California Schools That Need Help Aren't Getting It: Walters
gvw_gv_wire
By gvwire
Published 7 years ago on
January 23, 2018

Share

In his Jan. 21 CALmatters column, Dan Walters zeroes in on a troubling statistic uncovered via the dogged effort of his colleague Jessica Calefati, who covers education.
Writing about the state’s stumbling attempts to close the achievement and educational attainment gaps, Walters quotes this paragraph from Celefati’s Jan. 18 story “Dozens of California districts with worst test scores excluded from extra state help:”
“If extremely low, declining performance on math and reading exams alone were enough to trigger state support, the number of California districts that could expect it would almost double from 228 to more than 400, a CALmatters analysis shows.”

“The situation is particularly galling because there’s no inherent reason why disadvantaged kids can’t learn, graduate from high school, go to college and otherwise become successful members of society.” — Dan Walters
Why aren’t more districts receiving extra financial funding to bring struggling students up to speed?
Walters opines that California’s public officials and public education leaders are masking the true number of schools districts that are failing to educate students who are poor, learning English or both.

So-Called Dashboard Hides the Reality

While wanting to fix the problem, Walters writes, leaders “also have minimized it by adopting an accountability system, called “the dashboard,” for schools that make academic achievement only one of several measures of their competency, and leaves improvement largely in the hands of local school officials.”
Walters adds, “The situation is particularly galling because there’s no inherent reason why disadvantaged kids can’t learn, graduate from high school, go to college and otherwise become successful members of society.
“There are many examples of how certain schools and certain school districts have found ways to overcome poverty and other negative factors.”
Among those examples: Brawley Union High School in Imperial County, where Principal Jesse Sanchez dramatically elevated English language art scores by focusing on writing in every class.
Concludes Walters: “Instead of covering it up with the dashboard and other tricks, the state’s politicians and educators should be concentrating on how the successes in Brawley and other school systems in educating at-risk kids, preparing them for successful adulthoods, can be replicated.”
Walters’ complete column is here.
You can read EdSource reporter Theresa Harrington’s story on the Brawley Union turnaround at this link.
 
 
 

DON'T MISS

23 for ’23: A Year in Photos

DON'T MISS

See How this Fresno roastery sends aid to Northern Thailand.

DON'T MISS

District Says Fresno Teachers Contract Proposal Would Bankrupt Budget Reserves by Year 3

DON'T MISS

Trump Vows to Ban Gaza Refugees, Expand Muslim Travel Ban If He Wins

DON'T MISS

The Supreme Court Orders Makers of Gun Parts to Comply with Rules on Ghost Guns

DON'T MISS

George W. Bush for Speaker? A Democratic Lawmaker Thinks It’s Possible

DON'T MISS

Former Navy IT Manager Gets Five Years for Hacking, ID Theft

DON'T MISS

Gunman Kills Two Swedes in Brussels, Prompting Terror Alert and Halt of Belgium-Sweden Soccer Match

DON'T MISS

Zakaria: The Best Response to Hamas Would Be to Keep the Saudi Deal Alive

DON'T MISS

Groundbreaking Human Brain Atlas Offers New Hope for Treating Neurological Disorders

UP NEXT

District Says Fresno Teachers Contract Proposal Would Bankrupt Budget Reserves by Year 3

UP NEXT

Fresno’s Famous Gourmet Hot Dog Shop Sells

UP NEXT

District to Fresno Teachers: Read Our Proposal Before Taking Strike Vote

UP NEXT

George W. Bush for Speaker? A Democratic Lawmaker Thinks It’s Possible

UP NEXT

City of Fresno’s Israeli Flag Raising Draws Supporters and Protesters

UP NEXT

Former Fresno CC Coach Ed Madec Arrested for Allegedly Threatening to Kill Chancellor

UP NEXT

Trump Vows to Ban Gaza Refugees, Expand Muslim Travel Ban If He Wins

UP NEXT

Former Navy IT Manager Gets Five Years for Hacking, ID Theft

UP NEXT

Zakaria: The Best Response to Hamas Would Be to Keep the Saudi Deal Alive

UP NEXT

Newsom Signs Law to Slowly Raise Healthcare Minimum Wage to $25

You May like

Trump Vows to Ban Gaza Refugees, Expand Muslim Travel Ban If He Wins

1 year ago

The Supreme Court Orders Makers of Gun Parts to Comply with Rules on Ghost Guns

1 year ago

George W. Bush for Speaker? A Democratic Lawmaker Thinks It’s Possible

1 year ago

Former Navy IT Manager Gets Five Years for Hacking, ID Theft

1 year ago

Gunman Kills Two Swedes in Brussels, Prompting Terror Alert and Halt of Belgium-Sweden Soccer Match

1 year ago

Zakaria: The Best Response to Hamas Would Be to Keep the Saudi Deal Alive

1 year ago

Groundbreaking Human Brain Atlas Offers New Hope for Treating Neurological Disorders

1 year ago

Newsom Signs Law to Slowly Raise Healthcare Minimum Wage to $25

1 year ago

Former Fresno CC Coach Ed Madec Arrested for Allegedly Threatening to Kill Chancellor

1 year ago

Jim Jordan’s Rapid Rise Cheered by Trump and Far Right. Could It Make Him Speaker?

1 year ago

HOT OFF THE PRESS

23 for ’23: A Year in Photos

1 year ago

1 year ago

Trump Vows to Ban Gaza Refugees, Expand Muslim Travel Ban If He Wins

1 year ago

The Supreme Court Orders Makers of Gun Parts to Comply with Rules on Ghost Guns

Photo of a hacker typing on a laptop

1 year ago

Former Navy IT Manager Gets Five Years for Hacking, ID Theft

1 year ago

Gunman Kills Two Swedes in Brussels, Prompting Terror Alert and Halt of Belgium-Sweden Soccer Match

1 year ago

Zakaria: The Best Response to Hamas Would Be to Keep the Saudi Deal Alive