit your employment certification forms now to get credit for the payments you’ve already made.\u003c/p>\n\u003col start=\"2\">\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong> Keep meticulous records \u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ol>\n\u003cp>Your employment, every loan payment you’ve made — collect screenshots, confirmation emails, everything.\u003c/p>\n\u003col start=\"3\">\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong> Work extra-fast if you’re close to hitting that 120-payment mark\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ol>\n\u003cp>Prioritize reaching that threshold before the July 2026 deadline when this rule takes effect.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And if you’re currently enrolled in SAVE, consider switching to another income-driven repayment plan to resume qualifying PSLF payments.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You should also pay attention to how this lawsuit unfolds, said Pierce. \u003ca href=\"https://protectborrowers.org/litigation/pslf-lawsuit/\">The plaintiffs argue the Education Department is overstepping its authority and rewriting what Congress clearly defined as “public service” — any government job or 501(c)(3) nonprofit\u003c/a>. The courts will ultimately decide whether the secretary has the power to add political litmus tests to a program Congress designed to support all public service workers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the meantime, protect yourself by documenting everything and staying informed about your rights.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"ImenrolledintheSAVEplanWhatshouldIbedoing\">\u003c/a>I’m enrolled in the SAVE plan. Should I switch to another income-driven repayment option?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The SAVE plan was designed to be a lifeline — the most affordable income-driven repayment option the federal government had offered to date.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Promising shorter repayment periods, more generous income calculations that would lower monthly payments and a faster path to loan forgiveness for low-income borrowers, \u003ca href=\"https://protectborrowers.org/new-court-filing-reveals-backlog-of-2-million-borrower-payment-plan-applications/#:~:text=Background,district%20court%20for%20further%20proceedings.\">the SAVE plan had eight million enrollees\u003c/a> as of May 2025.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11955722\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11955722\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/230714-SUPREME-COURT-STUDENT-DEBT-Getty-KD-KQED.jpg\" alt='People hold signs reading \"Cancel Student Debt Now!\" in front of the columned facade of the supreme court.' width=\"2000\" height=\"1302\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/230714-SUPREME-COURT-STUDENT-DEBT-Getty-KD-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/230714-SUPREME-COURT-STUDENT-DEBT-Getty-KD-KQED-800x521.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/230714-SUPREME-COURT-STUDENT-DEBT-Getty-KD-KQED-1020x664.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/230714-SUPREME-COURT-STUDENT-DEBT-Getty-KD-KQED-160x104.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/230714-SUPREME-COURT-STUDENT-DEBT-Getty-KD-KQED-1536x1000.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/230714-SUPREME-COURT-STUDENT-DEBT-Getty-KD-KQED-1920x1250.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Student debt relief activists participate in a rally at the U.S. Supreme Court on June 30, 2023, in Washington, D.C. \u003ccite>(Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But Missouri and several other Republican-led states filed lawsuits challenging the SAVE repayment plan and arguing that the Biden administration had overstepped its authority beginning in spring 2024 — and \u003ca href=\"https://studentloanborrowerassistance.org/part-2-the-current-impact-on-borrowers-of-lawsuits-challenging-the-save-plan-and-the-removal-of-idr-applications/\">SAVE has been frozen in legal limbo ever since\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’re enrolled in SAVE, here’s what’s happening with your loans right now: You haven’t been required to make payments since last summer while the case winds through the courts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You’re in what’s known as “forbearance,” and while those months do count toward eventual income-driven repayment forgiveness (typically after 20 to 25 years), they don’t count as qualifying payments toward Public Service Loan Forgiveness.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And as of August, interest has resumed accruing — which means your balance will continue to grow each month, unless you make payments to offset the interest.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For borrowers working toward PSLF who are close to the 120-payment finish line, staying in SAVE means you’re losing time: those paused months won’t count, and \u003ca href=\"https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/public-service/public-service-loan-forgiveness-buyback\">you may need to use a “buy back” option later to pay for these months retroactively\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The good news? You have options. Applications for other income-driven repayment plans — Income-Based Repayment, Pay as You Earn, and Income-Contingent Repayment — are now open again after a months-long delay. If you’re pursuing Public Service Loan Forgiveness, switching to one of these plans means your payments will start counting toward that 120-payment requirement again.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And if you’re simply trying to stop your balance from ballooning, moving to an active repayment plan gives you more control. The application process may take a few weeks, but for many borrowers — especially those close to PSLF eligibility or watching their interest pile up — making the switch may be worth it to get back on track.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"HowwilltheOneBigBeautifulBillimpactmyloans\">\u003c/a>How will the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ impact my loans?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>If you’re a federal student loan borrower, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1/text\">H.R.1 budget, known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act\u003c/a>, that passed in July, included changes to the federal loan system that could impact you.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The SAVE plan is being shut down by July 1, 2028 — but so are two other income-driven repayment plans: Pay as You Earn (PAYE) and Income-Contingent Repayment (ICR). If you’re currently enrolled in either of these plans, you’ll need to switch before that deadline.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12047827\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12047827\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/npr.brightspotcdn-copy-7.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1800\" height=\"1200\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/npr.brightspotcdn-copy-7.jpg 1800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/npr.brightspotcdn-copy-7-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/npr.brightspotcdn-copy-7-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1800px) 100vw, 1800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">President Trump bangs a gavel after signing the One Big Beautiful Bill Act at the White House on July 4. \u003ccite>(Brendan Smialowski/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The Income-Based Repayment (IBR) plan, a Reagan-era program that was implemented by Congress, will remain available for current borrowers. Pierce said it’s worth considering now, especially since it offers loan forgiveness after 20 or 25 years instead of the 30 years required under the Trump administration’s proposed replacement plan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That new Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) won’t be ready until next year, and key details haven’t been revealed yet — leaving borrowers with limited information to plan ahead.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The spending bill includes provisions that also affect future students: new borrowers taking out loans after July 1, 2026, will not have access to traditional income-driven repayment plans at all. They’ll be limited to the new RAP or a standard fixed-payment plan, both with far less flexibility than previous options. \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The law also introduces borrowing caps for graduate and professional degree students ($20,500 annually, $100,000 lifetime) and parents taking out loans to assist with a child’s education ($20,000 per year, $65,000 per child).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Student loan experts worry these caps will push more borrowers toward private lenders, which charge higher interest rates, offer less favorable terms and don’t qualify for any income-driven repayment or forgiveness programs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You’re pushing people into the private student loan market and away from safe federal student loans with good consumer protections,” said Pierce.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to Jonathan Glater, H.R.1 does nothing to address why student debt became a crisis in the first place: skyrocketing college tuition costs. By capping federal borrowing without tackling affordability, the law may simply shift the burden from federal loans to private debt, he warned — or price students out of higher education entirely.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“My fear is that what we are seeing is a lifting of the ladder of higher ed opportunity higher, so it’ll be out of reach for more people,” said Glater.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’re planning for graduate school or helping a child pay for college, factor these new limits into your timeline and consider whether starting \u003cem>before \u003c/em>July 2026 would give you access to more generous borrowing options.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And document everything — experts caution that, considering the sheer volume of changes, and the Education Department operating with reduced staff, keeping detailed records of your loans, payments, and applications is more important than ever.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"IthinkmyloanservicermadeamistakeWhatshouldIdo\">\u003c/a>I think my loan servicer made a mistake. What should I do?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Your federal student loans might be owned by the government, but they’re managed by private loan servicing companies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It is a black mark on the student loan system that people need to know what a student loan servicer is,” Pierce said. These are companies contracted to administer and collect your loans, handle your payments, process paperwork for income-driven repayment plans and answer your questions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11955727\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11955727 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/230714-SUPREME-COURT-STUDENT-DEBT-Getty-KN-KQED.jpg\" alt='A person with long hair and a black t-shirt holds up a bright yellow sign reading \"Cancel Student Debt\" amidst others doing similar.' width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/230714-SUPREME-COURT-STUDENT-DEBT-Getty-KN-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/230714-SUPREME-COURT-STUDENT-DEBT-Getty-KN-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/230714-SUPREME-COURT-STUDENT-DEBT-Getty-KN-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/230714-SUPREME-COURT-STUDENT-DEBT-Getty-KN-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/230714-SUPREME-COURT-STUDENT-DEBT-Getty-KN-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/230714-SUPREME-COURT-STUDENT-DEBT-Getty-KN-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A demonstrator holds a “Cancel Student Debt” sign outside of the Supreme Court of the United States after the nation’s high court stuck down President Biden’s student debt relief program in Washington, D.C. on June 30, 2023. \u003ccite>(Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The problem? In their role as the middleman between you and the Department of Education, several \u003ca href=\"https://www.consumerfinance.gov/about-us/newsroom/cfpb-bans-navient-from-federal-student-loan-servicing-and-orders-the-company-to-pay-120-million-for-wide-ranging-student-lending-failures/\">loan servicers have made serious administrative errors\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.aft.org/sites/default/files/media/documents/2024/AFT%20v.%20MOHELA_Complaint%2007.22.2024.pdf\">have been targets of class action lawsuits for mishandling borrower accounts\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We hear the worst stories about lost paperwork, changing balances, the rules being rewritten for people right in the middle of paying their loans back when those loan companies change,” said Pierce.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’ve been repaying loans for a while, you’ve probably experienced at least one transfer of your debt from one servicer to another. According to Pierce, each transfer creates an opportunity for information to get lost, payment counts to be recorded incorrectly or for the servicer to lose contact with you entirely.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you think your loan servicer made a mistake — whether it’s incorrect payment counts, wrong balance information, or problems with your repayment plan — don’t just accept it, urged Pierce.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Protect Borrowers has detailed resources on their website explaining what steps to take when your servicer gets it wrong, which include:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Start by documenting everything\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Take screenshots of your account, save emails and letters, and keep records of every phone call, said Pierce — including the date, time, and name of the representative.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>File a formal complaint with your servicer first\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>…but be ready to escalate to the \u003ca href=\"https://studentaid.gov/feedback-ombudsman\">Federal Student Aid Ombudsman\u003c/a> if the issue isn’t resolved.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California borrowers have an additional resource: the state’s dedicated \u003ca href=\"https://dfpi.ca.gov/consumers/student-loans/contact-us/\">Student Loan Ombudsman\u003c/a>, who can help navigate disputes and advocate on your behalf.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Be proactive and persistent\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Loan servicers handle millions of accounts, and mistakes happen — but those mistakes can cost you thousands of dollars or years of progress toward forgiveness if they’re not caught and corrected, said Pierce.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Don’t assume your servicer has correct information for you\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>…especially after a transfer. Regularly check your account, verify your payment counts match your records, and if something looks off, speak up immediately. The more documentation you have, the easier it will be to prove an error and get it fixed, said Pierce.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>His advice for borrowers “that are just stuck” is to go to your lawmaker and \u003ca href=\"https://protectborrowers.org/resource/protect-borrowers-congressional-casework-tool/\">open up a case with your local member of Congress or your state senator\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s only so much you can do with the current law, but for people that are stuck waiting on hold … or feel like they’ve been lied to by a student loan company, often going to your member of congress and opening up a case with them is the best way forward here,” he said, adding that Congressional casework can cut through red tape when the Education Department is overwhelmed or unresponsive.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>I need help navigating my student loans, but I’m not hearing back. Why?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12031831/i-have-student-loans-what-should-i-do-during-these-department-of-education-cuts\">The Department of Education has been hit hard by cuts under the Trump administration;\u003c/a> its workforce was slashed in half earlier this year, \u003ca href=\"https://www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/us-department-of-education-initiates-reduction-force\">dropping from about 4,100 employees to roughly 2,200\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many of the dismissed employees worked within the Federal Student Aid department and assisted with the technical administration of student loans, including handling disputes between borrowers and loan servicers and answering FAFSA questions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12058099\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12058099\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/20250929_UCBERKELEY_GC-1-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/20250929_UCBERKELEY_GC-1-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/20250929_UCBERKELEY_GC-1-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/20250929_UCBERKELEY_GC-1-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Students walk on campus at UC Berkeley in Berkeley on Sept. 29, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The recent government shutdown has only made things worse, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12058230/government-shutdown-affect-student-loans-fafsa-education-department-2025\">furloughing about 87% of the department’s remaining workforce\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The practical impact? Expect longer wait times for processing income-driven repayment applications, employment certification for PSLF and responses to borrower disputes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The good news is you’re not on your own. While the federal government has scaled back support, there are still nonprofit organizations and state resources available to help you navigate your loans.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The National Consumer Law Center offers \u003ca href=\"https://www.nclc.org/issue/student-loans/\">Student Loan Borrower Assistance\u003c/a>, providing free information for people struggling with payments or dealing with default. Protect Borrowers focuses on existing pathways to debt cancellation through the \u003ca href=\"https://www.cancelmystudentdebt.org/\">Cancel My Student Debt campaign\u003c/a>. And California borrowers have access to the state’s dedicated \u003ca href=\"https://dfpi.ca.gov/consumers/student-loans/contact-us/\">Student Loan Ombudsman\u003c/a>, who can help resolve disputes with loan servicers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These big structural problems, the fact that [borrowers] can’t afford their loan payment or that nobody will return their phone calls, this isn’t because they did something wrong,” Pierce added. “It’s scary for people that are staring down a bill they can’t afford. But this is a function of public policy. It’s not an individual failing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"info": "Possible is hosted by entrepreneur Reid Hoffman and writer Aria Finger. Together in Possible, Hoffman and Finger lead enlightening discussions about building a brighter collective future. The show features interviews with visionary guests like Trevor Noah, Sam Altman and Janette Sadik-Khan. Possible paints an optimistic portrait of the world we can create through science, policy, business, art and our shared humanity. It asks: What if everything goes right for once? How can we get there? Each episode also includes a short fiction story generated by advanced AI GPT-4, serving as a thought-provoking springboard to speculate how humanity could leverage technology for good.",
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"soldout": {
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"title": "SOLD OUT: Rethinking Housing in America",
"tagline": "A new future for housing",
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