
Mallika Seshadri
Mallika Seshadri covers education in Los Angeles, including LAUSD, for EdSource. Previously, she interned with NPRâs âAll Things Consideredâ and âNational Deskâ and covered higher education for the CalMatters College Beat. Her reporting has been published by The San Francisco Chronicle, ABC, CBS and NPR member stations across the country. Mallika holds a BA with distinction in political science and global studies from UC Berkeley, where she served as the managing editor of The Daily Californian. She is currently pursuing a MA in Specialized Journalism at the University of Southern California, where she is a Selden Ring Fellow for investigative journalism.
All articles by Mallika Seshadri
Celebrating a religious or cultural holiday that falls on a school day? Hereâs what to knowÂ
California's Education Code allows students to take off from school for religious and cultural reasons, with limits.
Mallika Seshadri
November 26, 2025
Schools, farms grapple with lost funds after federal program is guttedÂ
Schools across the state are grappling with the loss of Local Food for Schools grants, which supported farm-to-school pipelines.
Mallika Seshadri
November 12, 2025
Collaboration lies at the heart of LAUSDâs test score gainsÂ
Teachers and parents played a key role in getting Los Angeles Unified students to perform well on state standardized tests.
Mallika Seshadri
October 20, 2025
LAUSD board approves Carvalhoâs employment agreement following months of praise and criticism
Despite criticism from some groups, the superintendent has prioritized reducing chronic absenteeism and recovering pandemic learning losses, with LAUSD students outperforming their counterparts across the state.
Mallika Seshadri
October 14, 2025
How the federal government shutdown will impact Californiaâs schools and studentsÂ
What parents, students and schools need to know about the government shutdown now â and if it continues.
Mallika Seshadri, Betty MĂĄrquez Rosales, Amy DiPierro, And Michael Burke
October 2, 2025
âA school on a hillâ: Students start returning to campus in L.A.âs fire-damaged regionÂ
Marquez Charter Elementary was the first campus that was destroyed in January's fires to welcome students back.
Mallika Seshadri
October 1, 2025
What you need to know when sending kids back to a fire-impacted school | Quick Guide
What parents need to know about sending their kids back to a school where there has been a fire.
Mallika Seshadri
October 1, 2025
LAUSD joins districts across the state in planning for financial literacy education
Districts are working to incorporate the course ahead of the 2027-28 mandate stated in Assembly Bill 2927.
Mallika Seshadri
September 17, 2025
Bill to reduce antisemitism awaits governor's signature
Following months of revisions, the California Senate passed a bill to reduce antisemitism in the classroom.
Mallika Seshadri
September 14, 2025
Parents, LAUSD settle suit; 100,000 students get 45 tutoring hours for three years
A settlement between a group of families and LAUSD is leading to more than 10 million hours of high-dose tutoring.
Mallika Seshadri
September 3, 2025
California joins effort to cut chronic absenteeism in half by 2030Â
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond announced California is on track to reduce chronic absenteeism by half in five years.
Mallika Seshadri And Betty MĂĄrquez Rosales
August 22, 2025
LAUSDâs Black Student Achievement Plan remains resilient amid complaint and opposition
The Los Angeles Unified School District has allocated an additional $25 million to the program, which provides holistic support to students.
Mallika Seshadri
August 21, 2025
Strong first-day attendance at LAUSD schools despite immigration fears
Los Angeles Unified plans to ramp up its iAttend program â where school and district staff knock on the doors of families and encourage students to return to the classroom.
Mallika Seshadri
August 14, 2025
Thousands of California students attend schools in high fire danger zones
Experts stress the importance of preparing schools and their facilities for future fire hazards.
Mallika Seshadri
July 31, 2025
Judge rules LAUSD broke state law denying charter co-location access
The ruling is a significant victory for charter advocates, after the district board declared hundreds of schools off limits to charters.







