Belief Statement

EdSource believes that access to a quality education is an important right of all children. We further believe that an informed, involved public is necessary to strengthen California’s schools for the benefit of the state’s children as well as the civic and economic quality of life in California.

Mission

Independent and impartial, EdSource strives to advance the common good by developing and widely distributing trustworthy, useful information that clarifies complex K–14 issues and promotes thoughtful decisions about California’s public education system.

EdSource History

EdSource is an independent, nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization whose mission is to clarify complex education issues and to promote thoughtful policy decisions about public school improvement. For more than three decades, we have developed a solid reputation as a credible and respected source of education information, research, analysis, and data. The expertise of EdSource’s small staff of policy analysts, researchers, writers, and communication and outreach specialists is strengthened by a top-notch, diverse, statewide board of 18 directors.

EdSource was originally established in 1977 by three well-known and respected community service organizations: the California State Parent Teacher Association, the League of Women Voters of California, and the American Association of University Women—California chapter. Initially, the agency was called the California Coalition for Fair School Finance, because the goal was to establish a neutral, balanced, reliable source of information to explain California’s controversial Serrano v. Priest court decision on school funding. This high-profile decision addressed funding equalization issues and affected all the state’s school districts.

Since that time, EdSource has kept a unique, core competency in reporting on California school finance, while also broadening the education policy and school reform topics it researches. We have also widened our audiences to include policymakers, researchers, K–12 and college educators, education media, and parent and community leaders. 

Issues Section Index

Original Research & Analysis School Finance Middle Grades to Grads Beyond High School

STEM Student Achievement Charter Schools

Standards-Based Education Teachers & Leaders Other Issues

Our Program and Deliverables

In addition to this website, EdSource’s small staff offers the following programs and services:

• A wide range of publications, including comprehensive single-topic reports on California’s most important public education policy issues and a variety of shorter briefs, guides, and fact-sheets.
• An annual Forum on California Education Policy open to the public and held each spring as a single daylong statewide event. 
• The Education Data Partnership web site.
• Original research, publications, and convenings related to important K–14 education issues, often in collaboration with other impartial research and policy organizations
• Periodic presentations at statewide or national meetings, including serving as a neutral convener of advisory or policy groups.
• Email bulletins about new publications, upcoming events, or important information.