GIA Education Report: Charter School Funding Boost, Cultural Celebrations Continue, and Teacher Layoffs Avoided

Welcome to the GIA Education Report. With the latest in Southern California education news, I’m Alyssa Silva. 

The U.S. Department of Education has announced a $60 million increase in funding for the Charter Schools Program (CSP) for fiscal year 2025, bringing the total budget to $500 million. This funding boost aims to support the expansion and development of high-quality charter schools nationwide. Additionally, the Department introduced the Model Development and Dissemination Grant Program, designed to identify and share effective practices from innovative charter schools. This program aims to promote the sharing of strategies that have proven successful in fostering excellence within charter schools, enabling educators and school leaders nationwide to benefit from these approaches.  

In other news, Redlands Unified School District celebrated cultural pride and student achievement at its annual Multicultural Fair. Despite the year’s first triple-digit heat. Hosted at Citrus Valley High School, the event brought families together through student performances, food, cultural exhibits, and a sensory room for children. Organized by the Family and Community Engagement team, the fair spotlighted “Cultural Connections,” including students earning state seals of biliteracy in over 19 languages. This celebration underscores RUSD’s commitment to fostering an inclusive environment that values and respects the rich cultural backgrounds of its students and community. 

This week, several major Inland Empire school districts announced that no teachers will face layoffs for the 2025–26 academic year. Districts such as Riverside Unified, Redlands Unified, and Moreno Valley Unified successfully avoided job losses through strategic planning and internal reassignments. Additionally, Chino Valley and Corona-Norco Unified School Districts reported issuing no layoff notices at all. This marks a significant shift from previous years, providing much-needed stability for educators and students across the region. 

Cultural graduation celebrations are continuing at many California colleges, even as the Trump administration’s anti-DEI directives threaten such programs. Students and educators say these affinity events, honoring racial, ethnic, LGBTQ+, and other identity-based groups—offer community, pride, and recognition beyond traditional commencements. Supporters argue the ceremonies are inclusive and essential, not discriminatory. The administration’s actions have prompted concern over the future of these events, which are seen as critical spaces of belonging and affirmation for diverse graduates.  

To close this report, we spotlight Anthony Segura, a preschool inclusion teacher at Edward Hyatt World Language Academy in the San Jacinto Unified School District, who has been named one of Riverside County’s 2026 Teachers of the Year. Segura is recognized for his commitment to inclusive education, supporting students of all abilities through engaging, personalized instruction. He now advances to compete for the 2026 California Teacher of the Year award. 

And that’s this week’s GIA Education Report, I’m Alyssa Silva.