Is education not as high a priority in CA as it is in the Northeast (Sacramento: credit)

[NJ Chutzpah]

I keep reading on all the threads contrasting west coast and east coast, and one of the differences happens to be education being very important on the eastern seaboard

So I am thinking, do west coast peeps not value education?

Since CA is most of the west coast I ask you guys

Is education considered a high priority for people on the West Coast?

[Sassberto]

Originally Posted by NJ Chutzpah

Is education considered a high priority for people on the West Coast?

For most upper-middle class people, yes, of course. There are certainly good schools all over California

But as a priority overall, no. As a state, no. You will find many more un-educated or under-educated people in California than you would across much of the Northeast. Admittedly the Northeast sets a high bar for the whole country.

California would rather have low taxes than good schools, that has been voted into law again and again. Those Northeastern schools do come at a pretty hefty price.

I think Southern California is less education-focused than Northern California as well. Californians value idealism and individualism over tradition and education.

[RandalR]

No more nonsense about how we aren't taxing and spending enough, please.

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http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1404364/posts

[snip: link to, but do not post copywritten content]

The school I have just described is the school we're paying for. Maybe it's time to ask why it's not the school we're getting.

Other, wiser, governors have made the prudent decision not to ask such embarrassing questions of the education-industrial complex because it makes them very angry. Apparently the unions believe that with enough of a beating, Gov. Schwarzenegger will see things the same way.

Perhaps. But there's an old saying that you can't fill a broken bucket by pouring more water into it. Maybe it's time to fix the bucket.

[Sassberto]

Originally Posted by RandalR

No more nonsense about how we aren't taxing and spending enough, please.

The web site you posted seems to be very dubious in it's reliability and impartiality. Also I don't dispute that money is wasted: but the reality is that my wife, a teacher, has to buy all the supplies for her classroom because there is nothing.

[RandalR]

Originally Posted by Sassberto

The web site you posted seems to be very dubious in it's reliability and impartiality. Also I don't dispute that money is wasted: but the reality is that my wife, a teacher, has to buy all the supplies for her classroom because there is nothing.

It's an op-ed by Tom McClintock, a man on the front lines of the budget battles. When 30+% of the education tax dollars collected never leave Sacramento, there's a serious problem with a bloated education bureaucracy that has nothing to do with the taxpayers or the classroom teachers.

[BobsGL1800]

If you want your real estate taxes to jump every year by 10-30%, then by all means, move to NY State. After all, it goes to the school systems so they can waste it on new school buses that are never even one third full. Talk about a waste of money and fuel along with the added pollution those things throw out. At least out here, they keep the school buses for about 25 years before they get replaced.

[aswedc]

California has the best system of public higher education in the country. There is no debating this.

No other state can match Berkeley and UCLA. There are SIX California public universities in top fifty national rankings by US News. New York? Massachusetts? Not even one.

And, where else can you go to community college for $20 a credit?

[Kingsnkali]

While California may not be in the league with New Jersey as far as extracting every possible nickel and dime from the taxpayers, we are certainly not under taxed out here.

There are great schools here. There are bad schools. Much of it has to do with what you have for students. Most of the teachers try. That's all you can do. If the students (or parents) have absolutely no motivation, no amount of money will solve the problem.

[Sassberto]

Originally Posted by aswedc

California has the best system of public higher education in the country. There is no debating this.

Agreed there. Best higher education system in the country bar none. But primary and secondary, not so much.

[Baron von Costume]

[moderator snip]

That said, I would guess that the OP is not talking about post-secondary education. So the point about Cal, Stanford, and USC is misguided. Add to that the fact that Stanford and USC (itself a dubious choice, don't you think?) are private schools... Hmmm....

California is a giant state, with more than 30 million residents, so it's a bit hard to say that its culture is pro or anti-education. In fact, there are many cultures and sub-cultures. Some of those (e.g., Asian and Asian-American) are notoriously education-centric. Some are, ahem, plainly not. There are great schools in California, but largely, the public schools are mediocre to poor.