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  • UC Berkeley chancellor tells Congress of commitment to protect Jewish students, but defends free speech

    UC Berkeley chancellor tells Congress of commitment to protect Jewish students, but defends free speech


    Rich Lyons, Chancellor, UC Berkeley, testifies during a House Committee on Education and Workforce Committee hearing on “Antisemitism in Higher Education: Examining the Role of Faculty, Funding, and Ideology” on Capitol Hill on July 15, 2025, in Washington, D.C.

    Credit: Rod Lamkey, Jr. / AP Photo

    UC Berkeley Chancellor Rich Lyons testified Tuesday in front of a U.S. House committee that his campus has “more work to do” to prevent antisemitism, though he also defended free speech and said that pro-Palestinian viewpoints are “not necessarily antisemitism.”

    Lyons, along with the leaders of Georgetown University and The City University of New York, were called to face questioning at the U.S. House Committee on Education and Workforce hearing focused on antisemitism on college campuses.

    It was the latest of several such hearings held since late 2023 as some Republicans contend that Jewish students have been intimidated and threatened by U.S. campus protests against Israel’s military actions in Gaza, and antisemitism is rampant in academia.

    In his opening remarks, Lyons said Berkeley “unequivocally condemns antisemitism” and that the campus has an “unwavering” commitment to its Jewish students and other community members.

    “I am the first to say that we have more work to do. Berkeley, like our nation, has not been immune to the disturbing rise in antisemitism. And as a public university, we have a solemn obligation to protect our community from discrimination and harassment, while also upholding the First Amendment right to free speech,” he added. 

    The Trump administration is currently investigating Berkeley and many other campuses over possible antisemitism and has threatened to withhold funding if it believes those campuses aren’t protecting Jewish students.

    Democrats, however, have said Republicans are insincere in their concerns and are weaponizing antisemitism to attack higher education. Democrats on Tuesday also criticized Republicans for ignoring other forms of hate on college campuses, such as Islamophobia. 

    Like many campuses across California, UC Berkeley was the scene of pro-Palestinian protests in spring 2024, when students there erected an encampment that stayed up for weeks. However, the encampment was dismantled in May after protesters reached an agreement with then-Chancellor Carol Christ, and the campus avoided violent conflicts that besieged some other campuses, including UCLA. 

    Lyons, who took over as chancellor last summer, faced less scrutiny Tuesday than CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez. But Lyons did field generic and generally hostile questions from Republican members of Congress about antisemitism on the campus, as well as ones focused on faculty hiring policies and the foreign funding the campus receives. 

    Rep. Kevin Kiley, R-Rocklin, used most of his allotted five minutes to directly question Lyons, asking him why “antisemitism is so pervasive” at Berkeley.

    “Antisemitism is pervasive in the world. It’s pervasive in this nation, in society,” Lyons responded. “I think our universities are reflections of our society, especially a large public university.”

    During the same round of questioning, Lyons added that he believed that the increase in antisemitic incidents could be attributed to the war in Gaza, but also said that if somebody is expressing pro-Palestinian beliefs, that’s not necessarily antisemitic.”

    Prior to Tuesday’s hearing, a group of 82 Jewish faculty members at UC Berkeley in a letter to the House committee said they “reject the claim” that Berkeley has an antisemitic environment.

    “We write to affirm that we feel secure on campus and support the administration’s efforts to balance safety with respect for free speech,” they added, referring to the Berkeley administration.





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  • Congress must reinvigorate the nation’s Head Start program

    Congress must reinvigorate the nation’s Head Start program


    Credit: Lillian Mongeau/EdSource

    Our country is facing an urgent crisis: the early-educator shortage. Earlier this year, the National Head Start Association reported that 19% of Head Start staff positions were vacant nationwide, leading to the closure of 20% of all Head Start classrooms. As of August, the entire child care workforce was 40,000 less than pre-pandemic.

    As the largest Head Start provider in Los Angeles County and the state of California, the Los Angeles County Office of Education feels shortage acutely. We recognize the immense responsibility we have to children, families and communities, as well as the elementary schools where our youngest learners will continue their educational journeys. It takes educators to meet that commitment.

    It is time for Congress to fulfill the promise of Head Start by investing in the highly qualified, professional educators who teach our youngest learners through funding that at least keeps pace with inflation.

    In the meantime, we at the county office, like many early-learning providers, are doing what we can to address the staffing crisis.

    In August, I had the pleasure of addressing a graduating class of brand-new educators. Not fresh-faced young college grads just setting off into the world, these new teachers were already parents, enrolled in our Head Start program, and ready to change their life trajectories.

    There was Maria Riley, a Head Start mom decades ago, and now a Head Start grandma as she fosters her two young grandsons. Reengaging with Head Start had ignited a spark she will now share with more young learners.

    There was Martha Rebollar, initially hesitant to return to school after so long away, convinced she wouldn’t finish, and always on the verge of dropping out. But she was always persevering. And, ultimately, she was the first to be hired.

    There was Georgina Perez, whose childhood dream of becoming a teacher was first put on hold, then nearly derailed by cancer. But she would not give up. Though she had to attend the first few classes virtually from her hospital bed, she never quit.

    Then there were three dozen more of their peers, each with their own story. They joined us as parents, became our students, and are now fully qualified, professional early educators.

    Each is a testament to what the Head Start program can accomplish and a reminder of the promise made by our elected representatives in Washington for nearly six decades — a promise Congress must now reignite.

    Launching Head Start as a new front in the War on Poverty in 1965, President Lyndon Johnson declared it “one of the most constructive, and one of the most sensible, and also one of the most exciting programs that this nation has ever undertaken.”

    A National Bureau of Economic Research report shows that “Head Start easily pays for itself and generates sizable returns when taking account of its long-run effects” through lifelong benefits, even second-generation benefits, to participants.

    Proclaiming Head Start Awareness Month in October 1982, President Ronald Reagan recognized that “the services provided by dedicated Head Start staff have been instrumental in creating a quality program that truly provides young children with a ‘head start’ in life.”

    Head Start’s inclusive, comprehensive, whole-family, whole-child approach is what makes the difference — even more so in this post-pandemic world. Beginning with supporting expectant parents, collaborating with and empowering families while nurturing children educationally, nutritionally, socially and emotionally from birth until school entry, Head Start prepares children for success in school and in life.

    Head Start teachers are required to tailor activities to meet each child’s unique needs. Home visitors empower parents to be their child’s first and best teachers. Family service workers help families move toward self-sufficiency. Health and nutrition specialists build the foundation for a lifetime of healthy habits. And disabilities managers ensure that children of all abilities thrive in an inclusive classroom.

    Achieving all this, however, takes qualified, passionate staff who feel supported, are fairly compensated, and have opportunities for career growth. With proper funding, the result will be a stable workforce backed with the support needed to be present for our young learners and prepare them for the TK-12 journey ahead.

    That’s why the Los Angeles County Office of Education launched our Career Development Initiative to provide an innovative, fast-track career growth opportunity for talented, committed individuals like Maria, Martha, Georgina and so many more.

    And that’s why I’m calling on all of our elected officials to prioritize Head Start. As a society, we cannot afford to let our children, our families and our teachers down. Our future depends on it.

    •••

    Debra Duardo is the Los Angeles County superintendent of schools.

    The opinions expressed in this commentary represent those of the author. EdSource welcomes commentaries representing diverse points of view. If you would like to submit a commentary, please review our guidelines and contact us.





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  • Josh Cowen Is Running for Congress in Michigan!


    Josh Cowen has announced his candidacy for Congress in a swing district in Michigan. The seat is currently held by a Republican.

    Josh’s main issues will be education and affordability. He told the AP:

    In an interview with The Associated Press, Cowen said federal worker layoffs and cuts to research funding and Medicaid inspired him to run for the Lansing-area seat that Barrett flipped in 2024. 

    “What it really means in our daily lives is disinvestment from services that we depend on,” said Cowen, an education policy academic who is known for his research and arguments against school vouchers.

    Josh’s latest book, The Privateers: How Billionaires Created a Culture War and Sold School Vouchers, exposed the failure of vouchers to produce academic improvement or to help poor kids. He had spent nearly 20 years as a voucher researcher, working within the studies. He came to realize that most of those students who used vouchers had never attended public schools. Vouchers, he saw, were a subsidy for affluent families.

    I sent a contribution to Josh’s campaign. He is the only candidate, to my knowledge, who is running to be an advocate for public schools. We need his voice in Congress. Open this link to send him money for his campaign.

    Nick Wu of Politico wrote about his entry into the race:

    Democrat Josh Cowen is launching a bid by highlighting education and affordability issues in what is already becoming a crowded primary in a tossup Michigan district.

    Cowen, an education policy professor at Michigan State University, singled out the school choice and voucher programs pushed by Michigan Republicans like former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos as part of what inspired him to run for Michigan’s 7th Congressional District in the central part of the state.

    “I’m a teacher, and I have been fighting Betsy DeVos across the country on a specific issue, and that’s privatizing public schools,” Cowen said in an interview. “She’s been trying to disinvest, defund commitments to kids and families all over the place, and that’s actually the same fight as everything that’s going on right now — trying to protect investing in health care through Medicaid and other systems — protect jobs.”

    Democratic congressional candidate Josh Cowen sits for a photo.

    Josh Cowen is running for Michigan’s 7th Congressional District.  |  Cowen campaign

    Several Democrats have already announced bids against Rep. Tom Barrett (R-Mich.), who flipped the seat last cycle after Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) vacated it to run for Senate. He could be a tough incumbent for Democrats to dislodge and reported raising over $1 million last quarter

    Still, Democrats see the narrowly divided seat as a top pickup opportunity next year, with former Ukraine Ambassador Bridget Brink and retired Navy SEAL Matt Maasdam among the field of candidates running. Cowen brushed off concerns about a contested primary, saying, “They’re going to run their campaigns. I’m going to run mine.”

    “I am going to be running really hard on the fact that I am in this community. I’ve been here for 12 years. My kids went to public schools here. My youngest is still there,” he added.



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  • UCLA chancellor faces Congress, says he regrets not removing encampment sooner

    UCLA chancellor faces Congress, says he regrets not removing encampment sooner


    UCLA Chancellor Gene Block testifies during a hearing of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce regarding pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses on Capitol Hill on May 23, 2024, in Washington.

    Credit: AP Photo / Mariam Zuhaib

    This story was updated with additional quotes and information from Thursday’s hearing.

    Testifying in front of a congressional committee Thursday, UCLA Chancellor Gene Block said he regrets not acting sooner to remove the pro-Palestinian encampment that was violently attacked last month by counter protesters.

    “With the benefit of hindsight, we should have been prepared to immediately remove the encampment if and when the safety of our community was put at risk,” Block said during prepared remarks to the Republican-led House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

    Block, who himself is Jewish, testified before the committee in Washington, D.C., as part of a hearing on antisemitism on college campuses. It was the third time the committee had called on university leaders to testify about antisemitism since last fall, and the first time that a chancellor or president from California has testified.

    Testifying alongside Block were Michael Schill, the president of Northwestern University, and Jonathan Holloway, the president of Rutgers University.

    For the most part, Block avoided harsh questioning during the hearing, with lawmakers spending more time grilling Holloway and especially Schill. Some of his most insightful remarks came during his opening statement, when he addressed the encampment that sprang up on the UCLA campus on April 25.

    Block said he initially followed UC system guidance, which is to only use law enforcement to remove protesters “when absolutely necessary” to protect the safety of the campus. 

    But as the encampment grew to more than 500 protesters, “some of whom were not even affiliated with UCLA,” Block said he decided on April 28 to remove the encampment. He then gave the protesters written notice on April 30, but it was too late. Later that night, a violent mob of counter demonstrators attacked the encampment, resulting in injuries and hospitalizations.

    Meanwhile, as Block addressed the lawmakers Thursday, protesters on UCLA’s campus were erecting a new encampment Thursday.

    Later during Thursday’s hearing, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) questioned Block about the violent attacks, which she said he could have prevented. 

    “The recent images from UCLA are appalling. What is more appalling is that it was completely preventable. You could have prevented this by protecting the diverse groups of pro-Palestinian students that were peacefully gathered on campus,” she said.

    “Are any of these people in jail?” Omar then asked, referring to the counter protesters who attacked the encampment.

    Block said Los Angeles police are still working to identify the assailants from that evening. 

    “It’s been over a month,” Omar responded.

    Block also faced questions over allegations that the UCLA encampment was blocking Jewish and pro-Israel students from parts of campus. Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-Calif.) shared a video that he said showed Jewish students being blocked by encampment protesters from getting to class. 

    “After we learned about that, I sent a message to all our student affairs people to make sure the pathways were open for everyone. And I sent the message out to our community,” Block said when Kiley asked if the encampment protesters were disciplined, an answer that did not satisfy Kiley.

    Rep. Virginia Foxx, the Republican chair of the committee from North Carolina, also criticized Block for that incident. In her closing remarks, Foxx said there was “horrifying footage of encampment members setting up illegal checkpoints, denying Jewish students access to central parts of campus.”

    Republicans spent more time questioning Schill, the Northwestern president. They criticized him for coming to an agreement with pro-Palestinian protesters on his campus, but Schill defended himself and said he “rejected the main student demand of divestment.” Northwestern’s agreement did include a promise to disclose more information about its investments.

    “We had to get the encampment down,” Schill said Thursday. That answer, however, did not satisfy lawmakers.

    Outside the hearing, faculty members from Rutgers, Northwestern and UCLA criticized Republican lawmakers over the hearing and said it was an attack on higher education.

    That included Mia McIver, an English professor at UCLA who during a live streamed press conference called the hearing a “shameful farce.”

    “Instead of focusing on learning, teaching, inquiry, understanding, analysis, and argumentation, which are the primary functions of higher ed, the committee’s perverse obsession with harsh discipline and bizarre thirst for punishment revealed that the real goal is to shut down repress, suppress and criminalize constitutionally protected speech and action,” McIver said.





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