OCDE Newsroom

Huntington Beach Union High School District educators, administrators and board trustees celebrate the start of a new partnership between Edison High School and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. (Huntington Beach Union High School District)

Weekly roundup: Edison High students help endangered trout with new campus lab, and more

Madeline Gray December 19, 2025

31st Annual Report on the Conditions of Children in Orange County cover

New Conditions of Children report offers a snapshot of OC education trends for 2025

Ian Hanigan December 18, 2025

Gigi Manning, 2025 OCMAA Award recipient for secondary media arts, stands with award sponsor and presenter Steven Brittan, president and CEO of the Laguna College of Art + Design.

Arts educators, leaders to be celebrated at 2026 OC Music and Arts Administrators Awards

Vicky Nguyen December 18, 2025

Participants and supporters, some dressed in team costumes, cheer from the stands during the Super Quiz Relay at the 2025 Orange County Academic Decathlon.

Academic event season is coming up. Here are some key dates for 2026.

Vicky Nguyen December 16, 2025

Sunburst cadets suit up for life after graduation

Nathaniel Martinez December 15, 2025

Group photo of OCDE Superintendent Dr. Stefan Bean, Orange County Board of Education members Jorge Valdes, Mari Barke, Ken Williams, Lisa Sparks and Tim Shaw standing with student Rebecca Page and her teacher Mike Zanio.

‘A time to reflect, to honor’: Students participate in Jack R. Hammett Memorial Day Essay and Art Contest

Ian Hanigan May 8, 2025

Quick look: OCDE student Rebecca Page earned top honors in the Jack R. Hammett Memorial Day Essay and Art Contest,...

Students with their Civic Learning Pathway certificates

OCDE honors students and schools for civic learning achievements

Nathaniel Martinez May 7, 2025

The Orange County Department of Education recently celebrated local school districts and their students for championing civic learning at its...

Dr. Bean: Celebrating Orange County’s 2026 Teachers of the Year

Stefan Bean May 6, 2025

Most of us can point to a teacher who changed our lives — someone who saw us clearly and believed in what we could become. For me, that teacher was Donald Geisinger. As a newly adopted Vietnamese orphan in a...

Two high school students holding professional camera equipment

OC Supervisor Nguyen, County Superintendent Bean to host student career exploration event on May 22

Ian Hanigan May 5, 2025

Orange County Supervisor Janet Nguyen and County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Stefan Bean are teaming up to present a special...

Orange County School of the Arts dance program

Weekly roundup: OC Register names this year’s top student artists, CalKIDS offers college scholarships, and more

Madeline Gray May 2, 2025

More than 900 high school artists — the most in the program’s history — were nominated this year for their...

Megan Lee, Loara Elementary School, Anaheim Elementary School District

OCDE announces 2026 Orange County Teachers of the Year with surprise visits

Staff reports May 1, 2025

Six outstanding educators received the surprise of a lifetime Wednesday as they were named 2026 Orange County Teachers of the Year. A big yellow school bus carrying OCDE representatives, sponsors, reporters and camera crews made celebratory stops at each teacher’s...

OCDE students channel creativity to explore wellness and advocacy through TUPE Art Showcase

Ian Hanigan April 30, 2025

In a quiet hallway of a Mission Viejo community center, a gallery of student artwork lines the walls, each piece...

Performing drummers at the Orange County Arts and Disability Festival

WATCH: 49th annual Arts and Disability Festival showcases creativity and inclusion

Ian Hanigan April 30, 2025

Hundreds gathered at MainPlace Mall in Santa Ana this past Saturday to celebrate the talents of artists with disabilities during...

2025 California Classified School Employees of the Year

Three from Orange County named California Classified School Employees of the Year

Vicky Nguyen April 29, 2025

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond has announced nine California Classified School Employees of the Year for 2025 — a group that includes a head custodian, a nutrition operations supervisor and a painter from Orange County. This marks the...