Pt 1 - First to Worst: California Education Funding

In the 1950s and 60s, California had one of the best school systems in the country. Now it has one of the worst. What happened? And what is California doing to raise its system back up?

2003; 56 mins

Hosted by John Merrow, the program chronicles the rise and fall of Californias public school system, the largest in the nation and home to one of every eight American students. 'First to Worst' explores the roots of Californias current education crisis, tracing it to the anti-tax movement of the 1970s and 80s and to civil rights lawsuits that aimed to equalize school spending but resulted instead in disastrous funding limits on schools. 'First to Worst' pays special attention to Proposition 13, the 1978 anti-tax law (still in effect) that froze property taxes on businesses and homes and, critics say, cut funding for public schools off at the knees. Today, California is trying to regain its footing. It has developed high academic standards for all students and a new system of accountability, but academic progress has been slow. Much is at stake and for the nation: Californias six million students represent a sizeable portion of Americas future voters, parents, and workers.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• California
• Education
• Funding
• State
• Students
• School
• University
• Taxes
• Revenue
• Proposition 13

[AMaskedZebra]

Damn Republicans and Tea Party voters. 

[CrimsonAntarus]

Why is a video on the screwed up California education funding debacle stuffed to the brim with anti-immigrant, anti-labor, anti-people rhetoric?

[UCSDEngineerDoctor]

@1RealityBroadcasting Obama is whored out to the public union employees. From the stimulus to his jobs bill, its all a bunch of bribes. All the democrats up in Sac, passed the dream act. ALL republicans in Sac. voted NO for the dream act.

[UCSDEngineerDoctor]

@1RealityBroadcasting True thats why I am a tea party member. The Republicans up in Sacramento do an admirable job, its the democratic with their crazy pro-amesty that threaten us all. Right now, & since 2000, the democrats are the biggest culprits especially governor BROWN & his democratic cronies up in Sac. which gave the prison UNIONs the biggest bonus & salary hike for funding his campaign. The Republicans up in Sac are trying to repel the dream act that just passed by the democrats.

[UCSDEngineerDoctor]

@1RealityBroadcasting Well said, Obama & his democratic clowns up in Sacramento is turning California into Greece. On 2nd thought we are worst than Greece because the LATINOS with their gang infested culture is turning California into a waste land. These are the kind of jobs that OBAMA wants to grow. DMV workers, cops, JAIL GUARDS, welfare social workers ...etc. These are TAX JOBS. California is FUCKED, & it is BROKE!

[UCSDEngineerDoctor]

@1RealityBroadcasting Also its because they want to get rid of prop 13, so they can fund education, but with all taxes, it goes to government waste, not to the kids. Even if it went to the kids, the ILLEGALS just waste it because they do not care about education. ILLEGALS are the biggest offenders & do not pay a dime in property taxes. Also they raise our kids tuition in college to fund the ILLEGALS, since we have no money left for higher education. ILLEGALS bankrupt CA & raise our taxes!

[UCSDEngineerDoctor]

@1RealityBroadcasting LATINOs make up a majority of the prison population. Due to their 6-8 anchor babies growing up to be GANGBANGERS, which now the CA taxpayer have to pay for, not only for the cops, jail guards but all their PENSIONS! CA IS BROKE.

[UCSDEngineerDoctor]

@QDC36 Your UNIONS which has whored out to the ILLEGALS, forcing the state of CA to hire more teachers, have now bankrupt the state, like GREECE. CA had to rise taxes, fees, fines, permits to make up this deficit has driven businesses away which makes this recession even worst. Like the SOLYNDRA workers who are now without a job, you are fucked while the UNION fat cats, administrators, & democratic politicians which skim off the top laugh all the way to bank while they give you the pink slip.

[Crazyman1227]

thanks for posting this!

[gunlover1955]

It is very evident from the video link above that the school system is just a day care for kids now days, if the parents really cared for their children they would home school, or they would do whatever it takes to make sure the kid got wha...t they needed maybe private school. Public school has been a failure ever sense they removed wood shop, metal shop and auto shop from them at least the kids could find a job doing that when they finished school now 1 in 1,000,000 get to play football.