Education

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Education
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Governance structuretraditionally a local affair

• Usually elected school board decides policy for
  school district
• State board of Ed is appointed by governor
• With elected state superintendent, selects
  curriculum and textbooks for K-8, sets statewide
  standards and testing for K-12

3
Education Reform

• After Racial Integration
• Social Integration
• Funding reform
• Standards/outcome reform

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Primary and secondary school funding

• Schools traditionally funded by local property
  tax
• In California, since 70s and Serrano v Priest
  decisions, most funding from state, not local
  property tax
• still, substantial differences remain between
  local communities
• Especially if considering special bonds and
  private sources of income

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Digression prop 13

• Limits property taxes to 1 of assessed valuation
  
• Limits assessment increases to 2 per year.
• Prohibits state lawmakers from imposing new taxes
  without a 2/3 vote of the legislature.
• Prohibits local governments from enacting most
  new taxes without a 2/3 vote of the electorate.

6
CA Decline

• By late 80s, with booming immigrant child
  population, CA slipped in ranking of per student
  spending
• Will communities continue to support education
  when funding is disbursed to the state as a
  whole, not just for their community?
• Will (older) whites support education for mostly
  immigrant and minority kids?

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Partial Recovery

• In late 90s, spending increasedespecially for
  class size reduction
• 2003 overturned the super majority requirement
  for ED bonds to 55
• CA still below national average, but not by so
  much

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California Standards Reform API

• Since 1999 all schools receive a score between
  200 and 1000, and a ranking from 1 to 10
• Goal is for each school to reach 800
• Schools below target qualify for grants, but
  eventually admin change or closure

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Standards reform No child Left Behind 2001

• states must devise yearly tests for 3-8, one in
  10-12
• schools must show adequate yearly progress for
  all subgroups
• schools not showing AYP for two consecutive years
  must provide parents with choice of another
  school in district
• then must offer tutoring
• then must take corrective action
• all students proficient by 2014

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Critique of NCLB

• Feds did not provide enough money to accommodate
  those in failing schools
• Teachers hate teaching to the test
• But in CA, statewide scores have mostly been
  improving

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Other issues

• 2000 voters rejected school vouchers for 2nd time
• 2006first use of high school exit exam

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Higher Ed

• 1960 Master Plan
• UCtop 12 (plus top 4 of each school), CSUstop
  1/3, CCsmost students
• not keeping up with growthsince 2003 UCs turning
  down qualified applicants
• Fees increasing at all levelsis this OK?
• Still a bargain compared to other states (if not
  countries)