OCDE Newsroom

Student winners and their teachers gather on stage with Chapman University President Matt Parlow during the March 13 awards ceremony for the Sala and Aron Samueli Holocaust Art & Writing Contest.

Weekly roundup: Annual Holocaust Art and Writing Contest highlights OC student winners, and more

Vicky Nguyen March 27, 2026

A group of students and advisors from Troy High School stand on a stage at the CyberPatriot National Finals, holding an award in front of a large screen displaying “CyberPatriot National Finals.”

Troy High cyber team earns national honors at CyberPatriot finals

Ian Hanigan March 27, 2026

Westminster School District students perform onstage during the Saturday program.

OCDE announces Dual Language Immersion Convening focused on Vietnamese American Experiences Model Curriculum

Vicky Nguyen March 26, 2026

Venado Middle School students pose with their multiple NHD-OC medals alongside teacher and coach Hector Gamboa, and OCDE Coordinator Julie Hull.

Orange County students shine at NHD-OC contest as 107 advance to state finals

Madeline Gray March 25, 2026

OCDE to host April 14 public forum on active shooter preparedness, led by Seal Beach police captain

Ian Hanigan March 24, 2026

Reflecting on an unprecedented year: 10 notable OCDE Newsroom stories from 2020

Nichole Pichardo December 29, 2020

It goes without saying that 2020 has been a year like no other. And now, looking back, we can see...

An image of Orange County Superintendent Al Mijares

Mijares: A year of distress and disruption also highlighted our resilience

Al Mijares December 28, 2020

It is impossible to overstate the challenges our schools were presented with this year, from having to immediately pivot to...

Capo elementary teacher is a finalist in presidential awards program for math and science educators

Ian Hanigan December 24, 2020

An elementary teacher in the Capistrano Unified School District is among a half-dozen state finalists in the 2020 Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching program. Leslie Whitaker, who teaches third grade at Esencia Elementary School, is now...

OCDE represented on list of Orange County’s 100 Most Influential People

Ian Hanigan December 23, 2020

An OCDE program administrator has made the Orange County Register’s list of OC’s Most Influential People of 2020. Kirk Anderson,...

Pandemic or not, Pacifica High School’s Adopt-A-Child brings holiday cheer

Ian Hanigan December 23, 2020

Pacifica High School’s annual Adopt-A-Child event been a winter tradition for more than 30 years. And it wasn’t about to...

Foundation surprises local third-graders: ‘Everybody’s getting a bike!’

Ian Hanigan December 22, 2020

For the fifth straight year, the nonprofit Bikes for Kids Foundation paid a visit to a Tustin Unified elementary school and stunned local third-graders with a pretty big reveal. “Everybody is getting a bike!”, co-founder and CEO Bill Pollakov declared,...

California state superintendent outlines priorities to address pandemic’s impact on students

Nichole Pichardo December 21, 2020

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond last week outlined priorities and investments needed to address the ongoing impacts of...

Weekly roundup: Anaheim district offers free staff testing, local teacher is among OC’s ‘Most Influential,’ and more

Ian Hanigan December 18, 2020

The Anaheim Elementary School District on Monday officially kicked off an initiative to offer free COVID-19 testing to all of...

Parenting OC seeks nominees for teacher and school employee awards

Ian Hanigan December 17, 2020

Parenting OC magazine is accepting nominations for its School Heroes of Orange County program, which will honor exemplary local teachers and school employees. Parents, students and administrators are encouraged to make the case for their favorite elementary, middle and high...

Calling young poets! Registration now open for annual Poetry Out Loud competition

Nichole Pichardo December 16, 2020

Albeit in front of a virtual crowd, Orange County would be proud, to see local high school students compete in...