RICHMOND, Calif. (AP) – California’s historic budget crisis threatens to devastate a public education system that was once considered a national model but now ranks near the bottom in school funding and academic achievement.
Deep budget cuts are forcing California school districts to lay off thousands of teachers, expand class sizes, close schools, eliminate bus service, cancel summer school programs, and possibly shorten the academic year.
Without a strong economic recovery, which few experts predict, the reduced school funding could last for years, shortchanging millions of students, driving away residents and businesses, and darkening California’s economic future.
“California used to lead the nation in education,” U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan said during a recent visit to San Francisco. “Honestly, I think California has lost its way, and I think the long-term consequences of that are very troubling.”
The budget cuts will be especially painful for struggling schools such as Richmond High School, where more than half of its 1,700 students are English learners and three-quarters are considered poor. The East Bay area school has failed to meet academic standards set by the federal No Child Left Behind Act for more than four years.
Now Richmond High stands to lose 10 percent of its 80 teachers. Electives such as French and woodshop will be scrapped. Some classes will expand to more than 40 students. And many special education and English-language students will be placed in mainstream classes.
“We’re going to see more and more students slipping through the cracks as those class sizes increase,” said Assistant Principal Jen Bender.
Richmond High students are worried about how the cuts will affect their education and ability to attend college.
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The solution lies waiting under the seabed but a few miles off the California coast. Drill baby drill.
California’s biggest problems arise from providing services to millions of illegal aliens. Between education and heath care the costs are prohibitive. There is an ever increasing exodus away from the Golden State of citizens who are bona fide taxpayers. You can’t run a state if there is no taxpaper base. Hollywood and the left need ordinary citizens to pony up the money. Many are saying “heck no, I won’t take it anymore!” and voting with their feet.
Liberal socialism is the rot that has effectively destroyed (were California an independant state) the 7th largest economy in the world. We sit and watch this once great state, a former past shining beacon and magnet for America’s youth and technology slide into bankrupcy, illiteracy, poverty and despair. Languishing in glazed eyed denial half of America bears witness to the remainder of their country ride that same train under Obama’s liberal ‘at any cost’ socialist agenda. California is the canary in the coal mine for America on this issue and today it is lying near death on the bottom of the cage.
This is unbelievable. Its not just about illegal aliens or ESL. That is what we hear all the time in Toronto. That’s an excuse. How many immigrants came to this country after WWII and learned to speak English the hard way? Millions. And, they didn’t have the same problems with literacy that today’s youth do — and they sure as heck encouraged their kids, the second generation, to do well.
Now that I am back on line I will have to look into this situation. Will write about it tonight or tomorrow and cross-post here.
Why am I interested? Because as BTDT suggests, socialism taken to extremes can get these kinds of results. Which is precisely why I have been writing that the Ontario McGuinty government is ruining our education system in their attempt to increase graduation rates at the expense of standards.
Can’t happen here? Well, it already is. Just talk to teachers at the post-secondary level, those supervising apprenticeships or those business folks with new employees. The big problem is a feeling of entitlement and only having to the least amount of work for the most benefit. In other words, lateness, absenteeism and far too many high school graduates expecting A’s when they do “C” or “D” work — or even worse, when they don’t finish their work.
Certainly not the majority. Most kids have really worked hard — my grandchildren among them — and they really resent what the minority few are doing to the reputations of their high school diploma.
My opinion? — This issue will be what loses the next Ontario election for the McGuinty Liberals. At least, that is my hope and prayer!