Posted on 11/01/2011 6:48:25 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
On the nation's report card, California schools have advanced from failing to -- failing a teensy bit less.
Despite posting minute gains this year, California students scored at nearly the bottom of the nation in reading and math, test results show. In reading, California performed worse than all other states and only outscored Washington, D.C. In math, state fourth-graders ranked above only D.C. and Mississippi; eighth-graders did a notch better, also outscoring Alabama.
The National Assessment of Education Progress is administered every other year to a sampling of students across the country. It is the only nationally standardized test for public schools. California students have typically performed poorly, both overall and in comparison to other children.
Education reformers reacted with dismay.
"Slow, incremental improvement is not enough for our kids," said Arun Ramanathan, executive director of the Education Trust-West, an Oakland-based advocacy group. Further, he said, "These results show just how far out of the mainstream, of the national education reform conversation, that California is right now."
Other large diverse states, like Texas, Florida and New York, performed better.
California schools Superintendent Tom Torlakson gave a more nuanced reaction. "Asked to do more with less, students, teachers, school employees and administrators have delivered. Imagine how much more they could accomplish," he said in a prepared statement, "with the resources they deserve."
For several years, California has steadily cut public education budgets and laid off teachers.
(Excerpt) Read more at mercurynews.com ...
California, Socialist Utopia , Financial Maelstrom or just a lost cause?
same difference.. if California was a business, it would be shuttered.
Hard to blame it all on illegals.. educational institutions and unions including the CTA have been delinquent in meeting their obligations to society as a whole first by kowtowing to their leaders and leftist agenda.
Like the ‘RATS say, “As California goes, so goes the country”.
Throw more money at it!
the californicate is paying for decades of socialism and unions.
if i could change it, i would.
i cannot, so they can live with what they’ve created.
"Nuance:" from the French: "Bullsh*t."
"Nuance:" from the French: "Bullsh*t."
oops.
Imagine how much more they could accomplish," he said in a prepared statement, "with the resources they deserve."What he really meant:
Imagine how much more they could accomplish," he said in a prepared statement, "withthe resources they deserveall the money we can get."
Hard to dominate an educated populace.
Kids who don't speak English as a first language, and who have parents who don't have the slightest interest in education. I mean, they grow up without a book in the house. Not even a magazine! It's a culture that likes talking, laughing, gossiping, screwing around, telling jokes, playing soccer, watching novellas, listening to music, dancing, partying, eating, drinking, smoking pot, chilling out... anything but reading.
When I was growing up in CA it was always in the top ten in education.
I can remember when California had a reputation for having among the best-educated students in the country, with an outstanding public school system.
It doesn’t take long for the veneer of civilization to wear off, if it’s not tended to continuously - Cali well on the way to the jungle.
If you can’t read this, thank your local teacher’s union.
California kids have a bright future,......selling pot and other drugs, in porn, or Occupying Wall Street, (if they’re smart enough to wear a mask).
It isn’t illegals. Many that I have worked with from CA. have no geography or history knowledge. They are decent with math. It is pathetic.
The public school system is so self serving that it’s initial purpose of preparing the youth to become productive citizens has been lost .
Everything that has involved the unions has failed or is about to fail. Discipline, focus and respect no longer exists in the student population. So, you have a failed public school system that exists only to baby sit misbehaved adolescences, pay union due and retirement benefits.
It is time to go back to the single room school house with a chalk board.
You’re right, most illegals drop out of school. They have to work to help support their large families.
That’s fine with me, as long as we’re allowed to kick out students who refuse to learn and are disruptive bullies. If I could just kick out the ones who are only there to cause problems, let me tell you, the whole world would change.
Even if we gave them all the money they want, which is impossible, CA public schools would STILL fail the students.
Because a) classrooms across the state are filled with barely literate kids from other countries, and b) the entire CA educational structure is designed to keep the gravy train of ever increasing salaries and generous benefits & pensions rolling along first, and educating the kids second.
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