Soapbox: Save our schools
By Michael Walker
Twentynine Palms
Sacramento just passed the worst K-12 education budget in California’s history. We hope it is the worst and that Sacramento will stop the cuts to our schools. This is not about the recession. If it were, then all state programs would be in the same boat. They are not. This is not about partisan politics. California is nationally ranked dead last or next to last in funding K-12 schools according to School Services of California. To push K-12 education funding to the bottom, sadly, requires united and willful neglect.
This is the result of a misallocation of taxpayer dollars and misguided priorities.
Misallocating resources
We are at the bottom in funding K-12 education, yet not at the bottom in student achievement. California’s K-12 schools move up 12 positions when ranked by SAT scores and eight positions when comparing national test scores for fourth- and eighth-grade students. These higher rankings are achieved despite the fact that Califo
This is the result of a misallocation of taxpayer dollars and misguided priorities.
Misallocating resources
We are at the bottom in funding K-12 education, yet not at the bottom in student achievement. California’s K-12 schools move up 12 positions when ranked by SAT scores and eight positions when comparing national test scores for fourth- and eighth-grade students. These higher rankings are achieved despite the fact that Califo