Ready to learn more about the education system?

We've been hard at work this summer, refreshing and re-tuning the content of Ed100 in preparation for a new school year!

Selisa Loeza helps organizations make use of Ed100.org and leads cohorts in the free 'Ed100 in 10 weeks' program

If you're new here, perhaps you were referred to Ed100 by a fellow parent at your students’ school. Or maybe an administrator or school board member suggested it to you, or you came across our recent article breaking down the enacted 2022-2023 education budget. Whatever the reason, we are so glad you’re here.

Allow us to re-introduce ourselves.

Ed100 is a set of explanations of California's education system, organized into ten chapters. One self-paced lesson at a time, in plain English and Spanish, the explanations add up to a course that demystifies the education system from many angles. The lessons link to additional information and to diverse points of view. All of it is free.

The education system involves a lot of people in overlapping roles. Parent leaders. Teachers. Student leaders. Counselors. Community leaders. Organizers. Journalists. In all of these roles, it's really useful to have a feel for how the parts of this huge system fit together.

Just about everyone who gets actively involved in the education system finds themselves suddenly plunged in. It's a complex system, ever-changing, and there's always more to learn. Ed100 exists to help you make sense of it, so you can serve your role with confidence and make a difference for students in your school community and beyond.

My role as part of Ed100 is to support people and organizations that want to develop better-informed school communities. I want to highlight and share two specific ways you can use Ed100 in this new school season to help you in your work for kids.

1) Take the Ed100 course

How does this work? Sign up free at Ed100.org and create an account to begin learning. You’ll have access to the lessons in all ten chapters, covering the various contexts of our education system, students' needs, teachers, funding, school boards, ballot measures and everything in between. You can read the lessons in order, or jump around.

These lessons are important because the web is clogged with confusing, misleading, outdated information about the education system. Ed100 curates the mess to highlight what's important. We focus first on helping newcomers understand how things work now, and why they work that way. We update and prune our lessons regularly, taking down old stuff that could get in the way of understanding.

The Ed100 Graduate Certificate

At the end of every lesson, a short quiz reinforces a main point. As you pass the quizzes, you are working toward your Ed100 Graduate Certificate — but more importantly, you’re developing the knowledge you need to feel confident as you join conversations that matter.

There's more. Each week, we add to the Ed100 blog, diving deeper into relevant topics. Want to know how public meetings work? We explain the Brown Act in what we hope is just the right level of depth. Use our search function to find the information you need. Curious about art funding? The State Lottery? Teacher pensions? We have posts about those topics, too, linked to the relevant lessons in Ed100 that tie it all together.

2) Build your leadership team in ten weeks, September 5 - November 13

Ed100 is even more meaningful when you use it as a tool to support learning together as a team, organization, or community.

The state of California is set up to encourage policy dialogue in school communities: toward the end of each school year, each district is required to develop a wide-ranging three-year plan (the LCAP) with community input. To help school communities prepare for meaningful conversations suitable for providing that kind of input, several years Ed100 joined together with the California State PTA to co-develop an LCAP checklist.

But why wait until the end of the school year? If you bring people together to learn about the education system right from the start of the school year, you can have a tremendous impact on your school community. To support that kind of conversation, the Ed100 team has been very busy this summer.

Take the Ed100 in 10 Weeks Challenge

The Ed100 in 10 Weeks program is an interactive curriculum that helps groups of participants learn together, using the 10-chapter structure of Ed100. Weekly discussion sessions are held with participants all over California, so we learn and grow together. The syllabus breaks the content into manageable daily reading, with time built into each group session to identify connections to your district.

Who is this program for? Anyone with a motivated interest in understanding the education system. If you’re a new parent leader curious about how the education system works, this is for you. If you are an established PTA leader considering a new leadership role, this is for you! If you’re a student who wants change at your school, this is for you! Are you a university student considering a career in teaching? Yup, you too! If you’re a staff member or teacher searching for a further understanding of systemic influences and impact, this is for you. Considering running for school board? This can help you.

How to become an Ed100 "10 in 10" training facilitator

For the first time, we will conduct optional Ed100 Facilitator Training available at the end of every discussion session. If you want to participate in Ed100 in 10 Weeks, then learn how to run the program for your community, this training will give you the tools and templates to effectively do so.

For information about the dates and times of our next program, check out https://ed100.org/ed100-in-10-weeks for details and to sign up or reach out to [email protected] with questions. Feel free to invite your PTA community, colleagues, staff, friends, principals, district leaders, or even family to join!

I have so much hope knowing that leaders like you are taking the time to learn these foundations and take action to make the future more equitable for all. Your efforts now can make a big difference.

Selisa Loeza leads outreach efforts for Ed100.org. Her kids attend public schools in Los Angeles County.