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Teisha Hase, a “child advocate,” assumes trustee seat

Editor’s note: Gayle Olsen and Teisha Hase joined the Chico Unified School District (CUSD) board this month after winning seats in the Nov. 5 General Election. Read our Q-and-A with Olsen here and our Q-and-A with Hase below. Read our sidebar on policy under the Trump Administration here.

Longtime English and reading educator Teisha Hase is taking her dedication to students to the next level as she assumes her seat on the CUSD board representing Trustee Area 3.

Hase told ChicoSol she’s excited to take on this new journey after 27 years working at Chico and Oroville high schools and tutoring students needing alternative support. Hase, who considers herself a student advocate, has also served as president of the Oroville Secondary Teachers Association (OSTA). read more

New Chico Unified board member prepares for challenges

Editor’s note: Gayle Olsen and Teisha Hase joined the Chico Unified School District’s (CUSD) school board this month after winning seats in the Nov. 5 General Election. This Q-and-A with Olsen is the first story in a two-part series. And read our sidebar on what policy under the Trump Administration could look like here.

Gayle Olsen is no stranger to the challenge of fighting for resources for the most vulnerable students.

Now that she’s won the race for a seat on the board in Trustee Area 2, she said she’s ready to leverage that experience to fight for many more students.

A longtime special education teacher, Olsen says she’s ready to step into her new role — especially given how many challenges the school district may be facing within the next two years. On the campaign trail, she previously told North State Public Radio about several of her priorities, including advocating for children’s rights to privacy under the law and pressing for proper funding of facility improvements. read more

Future of federal Education Department unclear

by Natalie Hanson
posted Jan. 12

A second Trump presidency has spooked many public education advocates, but some say the administration may face resistance if the president pushes drastic changes like dismantling the U.S. Department of Education.

According to education experts assembled in an Ethnic Media Services panel in December, the American education system may become a battleground for significant policy changes attacking federal support for the most vulnerable students, including LGBTQ+, immigrant and low-income students. Pedro Noguera, dean of the University of Southern California Rossier School of Education, said the Trump Administration may target federal funding to schools as punishment for the use of inclusive instructional materials or diversity programs. read more

Safe Space works to overcome hurdles to intake

photo by Karen Laslo

Safe Space volunteers checked in people who needed shelter during an intake held near the municipal center last winter.

The nonprofit organization Safe Space is working to get emergency night-time sheltering available by Christmas Day as unhoused people struggle with this week’s downpour.

Forecasts were indicating that up to 10 inches of rain were possible in Chico between today and the end of the week, as well as localized flooding. Safe Space Executive Director Hilary Crosby said outreach teams were on the streets handing out tarps and making sure homeless community members “knew about the storm coming through.”

“I don’t have anything [at this point] to provide people so they can get warm or dry off,” Crosby said early today. “We’re checking on people to make sure they have what they need.” read more

Big money plays big role in effort to seat conservative Council candidates

photo by Yucheng Tang

Mike O’Brien speaks at a candidates’ forum.

Chico’s City Council races have become clearly divided between grassroots campaigns that rely on small donors and campaigns funded by wealthy outside interests.

Liberal-leaning candidates rely heavily on door-to-door canvassing and fundraising events. But meanwhile, the hefty financial advantage enjoyed by conservative-leaning candidates has helped drive a strong presence for them throughout the city, from campaign signs to advertising. Conservative-leaning and Republican candidates have long held access to some of the bigger wallets in the region, including in the last City Council race which brought about a 6-1 conservative majority. read more

Election campaigning targets the vulnerable

As racist and discriminatory speech become commonplace in electoral campaigns, candidates and campaign organizers are calling for a response. In Butte County and elsewhere, some would like elected officials to speak against discrimination and in favor of protecting marginalized Californians.

On a recent panel convened by Ethnic Media Services, organizers said that anti-immigrant rhetoric from the Republican Party is growing. Panelists said that many incumbents and GOP candidates use slurs against migrants, which fuels fear and anger against people who seek a better life in America.

Hateful speech has been on the rise since 2016, said David Welch, secretary of the Butte County Democratic Party and chairperson for the Democratic Action Club of Chico. Welch said that “free floating anger” came to the surface with Donald Trump’s rise to power and the presidency. read more