BILLIONAIRES ARE WINNING THE RACE TO DESTROY PUBLIC EDUCATION IN CALIFORNIA
Well, well, well, looks like California is in a bit of a pickle. The Golden State is experiencing a decline in student enrollment, and it's not because the kids are getting smarter and don't need school anymore (although one can always hope). No, no, no, it's because of corporate education reform and privatization.
You see, there are these billionaires and their front groups and foundations who are using the billionaire's playbook to destroy public education. They're using products and services set up to further dismantle districts. It's like they're playing a twisted game of Jenga, but instead of removing blocks, they're removing students from the education system.
One of the culprits is a consortium of nine California school districts called CORE. They're partnering with charter management organizations like Charter Schools USA, which uses SchoolMint SchoolFinder to showcase its charter schools. Families can search for charter schools or public schools based on their preferences and compare them on SchoolMint SchoolFinder. It's like online shopping for education, but instead of buying clothes, you're buying your child's future.
But wait, it gets worse. California has experienced a substantial decrease in enrollment since the 2019-2020 school year due to a variety of factors related to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on students and families. The fall 2021 undergraduate enrollment dropped by nearly a quarter-million students since pre-pandemic fall 2019. That's a lot of students who decided they'd rather stay home in their pajamas than go to school. Can you blame them?
The K–12 public school enrollment data for the 2021–22 academic year shows a fifth year of decline as the state emerges from two challenging years of the pandemic. The annual snapshot of fall enrollment shows that it is the first time since 2000 that the state’s K-12 population has dipped below 6 million, with large urban districts accounting for one-third of the drop. That's a lot of empty desks and sad teachers.
And it's not going to get any better. The California Department of Finance is projecting an 11.4% decline in statewide enrollment by 2031, a loss of 703,000 students from pre-pandemic 2019-20. The biggest losers will be in coastal counties, especially Los Angeles County, which is projected to lose 20% of its students. That's a lot of future Californians who won't know how to surf or eat an In-N-Out burger correctly.
The history of enrollment decline in California since 2000 varies by region and district. Some districts have seen steady growth, while others have faced significant challenges. For example, Los Angeles Unified School District, the largest district in the state, has lost more than 200,000 students since 2000, mainly due to declining birth rates, rising housing costs, and increased competition from charter schools. On the other hand, Fresno Unified School District, now the third-largest district, has maintained stable enrollment over the past two decades.
So what does this all mean? Well, it means that California is in trouble. The education system is being dismantled piece by piece, and students are disappearing faster than a burrito at a potluck. We need to do something about it before it's too late. Maybe we can bribe the billionaires with some avocado toast or convince them that education is cool again. Or maybe we can just hope that the kids start getting smarter and don't need school anymore. Hey, a girl can dream.
In conclusion, it looks like those pesky billionaires are winning the battle to destroy and privatize our California public schools. But we won't let them! We'll fight back with our pencils and textbooks and show them that public education is worth fighting for. After all, who needs billionaires when you've got knowledge?
Northern California public schools battle enrollment decline | abc10.com https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/sacramento-school-districts-enrollment-decline/103-4f041c89-04bb-41ca-bbe8-67096417308d
Big Education Ape: THE UNCOMMON CORE: CALIFORNIA OFFICE TO DESTROY PUBLIC EDUCATION (CORE California Office to Reform Education) https://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2023/05/the-uncommon-core-california-office-to.html
2021–22 Statewide School Enrollment Data - California Department of .... https://www.cde.ca.gov/nr/ne/yr22/yr22rel20.asp.
Projected K-12 drops in enrollment pose immediate upheaval ... - EdSource. https://edsource.org/2021/projected-k-12-drops-in-enrollment-pose-immediate-upheaval-and-decade-long-challenge/662531.
California K-12 enrollment plunges again, falls below 6 million. https://edsource.org/2022/california-k-12-enrollment-plunges-again-falls-below-6-million/670111.
Bing, 6/15/2023
