Daily Business Report: Tuesday, September 9, 2025
California changed the way it teaches science. But test scores remain low
By Carolyn Jones | CalMatters
A decade ago, California schools introduced a new K-12 science curriculum that was hands-on, interactive and designed to prepare students for the challenges of the 21st century.
But since the state started testing students on the new Next Generation Science Standards in 2019, the first time ever California assessed students in science, test scores have barely budged, with stark gaps among some groups of students.
“In large part, science has not been viewed as a priority. It’s been moved to the back burner,” said Jessica Sawko, education director at the research and advocacy organization Children Now, and former head of the state’s association of science teachers. “But science needs to be a priority. How will we prepare our kids to make sense of the world around them?”
State Laws Are Fueling New Home Construction in Encinitas
By Will Huntsberry | Voice of San Diego
In 2024, the number of new homes permitted in Encinitas skyrocketed. That is exactly what state lawmakers have been wanting to happen. And it is exactly what the majority of Encinitas voters have been fighting desperately to stop.
Mayor Bruce Ehlers has been leading the fight against housing density in Encinitas for years. He said many residents are not pleased with the construction they see.
“They hate it,” Ehlers previously told me.
Ehlers would know. He was elected mayor in 2024 along with a slate of other anti-development candidates, whose singular campaign promise was to fight state housing dictates harder than previous elected officials.
Newsom, Lawmakers Reach Deal to Allow Uber, Lyft Drivers to Unionize
By Kimberly Hayek | The Epoch Times
California Gov. Gavin Newsom and state lawmakers have brokered a deal with Uber and Lyft, granting rideshare drivers the right to unionize while preserving their status as independent contractors.
The agreement, finalized on Aug. 31, pairs AB 1340, a labor-backed measure allowing more than 800,000 drivers to form unions and negotiate wages, with SB 371, a company-favored cut to insurance mandates that slices coverage from $1 million to $60,000 per person and $300,000 per accident.
The Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the labor union that sponsored AB 1340, championed the deal.
