Where we
do lag, often close to last place Mississippi, is student achievement.
Our fourth and eighth graders score dead last in the county's
National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) science test
along with Mississippi, reflecting both the highest percentage
"below basic" and the lowest percentage "proficient."
In 2001, 45% of entering California State University students
required remedial mathematics.
None of the high school grades averaged 50% correct answers on
California's Standards Test for history, a multiple choice exam.
It's time for
the truth about how much money we've been spending on our K-12 schools.
And it's well past time for meaningful reform of our public schools.
Alan
Bonsteel is president, and Peter Hanley executive director, of California
Parents for Educational Choice. For more information, log on to
www.cpeconline.org.
Education Revolt in
Watts--A Reason.tv
Drew Carey Video