03/28/2024

Dan Walters: California tolerates failing schools for millions of kids

As they declare implacable resistance to Donald Trump, politicians from Gov. Jerry Brown downward portray California as an island of tolerance.

That’s certainly true in one respect. We Californians, including our politicians, tolerate a K-12 school system that’s failing to properly educate millions of poor students of color.

Yes, those politicians talk a lot about the “achievement gap” that separates those students from their more privileged white and Asian-American classmates, and throw a lot of money at it.

Per-pupil spending is up 50 percent since Brown became governor, and will top $11,000 for the first time in his new budget. Moreover, much of the new money has been directed to school districts with large numbers of “high-needs” students.

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