What makes California schools so poor? (Los Angeles, Fresno: high schools, live in, price)

[Senno]

Originally Posted by MamaRed

Another thing, that I haven't seen addressed here, is the migration within California. I would imagine the Fresno/Bakersfield area sees this as much as the Coachella Valley does. Students are pulled from school every year to follow their farmworker parents to the next crop. They start school late in the year, the miss a chunk of time in the middle during their move, and they miss lots of "random" days when older sibling has to stay home with sick younger sibling. That's before we can even address the fact that many of the children and their families don't speak English.

Probably more actually. It's a big problem I imagine without looking at attendance records. School attendance is critical of course.

But we do need farm workers. And people are free to relocate as needed or desired. So it's kinda a problem with no solution, I think.

[CA4Now]

Originally Posted by BayAreaHillbilly

Right through my Senior Year I had a great education, probably just as good as any Prep Schools, at normal Public schools. AP classes and the whole 9 yards. The teachers were like profs. I think it was that way well into the 80s. Then something changed.

Early 1980s, maybe. There was once debate that this was due to the advent of MTV. Before that, kids read...after that, they watched music videos.

[Ultrarunner]

Not so much of a problem in my household... never had cable, satellite or u-verse TV.

I do have DSL because it is required for work... still very slow because my distance from the central station.

My nieces and nephews have full schedules... their parents are huge into after school sports... doesn't leave much idle time between school, homework and sports...

I remember when cable came to my parents neighborhood... they offered a basic special of $7.95 a month if you signed up for a year... my father said if he had an extra $100 a year it wouldn't be for the idiot box and that was the end of that.

[Senno]

Originally Posted by CA4Now

Early 1980s, maybe. There was once debate that this was due to the advent of MTV. Before that, kids read...after that, they watched music videos.

And played Nintendo, lol. Graduated in 1987.

Didn't actually get MTV until 1984, when cable finally reached us. I felt deprived until then.

My HS was fine. We finished 2nd in Academic Decathalon statewide, and won our section many years. Had a great history teacher named Mr. Sisco who coached the Decathalon team. Roosevelt isn't doing so well now, but the performing arts magnet on campus is a draw.


'80 I want my MTV commercial - YouTube

Totally tubular!

[CA4Now]

Originally Posted by 18Montclair

I really dont believe that students in other states are more academically challenged than CA for the most part, in fact I might almost be inclined to say its the opposite.

I disagree. Anyone can see the decline in average test scores, spending, per cent of students who attend college, etc, since the 1960s. California ranks around 34th among the 50 states in K-12 spending per student. There are something like triple the number of languages spoken just in the greater L.A. area of the number spoken in entire other states. Anyone who's spent any time in our public schools (e.g. taught, volunteered, been a parent to students attending) can see an enormous difference in the past two to three decades. Some of it is the change in society and parental expectations.

[MamaRed]

Originally Posted by Senno

Probably more actually. It's a big problem I imagine without looking at attendance records. School attendance is critical of course.

But we do need farm workers. And people are free to relocate as needed or desired. So it's kinda a problem with no solution, I think.

I had a student one year who was so bright, but she missed school every Monday. After several weeks of this, and not getting any real answer, I finally sent her down to speak with our school counselor. Turns out, Dad was gone, Mom now had to work two jobs, and there was a preschooler at home. The older kids took turns staying home with her. Monday was my student's day. There isn't an official solution, but once we knew the situation we just sent Monday's work home with her on Friday, so she didn't fall behind. Yes, this is a Hispanic family, mom is illegal, but the kids were all born here. We deal with what we have, and oftentimes our test scores suck.

[Senno]

Originally Posted by MamaRed

I had a student one year who was so bright, but she missed school every Monday. After several weeks of this, and not getting any real answer, I finally sent her down to speak with our school counselor. Turns out, Dad was gone, Mom now had to work two jobs, and there was a preschooler at home. The older kids took turns staying home with her. Monday was my student's day. There isn't an official solution, but once we knew the situation we just sent Monday's work home with her on Friday, so she didn't fall behind. Yes, this is a Hispanic family, mom is illegal, but the kids were all born here. We deal with what we have, and oftentimes our test scores suck.

I understand that to some degree. But I don't accept it as final.

[Ultrarunner]

We had some newly minted High School teachers at my High School... they were full of energy and were 100% into making it work... sciences and math...

The math teacher held after school free math clinics everyday after school to 6 pm... when the custodians locked up.

The Biology teacher who was 23 and just married would take students on field trips to the tide pools on the coast or the Redwoods at least once each month... Probably not even legal today because it would always be 16 and 17 year olds driving the other kids... sometimes, my uncle would let me use his Station Wagon and it was 9 passenger...

The Physics teacher was always posting info about events at UC Berkeley and San Jose State and had sign up sheets and would take students...

They all did this on their own time using resources they provided or provided by students...

Those after school activities encouraged by young teachers made High School memorable...

Still remember Senior year we all signed up for a two-day American River Rafting trip... the water level was low so we had to reschedule until a week after graduation... about 60 kids and 4 science teachers... thing is we were not even students at that point...

I really do think in some ways we have gone too far in the other direction...

[Senno]

I've not detected any burnouts at my niece and nephews school. They drag me out sometimes to watch their athletic events, go to Open House and other events. It's hard to turn em down when they ask repeatedly til I say yes, haha. The staff is mostly young and energetic there. I'm not gonna post em but they actually have staff photos on their school website.

I had a burnout teacher for 2nd grade, who absolutely needed to retire, though.

Actually just the other day my nieces softball coach told her to suck it up when she wasn't happy about not starting at 2nd base, lol. No touchy/feely stuff going on I assure you.

[clongirl]

Weird. I just asked my high school kid the same question a few nights ago. He attends an excellent public school with the high scores, national blue ribbon stuff, tons of AP classes, sports teams that excel, and other fantastic amenities.

I asked him why his school was supposedly "better" than other schools. He said it was the high expectations of the parents who also donate tons of money/time to make the school better. The parents are generally "well to do" and have graduate degrees/or successful in some capacity since the real estate prices can be quite high in this area.

So according to my teen--it's the parents that EXPECT the kids to go to a good college and pressure their kids to succeed in life (starting from early childhood).

It's also a very safe environment- (to some, homogeneous) and there aren't any gangs, poverty, or other distracting elements. Teachers are generally the same no matter where he's been to school (there are good ones and absolutely terrible ones) even at this "excellent" school. He hasn't witnessed much bullying or fights. Not really any cliques or pressure to fit into a cultural mold.

I trust his opinion since he's been moved around a lot, here and internationally.