Comstock’s Magazine

This story is part of our September 2026 issue. To read the print version, click here. A great paradox lies at the heart of California’s nation-leading, $60-billion-a-year agricultural industry: In a state known for its huge farming economy, small farms earn just a sliver of the revenue, and many struggle to stay in business. The lore of the small family farm runs deep in American culture, with Thomas Jefferson making it an organizing principle for the then-young country.

Many kids process language in chunks or phrases, not word by word. But most AAC (augmentative and alternative communication) tools on the market aren’t built to recognize this communication style. This gap makes it hard for nonspeaking or minimally speaking students to express what they want and harder for speech therapists, families and others around them to understand.

This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. A bill that supporters hoped would kickstart California’s moribund condo industry and boost the scarce number of entry-level homeownership opportunities, died under mysterious circumstances at the stroke of midnight on Tuesday after failing to get a final vote before the end of the legislative session.

I recently started a new HR role that I accepted after 14 months of unemployment. Now I am seeing a disconnect between compensation and scope. The position was presented at one level during the hiring process, but the responsibilities feel significantly broader and more aligned with a higher-level role. Plus, the last person in the role had a higher title and salary than I do, even though the job descriptions are identical.

A student’s day begins long before the first bell, shaped by experiences, responsibilities, questions and pressures that follow them into the classroom. Educators must be well-trained and ready to listen, adapt and build meaningful relationships. Meanwhile, education is changing quickly as new technologies, shifting student needs, workforce pressures and evolving policies reshape classrooms and school leadership.

Sacramento’s healthcare community continues to grow, and with that growth comes an increasingly pressing need: preparing the next generation of skilled healthcare professionals to serve the region’s patients, families and communities. Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts is proud to be part of that future.

There’s so much I’d like to say about the quality of our education system, but for purposes of this letter, I’m narrowing it down to this: Students today might be deficient in reading and English, but the one area in which they’ll absolutely need to improve if they want to have a life after graduation is financial literacy. Since we live in a country that thrives on capitalism, not having any idea how the system works means always having to play catch-up.

From the rice fields of the Sacramento Valley to vegetable farms in the Imperial Valley, California agriculture runs on timing. Harvest windows do not wait, processing plants do not pause, and a missed load can quickly become costly. For more than six decades, Valley Farm Transport has served farming and processing organizations in the critical “first mile” of crop transport.

Under Superintendent Dr. Michelle Rodriguez, Stockton Unified is celebrating historic graduation rates, literacy gains, expanding career pathways and a renewed promise of equity for every student. Stockton Unified is celebrating the highest graduation rate in district history, now exceeding 92% — an increase of more than 10 percentage points since Rodriguez joined the district. SUSD is also seeing progress in early literacy and expanding Career Technical Education opportunities.

Established in 2003, Gateway Community Charters helps students succeed by combining strong academics, career pathways and community-based support for families. Gateway works everyday to prepare students with the skills and confidence to pursue next steps and thrive in their next chapter of life. Among Gateway’s schools, Futures High, Community Collaborative Charter School, SAVA-Sacramento Academic & Vocational Academy, SAVA-SCUSD and SAVA-EGUSD offer career technical education (CTE).