Posted by Tina
Oh brother! California’s leaders are once again demonstrating airy fairy thinking…all glitter and no substance. The decision described below might work in fantasy but it will play out in the real world like a Grimm’s Fairy Tale:
The state of California is poised to award thousands of high school degrees to dropouts by passing a new law retroactively removing the requirement to pass a high school exit exam.
Plenty of state school systems are struggling with ways to not only keep up with national mandates and restrictions, but to boost their graduation rates so they can maintain their funding and reduce criticism from the public. California seems to have come up a rather unique, back door approach to the problem. You could always take tens of thousands of former high school students who flunked out and simply give them a diploma anyway. (emphasis mine)
California’s poor record in education, particularly in the lower grades in low income areas, can be attributed to many things. Failing to provide students with prepared, effective teachers is one of the most significant. A child that’s promoted through the lower grades without learning the basics will be so far behind by the ninth grade he’s already set up to fail. Remaining in school at that point can seem a useless exercise in futility.
I have trouble fathoming the left mind. What are they thinking? How can a symbolic gesture possibly measure up against actual achievement? The thing is, it can’t. Awarding drop-outs a diploma (for nonperformance) might seem like a nice/smart thing to do but it won’t improve preparedness to meet the challenge or follow through in the work place. What a disservice to young people in California.
Is it too insensitive to mention that liberals (progressives) have had control in the legislature and in education in this state for some time now?
It’s all about the mighty dollar and to he77 what is best for the student. This is also a problem with the Common Core testing failure. Also tied to the mighty dollar cost for the test. Districts need to keep those federal dollars coming in so they can pay for the computerized test promoted by Jeb Bush and Bill Gates.
Giving them “phony” diplomas isn’t going to prepare them for college level course work or a job other than flipping burgers. Every community college requires a placement exam to determine what level of English and math students are qualified for. Students who qualify for financial aid and enter with 6th grade English and math skills WILL run out of aide before they complete their AA/AS degree. Even vocational classes have math and English requirement. Try being in the construction trade without being able to do math or read a set of plans. Or how about a hairdresser who has to learn chemical compounds for that die and bleach used for coloring.
As the old saying goes. “Failure on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine.” Failure to teach students to specified levels of competency, for whatever reason, doesn’t mean they should be just dumped on the streets.
There’s always the GED and high school proficiency exam, which would be a much better way to go.
Hummm, are moderate Democrats acting as replacement for displaced Republicans in the Calif. legislation?
A rising force, moderate Democrats put their stamp on California legislative session:
http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article35072760.html#storylink=cpy
Not sure why this is happening yet. I remember the push about 10 years ago. But this is not just CA. Also as I look at the votes this was not some lefty deal. May I suggest the actual issue be researched, discussed, and a real solution be lobbied into the legislature.
Look at the votes.
http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billVotesClient.xhtml?bill_id=201520160SB725
We are not a country of the left and the right. We are Americans and Education needs to be reformed, brought back. We can not be a world leader without educated youth. Seems profit before education is the new theme. Big money crosses party lines.
I say American Values are not for sale. Let’s find a solution and work together.
Several States including Republican Texas have been having this talk for a few years
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/05/22/exit-exams-high-school-diploma/2351009/
Also the agenda to completely dismantle public schools for profit schools? You realize Koch conservative agenda is against public ed and public schools are being starved to death. They can barely function at this point.
I went to school in CA, got a better education than they do now, and did not take an exit exam. Let’s rebuild our public schools, Reform them. By 9th grade every kid should have a basic education and in my opinion go to trade school on a certificate or enter pre college courses for a diploma.
Debate is needed not finger pointing. CA schools suck. No money, class sizes too big, no materials. For Profit charters are a scam and sucking up tax dollars.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2013/05/28/why-schools-should-stop-using-exit-exams/
CA colleges use to be almost free. Remember that?
http://www.nytimes.com/1982/12/28/science/california-weighs-end-of-free-college-education.html
http://www.nytimes.com/1982/12/28/science/california-weighs-end-of-free-college-education.html
We built a great University System that now is unaffordable, & profs have no tenure,
you should be happy these were conservative policies. All those hippies and their free speech ya know?
Dewey mostly we agree. A few points to ponder:
In California there are very few republicans who are not liberal, or helpless to do anything supportive of republican policy and ideology. We’ve not had much influence in California for many hears.
The bill was conceived and introduced by Democrat Loni Hancock:
Finger pointing and argument are necessary when our legislature has decided that meeting a standard is no longer required to graduate from HS. Our Jr Colleges and colleges complain that kids are barely able to read and can’t compose a simple sentence. Business people have expressed the same…kids can’t read an order or do the simple math required to do the job.
Educators are not getting the job done. It’s not all their fault but this law moves in the wrong direction. We do young people no favor by awarding them a diploma when they are not capable in very basic requirements.
There are reasons that our education system has become so expensive. We need to point fingers there too.
You cannot fix something if you refuse to be honest about the problem and it’s source.