![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/050826-Online-Education-LV-11-CM.jpg\")
Student Tina Rocha sorts through her classwork at her home in Stockton on May 7, 2026. Photo by Larry Valenzuela, CalMatters<\/p>\nStudent Tina Rocha sorts through her classwork at her home in Stockton on May 7, 2026. Photo by Larry Valenzuela, CalMatters<\/p>\n
Online college classes can be impersonal, isolating and disengaging. But with high demand among their students for online learning, California\u2019s community colleges and universities are trying to find better online teaching practices<\/a>.<\/p>\n As CalMatters\u2019 Adam Echelman explains, about 40% of all community college classes are online. Online courses enable students, especially those who are part- or full-time workers, to complete their degree while juggling jobs, caretaking responsibilities or other obligations.<\/p>\n But taking these courses also requires \u201cself-directed learning skills,\u201d including a \u201cvery high level of self-time management,\u201d said Di Xu, a professor at UC Irvine\u2019s School of Education.\u00a0<\/p>\n Xu: \u201cIn an in-person environment interaction happens naturally. But in an online environment, especially asynchronous, that opportunity needs to be embedded. Otherwise, the student will feel very lonely.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Students prefer online courses<\/a>, and they\u2019re less costly for colleges to offer than in-person ones.<\/p>\n Rebecca Ruan-O\u2019Shaughnessy, the director of program and strategy at College Futures Foundation and a former executive at the California Community Colleges Chancellor\u2019s Office, said schools need to adapt. Some new approaches she cited as promising include shortening the length of classes or trying to integrate adults\u2019 work experience since so many online students have jobs.<\/p>\n To address some of the shortcomings of online foreign language courses, Julia Simon, a professor of French at UC Davis and the chairperson of a task force on languages for the university, is considering creating a set of conversation classes.<\/p>\n Simon said students who take online courses miss out on opportunities to practice speaking. Once students enter UC Davis, they\u2019re unprepared, she said. But since \u201cwe can\u2019t make them repeat courses they\u2019ve already had,\u201d Simon said, a conversation class could be offered as remedial education to help students catch up.<\/p>\n Read more<\/a>.<\/p>\n We\u2019re bringing our voter guide to life through VotingMatters<\/a> events across California this month, in collaboration with on-the-ground partners: Local news organizations, colleges and nonprofits. Our last event is this evening in Modesto<\/a>. Plus, we have a DIY kit to host your own event.<\/p>\n Other Stories You Should Know<\/p>\n Competition at the Board of Equalization<\/p>\n We know that Californians are curious about elections at the Board of Equalization this year. Our page for that contest<\/a> is drawing the second-largest audience in our voter guide, second only to the governor\u2019s race.<\/p>\n That\u2019s surprising considering the agency\u2019s funny name and its fairly narrow portfolio in the world of California taxes. The agency had a lot more power until 2017, when then-Gov. Jerry Brown signed a law stripping it of almost all of its employees and authority.<\/p>\n Betty Yee, former state controller: \u201cI just really do question how this board continues to have relevance.\u201d<\/p>\n But we can also see that the races for the four board of equalization seats are going to be competitive. Three current lawmakers are running for open seats, and a former assemblymember is up for reelection.<\/p>\n State Sen. Tom Umberg<\/a>, who is running for a seat on the board: \u201cAlthough it\u2019s not a high-profile job, it\u2019s a critically important job, especially when we\u2019ve got so many revenue challenges in California.\u201d<\/p>\n Read more on the race here<\/a>.<\/p>\n $25M needed to clean up polluting road<\/p>\n The Tijuana River is severely polluted. When it rains, the river waters rise and flood part of Saturn Boulevard in San Diego. The part of the road the polluted waters flood exacerbates the already dire situation, spraying contaminants into the air.\u00a0<\/p>\n Fixing this particular situation \u2014 not solving the river\u2019s pollution but curbing some of the negative health effects caused by the pollutants becoming airborne \u2014 would cost $25 million<\/a>, reports CalMatters\u2019 Deborah Brennan. The positive effects of the repair could be felt as soon as next year, according to San Diego County officials, but coming up with the cash will be a challenge.\u00a0<\/p>\n Lawmakers submitted a request in the state budget to cover $23 million, and its possible money from 2024\u2019s $10 billion Proposition 4 could be drawn upon, as well as increasing the county sales tax.\u00a0<\/p>\n Read more<\/a>.<\/p>\n And lastly: CA\u2019s ICE ID requirement<\/p>\n A federal appeals court blocked California from enforcing a law requiring masked federal agents to display identification during operations. CalMatters\u2019 Nigel Duara and video strategy director Robert Meeks have a video segment on how the April ruling is a setback for the state\u2019s effort<\/a> to curb aggressive immigration enforcement tactics, as part of our partnership with PBS SoCal. Watch it here<\/a>.<\/p>\n SoCalMatters airs at 5:58 p.m. weekdays on PBS SoCal<\/a>.<\/p>\n California Voices<\/p>\n CalMatters columnist Dan Walters: As the June deadline for passing a state budget looms, Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislators are facing resistance to the budget\u2019s reductions, particularly in education, healthcare and welfare services<\/a>.<\/p>\n To help fire victims rebuild financially, state lawmakers must pass a bill that would extend mortgage protections established under last year\u2019s fire emergency mortgage relief law, write Rachel Jonas and Robert Fagnani<\/a>, co-founders of Disaster Mortgage Relief who lost their homes in the Palisades Fire.<\/p>\n Other things worth your time:<\/p>\n Some stories may require a subscription to read.<\/p>\n Record-setting outside money pouring into CA governor\u2019s race \/\/ Los Angeles Times<\/a><\/p>\n Why Silicon Valley\u2019s big bet on Mahan went bust \/\/ Politico<\/a><\/p>\n CA\u2019s overseas voters face new barriers after Trump administration cut key program \/\/ San Francisco Chronicle<\/a><\/p>\n After raids, US citizens and immigrants seek millions for shootings, injuries, trauma \/\/ Los Angeles Times<\/a><\/p>\n CA Assemblymember Addis to protect student privacy through AB 1159 \/\/ Mustang News<\/a><\/p>\n The United Farm Workers built its political power around Chavez. Now it faces a reckoning \/\/ The Sacramento Bee<\/a><\/p>\n Bay Area braces for Trump\u2019s tougher CalFresh rules \/\/ The Mercury News<\/a><\/p>\n Their meteoric rise reshaped the Bay Area and powered Silicon Valley. Is it at an end? \/\/ San Francisco Chronicle<\/a><\/p>\n Approximately 65% of evacuees for Garden Grove chemical threat can return home, officials say \/\/ The Orange County Register<\/a><\/p>\n .wp-block-group__inner-container > :not(h2){margin: 16px 40px !important;}.cm-cta.long-ask .wp-block-group .wp-block-group__inner-container{display: flex;gap: 12px;align-items: center;}.cm-cta.long-ask figure{max-width: 40px;flex-shrink: 0;}.cm-cta.long-ask .wp-block-group p{font-size: 18px;font-weight: 700;line-height: 120%;letter-spacing: -0.36px;width: 100%;}.cm-cta.long-ask .wp-block-group .wp-block-buttons{flex-shrink: 0;}.cm-cta.long-ask .wp-block-button__link{padding-left: 40px;padding-right: 40px;}@container long-ask (min-width: 601px){.cm-cta.long-ask *{font-size: 16px;}}@container long-ask (max-width: 600px){.cm-cta.long-ask h2,.cm-cta.long-ask .wp-block-group p{text-align: center;}.cm-cta.long-ask h2{background: linear-gradient(90deg,#FFE094 0%,#FFB500 100%);padding: 12px 20px;font-size: 20px;letter-spacing: -0.4px;}.cm-cta.long-ask .wp-block-group .wp-block-group__inner-container{flex-direction: column;}.cm-cta.long-ask > .wp-block-group__inner-container > :not(h2){margin: 16px 20px !important;}}]]><\/p>\n Nonpartisan, independent California news for all<\/p>\n We\u2019re CalMatters, your nonprofit and nonpartisan news guide.<\/p>\n Our journalists are here to empower you and our mission continues to be essential.<\/p>\n We are independent and nonpartisan. Our trustworthy journalism is free from partisan politics, free from corporate influence and actually free for all Californians.<\/p>\n We are focused on California issues. From the environment to homelessness, economy and more, we publish the unfettered truth to keep you informed.<\/p>\n We hold people in power accountable. We probe and reveal the actions and inactions of powerful people and institutions, and the consequences that follow.<\/p>\n But we can\u2019t keep doing this without support from readers like you. Please give what you can today.<\/p>\n Every gift helps.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLynn La is the newsletter writer for CalMatters, focusing on California\u2019s top political, policy and Capitol stories every weekday. She produces and curates WhatMatters, CalMatters\u2019 flagship daily newsletter…\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t![\"An](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/032825_Capitol_Assembly_MG_36.jpg\")
The state Capitol on March 28, 2025. Photo by Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters<\/p>\n![\"Water](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/112125_Paloma-Aguirre_AH_CM-05.jpg\")
Flooding caused by the Tijuana River covers a section of Saturn Boulevard after a rainy day in San Diego on Nov. 21, 2025. Photo by Adriana Heldiz, CalMatters<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/070725-MacArthur-Park-Feds-JW-CM-27.jpg\")
Federal agents descend on MacArthur Park in Los Angeles on July 7, 2025. Photo by J.W. Hendricks for CalMatters<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Asset-2ii-2.png\")
<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t![\"Avatar](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/cropped-Lynn-La-120x120.jpg\")
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMore by Lynn La\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Student Tina Rocha sorts through her classwork at her home in Stockton on May 7, 2026. Photo by…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":334381,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[7,9,8],"class_list":["post-334380","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-california","tag-california","tag-california-headlines","tag-california-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/334380","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=334380"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/334380\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/334381"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=334380"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=334380"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=334380"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}