Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. It’s Friday, Dec. 29. I’m Vanessa Franko, an assistant editor who spends her waking hours immersed in pop culture. Here’s ...

The Education Secretary has launched “Catch-up Friday” that allots one day of the week as a time to help our public school pupils to catch up with their reading skills. Surely this isn’t ...

MANILA, Philippines — “I will never forget Catch-Up Fridays. It was introduced to us one Thursday and then the next day, Friday, it had to be implemented.” A public school teacher had this ...