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Judge strikes down exit exam
Contra Costa Times ^ | 5/12/6 | Shirley Dang

Posted on 05/12/2006 2:28:51 PM PDT by SmithL

An Alameda County judge granted the wish of 47,000 high school seniors Friday after abolishing the exit exam as a graduation requirement this year.

Superior Court Judge Robert Freedman ruled that students who earn enough credits may receive a diploma, regardless of their performance on the test.

State Superintendent of Schools Jack O'Connell is expected to appeal the injunction immediately. The state will seek a reversal that would become effective before the end of the school year, according to a request for a stay on the decision filed today.

The decision deals a significant blow to the future of the exit exam, which faces three lawsuits in all. By granting a reprieve to this year's seniors, Freedman set the stage for similar decisions on any injunctions filed in successive years, essentially nullifying the law.

The Legislature approved the law creating the test, which measures sophomore English and middle-school math skills, in 1999. O'Connell wrote the legislation as a state senator with the intention of evening out differences in graduation standards among high schools statewide, thereby giving meaning to the diploma.

At last count, 89 percent of the state's seniors, or 390,000 out of 437,000, had passed. A remaining 47,000 seniors, not including special education students, have not.

(Excerpt) Read more at contracostatimes.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; Government; News/Current Events; US: California
KEYWORDS: activistjudge; badjudge; badteachers; graduation; incompetencewins; lousyschools; robertfreedman; ruling; stupid
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To: USFRIENDINVICTORIA
... if the U.S. government doesn't get things right, the world is headed for the toilet.}

I'd say the U.S. will become a 3rd world nation, but the rest of the world will take up the slack. In 2000, 56% of China's undergraduate degrees were in the hard sciences; in the U.S., it was 17%. Japan, with half our population, has graduated double the number of engineers in recent years than we have.

And our educators - and judges - are more concerned about the low-end kids than they are about producing kids capable of taking the more difficult courses in college. Yup - we're headed into the toilet.
21 posted on 05/12/2006 3:31:22 PM PDT by Ivana Denisovich (Middle-class Americans: Paying the taxes and doing the work the illegals won't.)
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To: RedBeaconNY
Public education is a joke.

Many private schools are no better, unfortunately. The teachers come from the same shallow end of the gene pool and education classes as the public school teachers. And the tuition money is sometimes more important than academics or discipline to their administration. With respect to private schools: Caveat Emptor.
22 posted on 05/12/2006 3:34:32 PM PDT by Ivana Denisovich (Middle-class Americans: Paying the taxes and doing the work the illegals won't.)
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To: SmithL
State Superintendent of Schools Jack O'Connell is expected to appeal the injunction immediately.

Just refuse to grant them diplomas and bar them from attendence at graduation then.

I cannot believe that americans can be this stupid. We put a man on the moon for God's sake and now this ??

23 posted on 05/12/2006 3:35:51 PM PDT by Centurion2000 (The social contract is breaking down.)
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To: SmithL
The teacher's union will be happy, this judge just reinforced California's institutionalized stupidity.

Although I don't belong to a union, I am a teacher, and I think this was an idiotic ruling.

If students can't master the basic skills required for a high school diploma, they shouldn't receive one.

24 posted on 05/12/2006 3:36:11 PM PDT by Amelia (Education exists to overcome ignorance, not validate it.)
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To: Semper Paratus

'Heard this on the radio. One of the complaints was that the English test discriminated against those who had poor English skills.'

With English being a core subject, I guess poor English skills should not be a reflection of their academic competancy


25 posted on 05/12/2006 3:36:29 PM PDT by Hayzo
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To: MissEdie
The State of SC in its' infinite wisdom decreed that children with severe learning disabilities and various degrees of mental retardation have to take this test and pass on grade level.

I think that is the Feds with NCLB, not just the state of SC.

26 posted on 05/12/2006 3:38:42 PM PDT by Amelia (Education exists to overcome ignorance, not validate it.)
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To: Ivana Denisovich

Uggghhh... I go to a public school right now, ranked in the top 50 nationwide according to Newsweek, and the crap that they allow to go on with in those walls is absurd. We have three administrators for a building of barely 1000 kids. That, and the taxes we pay are pretty near the cost of tuition at any of our local pariochal schools.


27 posted on 05/12/2006 3:39:07 PM PDT by RedBeaconNY (If you want to know what God thinks of money, look at the people He gave it to.)
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To: SmithL

Another example how to erode the middle class. In a few years we will be just like Mexico in so many ways.


28 posted on 05/12/2006 3:39:15 PM PDT by devane617 (The truth, not politics, is right for our beautiful America.)
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To: Amelia
Although I don't belong to a union, I am a teacher...

With all due respect, is such a thing even possible in today's day and age?

29 posted on 05/12/2006 3:40:54 PM PDT by RedBeaconNY (If you want to know what God thinks of money, look at the people He gave it to.)
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To: Ivana Denisovich
Many private schools are no better, unfortunately. The teachers come from the same shallow end of the gene pool and education classes as the public school teachers. And the tuition money is sometimes more important than academics or discipline to their administration. With respect to private schools: Caveat Emptor.

You're right, but with one exception: some private schools hire teachers public schools won't take....which is sometimes because they have the knowledge but not the teaching credentials, but sometimes because they are too "low in the gene pool" to be accepted by public schools.

30 posted on 05/12/2006 3:41:40 PM PDT by Amelia (Education exists to overcome ignorance, not validate it.)
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To: RedBeaconNY
With all due respect, is such a thing even possible in today's day and age?

It is in my state. I don't know about yours.

I do belong to a professional organization, because I teach lab classes & feel the need for professional liability insurance. I tried to get it through my homeowners but couldn't.

Most of the people I know who belong to the union joined not because they agree with the ideology of the NEA, but because it has the best professional liability insurance available. I had to settle for "second-best" because I cannot in good conscience support the NEA in any form or fashion.

31 posted on 05/12/2006 3:46:13 PM PDT by Amelia (Education exists to overcome ignorance, not validate it.)
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To: Amelia

;) I live in New York.


32 posted on 05/12/2006 3:48:54 PM PDT by RedBeaconNY (If you want to know what God thinks of money, look at the people He gave it to.)
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To: Amelia

Great tagline.


33 posted on 05/12/2006 3:50:40 PM PDT by Ivana Denisovich (Middle-class Americans: Paying the taxes and doing the work the illegals won't.)
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To: RedBeaconNY
;) I live in New York.

From your screen name, I thought you must. I know the teachers unions are much more powerful states such as NY, NJ, and PA. Membership may be required there, but I don't know that for a fact.

34 posted on 05/12/2006 3:51:26 PM PDT by Amelia (Education exists to overcome ignorance, not validate it.)
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To: Ivana Denisovich

Thanks! :-)


35 posted on 05/12/2006 3:51:58 PM PDT by Amelia (Education exists to overcome ignorance, not validate it.)
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To: SmithL

The teacher's union will be happy, this judge just reinforced California's institutionalized stupidity.


Does this mean 47,000 kids will not graduate? This seems pretty excessive. I guess I would have them repeat if that is the rule, but talk about overcrowding. What happens if they fail next year with an additional 47,000 kids. This could just go crazy. I am not so concerned with this except the special ed kids...do they really have to pass a test and what will this prove for them? I mean are they alright to get a job? fuction? I guess I don't understand their perameters of what is special education.


36 posted on 05/12/2006 3:53:04 PM PDT by napscoordinator
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To: Amelia
I can tell you, my teachers are very well paid. Union membership is optional, but you have to pay the dues regardless of if you're in the organization or not, supposedly because they're doing the work in your behalf and you're reaping the benefits, no matter if you want that help or not.
37 posted on 05/12/2006 3:55:02 PM PDT by RedBeaconNY (If you want to know what God thinks of money, look at the people He gave it to.)
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To: RedBeaconNY; Amelia
Although I don't belong to a union, I am a teacher...

With all due respect, is such a thing even possible in today's day and age?


In 1997, a federal judge ruled that a union cannot force teachers to join it in California. Teachers do have to pay the fees associated with the contracts negotiation, but have the right to not have any of their money go to the political ties the union has. Unfortunately, I don't think this is widely known.
38 posted on 05/12/2006 3:55:09 PM PDT by Ivana Denisovich (Middle-class Americans: Paying the taxes and doing the work the illegals won't.)
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Comment #39 Removed by Moderator

To: T.L.Sink

(1) the diploma will be virtually worthless and mean nothing to prospective employers


I don't think that is true. The reason is that when I was in school the state did not give me a test in order to get my diploma. Now I did have these Iowa Basic Test every year or so, but they did not decide if I graduate or not. I think the fact that every student has to pass the same test in the state in order to graduate is the problem. Don't these kids have regular exams. That is what we had a final exam in every class that resulted in if you graduated or not.


40 posted on 05/12/2006 3:58:06 PM PDT by napscoordinator
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