This is Part Two of a two-part series on racism and the education system. Read Part One here. ‍

Data supporting the direct link between family income and student achievement rely mostly on test scores as the primary indicator of success. By that measure, the evidence is indisputable that schools in wealthy neighborhoods out-perform schools located in less affluent communities.

Updated at 1:30 p.m. Monday: Kelvin Barrios suspended his campaign, according to a KPBS report.

This is an independent opinion. IVN San Diego has reached out to all city of San Diego candidates, including Sean Elo, inviting them to submit commentary at any time. If you would like to submit commentary, email hoa@ivn.us

In a dramatic move to tackle climate change, Gov. Gavin Newsom today ordered state officials to ban new gasoline-powered cars within 15 years.

This is an independent opinion. Have one of your own? Write it! Email it to hoa@ivn.us

Communities of color continue to bear the brunt of COVID-19’s devastation. Recent federal data on the pandemic from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that African Americans in the United States have been three times more likely to contract the disease than white Americans.

Editor's Note: This piece originally published in the Portland Press Herald, and has been republished with permission from the author.

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The presidential election on Nov. 3 is nearly upon us. No matter who’s elected, it will have an immense impact on our nation.

In Florida, another vote is looming that may have just as great an impact. Why? It takes the first steps toward true structural election reform.

Protesters throughout the U.S. marched this week after a Kentucky grand jury determined it would not bring charges against Louisville officers who shot and killed Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old Black woman and health care worker.

Taylor is just one of many Black Americans who have been shot by police officers in recent months, prompting protesters to demand for racial justice and police reform and accountability.

Diana Marrone felt alone and out of options.

The single mother of a 5-year-old kindergartener had struggled to balance her full-time job while guiding her daughter’s remote learning. Marrone’s mother would ordinarily assist with childcare, but coronavirus exposure concerns ruled that out. Still, Marrone balked at the idea of sitting her daughter, Sienna, out for a year, worried she would fall behind academically and resent school.

Editor's Note: This article originally appeared on The Fulcrum and has been republished on IVN with permission from the publisher.

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Voting in the presidential election ends in 40 days, and states are still making adjustments to their rules and procedures.

This is an independent opinion. Have one of your own? Write it! Email it to hoa@ivn.us

California’s early 20th century reformers sought to thwart an obviously corrupt political system that benefited entrenched interests and ignored the larger public.

Their reforms included ways for voters to bypass the system through direct ballot box action — the initiative, the recall and the referendum.