The Pacific Research Institute has released its 2007 California Education Report Card and the grades aren't very good. The state education system is graded in 17 areas. There were six F's and five D's among the grades offered by PRI, which calls itself a "free market think tank."
"Californians need to spend less time debating how much should be spent on public education and should spend more time focusing the discussion on what works in raising student achievement," said Lance T. Izumi, the group's education studies director. "Finding effective answers to this question will lead to improvements in the quality of education services, the performance of students, and ultimately the future of the Golden State."
You can read the report card here.
California education got F's in its accountablity system that tracks student performance, the low number of student who are proficient in Engligh language arts and math in grades two through 11 and a funding system that has spent millions of dollars on "programs that have yet to show success," according to PRI.
The state's education leaders and the California Teachers Association will undoubtedly disagree with much of the PRI's assessment. I'll add their responses to this post when they are available
I skipped to the section regarding school construction, an area I have some familiarity with. I had to chuckle at their conclusions and recommendations. Their claim that it takes 5 years or more to locate and build a school appears to be based on a comment made by one official at L.A. Unified. They don't seem to take into account that L.A. has issues and problems most districts don't have to deal with. I'm pretty sure Clovis Unified can locate and construct schools much quicker.
In general, while there may be something of value in that report, and there is certainly plenty of room for improvement in our school system, I would take the recommendations of a "free market" advocacy group like PRI with a large grain of salt.
Evidently, "No Child Left Behind" in California is leaving most children behind! That's what happens when you leave the educational system in care of State and Washington bureaucrats.
State and federal spending binges don't seem to have helped either - can anyone put their finger on any lasting improvements? I really wanted to say, "that it's not the teachers, it's entirely the fault of the fat-assed bureaucrats" - but then I remembered how teachers have ceded to their unions the ability to control and change the system. They, also, must be held accountable. The unions have, obviously, agendas other than educating children.
I blame both political parties. 40 to 50 years of political domination have brought changes to our culture which have diluted traditional values and neutralized our education system. And it all happened under the guise of "educational reform," of course, "for the common good."
Simply put, the educational system has been neutered by socialist elitists who have never accepted the fact that historically, the free enterprise system and traditional values, have worked best.
So, T.C., how do you explain why it is that countries that are far more socialist than the U.S. have better education systems?
I think education would do much better to get off the idea that college is the only way to succeed.
Staring in sixth grade children and parents need to make rational choices together that start towards either a college based education or a trade craft.
In an ideal world you could have representatives of trade or skilled jobs recruiting as hard as military recruiters. Make college compete a bit more for our children and our money.
The dirty little secret: 48% of the state budget goes to education. For California public education victims, that means 48 cents out of every tax dollar is going down this rat hole.
How about "No taxpayer Left with their Behind" as a better slogan. Anytime you try to introduce accountability into anything, the CTA cries foul and lectures us that only they know what is best for California's kids. Get real. In the private sector most of them would be out on the street with their record and they know it.
What "dirty little secret"? It was the taxpayers who voted to require that public education get the lion's share of the state budget when we passed Prop. 98 several years ago. Personally I can't think of too many things more worthy of spending our tax dollars on than educating our children.
Mike D.,I've asked quite a few folks(it's one of my favorite awareness test questions)Mike Villines is the only one that knew the answer.When you compare that to the less than 1% spent on infrastructure in the state it's an abysmal failure.Add to that how we have to pass bonds and propositions (additional cost to taxpayers)to pay for infrastructre improvements it's insulting.With as much money that is spent on education, kids should be attending resort like schools with catered lunches and driven there in limousines.The money ain't makin em any more smarter.
I'd recommend you do a bit of quick research regarding public financing. Bonds are the normal way to finance infrastructure, since you need a lot of money up-front, but the benefits are spread out over a long period of time. It's not that much different than private developers getting loans to build their projects. Just a different financing mechanism.
6-27-07 Good for the "MAYOR". We have a stand up mayor...and walking out on the "MAYORS CONFERECE was the right thing to do! Enough of these far left "KOOKS" and their left wing tactics!
F.M. Willits