GOVERNOR NEWSOM’S EDUCATION AWARD

Public Education Blows It Again

The Award

Last week, on behalf of California, Governor Gavin Newsom received the Frank Newman Award for State Innovation from the Education Commission of the States. The award states that this is due, in part, to the “historic financial investments to ensure education equity.”  The question is—why?  California once did lead the country in education, but that was many years ago.

The Failed Public Education System in CA

Some surveys rank California dead-last in education, but in a WalletHub study released in 2019, California ranked 44th in math test scores and 38th in reading test scores among the 50 states and the District of Columbia. California was 34th in dropout rate and dead last in student-teacher ratio. California has ranked near the bottom in math and reading scores for years. The pandemic only exposed all the problems in the educational system; this, despite years of increasing funding, which appears not to have made any positive difference in outcomes.

Newsom kept students home longer than any other state and pushed masking hard, despite the problems this caused children who really rely on visual queues and are still learning to relate to others.  The only good aspect of this was that parents had the opportunity to view what passes for education.  Due to that, the state lost more than 270,000 public school students over the 2020-21 and 2021-22 school years. In April 2021, nearly 70% of California parents preferred charter or private schools to California’s public school system.  While Caucasian and Asian students lost perhaps 6 months to a year of educational advancement, the story was far grimmer for minorities, especially those in low-income families.  Some estimate they lost as much as two years of education.

The administrative state has grown and profited handsomely.  We now have a very-well-compensated “Superintendent of Equity” who likes to tell people that minorities are too dumb to understand math.  Don’t forget – equity isn’t equality.  Equity involves forcing outcomes; equality means equalizing opportunities, which California still needs to do.  Blue states continue to get rid of gifted and advanced programs as it isn’t considered “fair” to help smart kids do even better.  One size does not fit all.  As an example, it is clear that small class sizes matter when kids are struggling with a concept.  They are less important for those who are at grade-level competency.  (Class sizes as I was growing up were mostly 35 and more).

Privilege has its Perks

We were all disgusted when Newsom kept us trapped in our houses, with “freedom” only available for exercise and food and then, only when fully masked. He had a large gathering at Michelin-starred French Laundry (which we probably paid for), unmasked and with people sitting close together.  He flew to another state for family haircuts and after screwing over students, he made sure his kids got to go to private schools.  He opposes charters and vouchers, which would allow kids and parents to choose better schools.  The only move he makes is to pour more money into a failed system and the numbers prove—money alone isn’t the answer.

Democrats are beholden to government unions who keep them in office; the stranglehold of the teachers’ union is undeniable.  None of it is to benefit our kids.  The “club” of union money is revealed in the demands the unions make; kids are held hostage to this with limited opportunities to escape the government system.  Newsom’s reliance on minority votes is in danger; these kids are the ones most damaged by the failing schools.

State Response

"No one in America today has a worse education record than Newsom," California State Rep. Kevin Kiley, R., responded. "This is a slap in the face to the countless underprivileged kids harmed by his corrupt policies."

"'Transformative improvements in education' like ranking 50th in literacy, forcing the longest school shutdowns in the nation, and limiting school choice so low-income kids stay trapped in failing schools," Josh Hoover, Candidate for California State Assembly, said.

Journalist Alec MacGillis shared a chart from Burbio, a school data company, showing California coming in at the bottom in terms of average in-person index for each state over the course of the academic year. Washington, D.C., which is not pictured on the chart, would have come in last, behind the Golden State, according to Burbio.

Jay Bhattacharya, a professor at the Stanford School of Medicine, argued that Newsom had transformed education in California for the worse, sharing a link to a report indicating that standardized test scores in the state fell in the wake of at-home learning. In schools that administered the tests last year, 48.9% of students met or exceeded standards in English language arts in 2021, down from 52.2% in 2019. In math, 33.6% met or exceeded standards, down from 38.2% in 2019, according to EdSource. 

And this man is the leading candidate for President in 2024?  The Left has no shame

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