Wednesday, November 17, 2010

In East San Jose, college is as possible as A-G | Thoughts on Public Education

In East San Jose, college is as possible as A-G | Thoughts on Public Education

In East San Jose, college is as possible as A-G

By Askari Gonzales

Although it’s only two months into the school year, I already know that 250 of my 400 classmates at Overfelt High in East San Jose will not go to college. How can I predict that dismal future? I have researched the statistics and I have experienced the uneven school curriculum firsthand.

Currently, two-thirds of the graduates from the East Side Union High School District do not qualify for a UC or CSU system school. To me, that is too many being told they cannot achieve and they cannot dream, too many in a community where “no’s” are much easier to come by than an encouraging “yes.”

Students can graduate with straight As from an East Side Union high school and still not be eligible for a four-year state college. Why? Because they were not enrolled in the right courses.

The A-G requirements are the classes high school students must pass in order to be eligible for a University of California or California State University school. The A-G requirements differ

CSU commits to revamping ed schools - by John Fensterwald - Educated Guess

California State University Chancellor Charles Reed has joined leaders in seven other states who have pledged to adopt the findings of a report urging sweeping changes in teacher training programs. The report, released on Tuesday, calls for turning teacher preparation programs “upside down” by changing from theory and academic courses in pedagogy to clinical practice, with [...]