A system beyond merely "broken"

Nickie Goomba has "swiped" (it's a Goomba thing) an article by Steve Frank appearing in the California Conservative (and Steve's Site as well). The subject is the sorry state of the Los Angeles schools. According to Nickie's commenters, its not just Los Angeles. That square's with my observations as well. The "schools" in some areas of California defy the definition of the word. The Los Angeles Unified School District graduates just 50% of those attending, and many who stick around to graduate are very poorly prepared.

Here's a sample:

Early in the week, 10,000 South Central Watts residents marched because the unions would not allow a local High School to become a Charter High School--the current school has almost no one going to college because the diploma is worthless. Many "graduate" from this high school as functional illiterates, but the School Board, the puppets of the unions, question the need to allow education standards at the school.

At the same time the folks see the failures of the schools, the voters gave this bankrupt agency another $4 billion bond, after passing a $10 billion bond a couple of years ago. Of course, at least one billion of the previous bond has been wasted, corrupted or unaccountable. The bonds are needed because of crowded classrooms--crowded with illegal aliens.

This year California is instituting its first high school exit exam. According to the LA Times, 100,000 seniors statewide will not pass. Now districts wonder what to do with them? Some will issue a "Certificate of Completion" rather than a diploma. Think on that a bit. It's a certificate for having "not left". That's the sort of "Certificate" one receives in 1st grade. What are these students expected to do with these certificates?

Some of these kids may have genuinely desired an education. Indeed, some, perhaps many of those dropping-out would have stuck it out if there was a reasonable chance that they would have a chance. The system, however, offers them little beyond a Certificate of Completion, or a diploma that may not be worth much more.

Earlier this month CA voters rejected an attempt to reform this system in a small way, dunned by a blizzard of Union ads and mailings into terror that the schools were under attack from Conan himself. Voters have indicated that they care about education for the state, and have provided bonds and budget mandates. What the voters lack is the stomach to reform a system that is sinking fast. A black-hole for funds and bonds that shows successes only where teachers (note: not the union, the teachers themselves) and parent finds ways to work around the system. The great school districts in this state get significant funding and assistance directly from the parents and the community. Elsewhere parents have defied the state and the union and revamped schools.

I have a child in a California public school; a pretty good one. Making this district work is an enormous effort, What happens in other, nearby districts is very sad, and what happens in some notorious urban districts is shocking. In some towns, immigrant populations (from Asia) have pro-actively "taken over" school districts and forceably raised standards and school performance. In larger cities new private schools spring up to take in the children of Asian immigrants and families from other states, who refuse to put up with the nonsense coming from the schools authorities. The voters, on the other hand, are mysteriously unconcerned about 50% drop out rates and the like, or they are so cowed by the powers that be that they will not take a stand even in a secret ballot.

Technorati Tags: California Schools, Education Reform