Cairo Association of Teachers - Newsletter

CAT Tracks for November 21, 2008 ASKING FOR TROUBLE

As a former educator, I'm all for raising achievement levels, but...

Whatever happened to "keeping it real"?

Over the past few years the Bush Administration's signature education legislation - the infamous No Child Left Behind - has prompted "discussion" and launched external and internal review of the United States education system. Almost everyone will readily admit that improvements can be made.

However, another point that almost everyone will readily admit (if they are not a member of the Bush Administration) is that setting the bar of achievement at an unrealistic level is counterproductive.

Now...after all of this educational "discussion", along comes San Francisco schools Superintendent Carlos Garcia. Superintendent Garcia seems to be saying to those who brought us NCLB..."I'll see your bet and raise you!"

Not only is Superintendent Garcia evidentally accepting NCLB's requirement that every student be able to read and cipher at or above grade level by 2014, but if they wish to graduate, each and every student will complete the college prep curriculum!

To dream the impossible dream...

S.F. schools chief wants higher bar for grads

Jill Tucker, Chronicle Staff Writer

San Francisco schools Superintendent Carlos Garcia wants to raise the bar for earning a high school diploma - requiring every graduating senior, starting with the class of 2014, to pass all the college prep classes required for admission to the University of California and California State University systems.

Currently, about half of the city's 3,800 high school graduates each year attain that lofty height - while also earning at least C grades in the classes.

In a measure before the school board, Garcia has proposed requiring students to complete the 15 courses needed for admission to the state's four-year universities. It would take the district several years to ramp up for such a requirement, ensuring all students are prepared for the more rigorous course work and that there are enough qualified teachers to teach them.

Garcia calls his proposal a "rigorous life-readiness curriculum" giving students the choice of pursuing college, a career/technical education or a career upon graduation.

In short, there would be only one track for all students, and it would basically lead to college - if they want to go.

"Right now, we have a district where certain populations of students are not getting that chance because we are not ensuring that they have the opportunity to complete the (course) sequence," Garcia said Thursday. "Whether or not to go to college should be a student's choice, not a failure on our part to prepare our students."

The 15 courses, called the A-G requirements, include four years of English, three years of math, two years of a foreign language, two years of a lab science, two years of history/social science and one year of art, plus an extra year in any of the above.

The state universities require students to earn a C or better in those classes.

Garcia's proposal doesn't include a grade requirement, but one could be added during implementation, district officials said. Without one, the new graduation requirement still would not ensure every San Francisco graduate would qualify for admission to a UC or CSU campus.

The San Francisco school board will likely review the proposal in committee over the next few weeks. The board is expected to take a final vote on the proposed graduation requirement in December or January.

Last year, 49 percent of San Francisco's 2008 graduating class was ready for CSU or UC, completing the 15 college prep classes with a grade of C or better, according to state statistics.

Statewide, 35 percent of high school graduates completed the A-G requirement.

Those percentages don't include students who took all the classes but didn't earn grades of C or better.

Under A-G, every student must take algebra, algebra II and geometry.

A handful of school districts in the state have passed measures requiring completion of the college prep course sequence and are in the process of implementing the plan.

San Jose Unified is the only urban district to currently require it. There, starting with the class of 2003, students have had to pass the A-G courses to get a diploma, and 66 percent have met the UC and CSU requirement of a C or better in each class.

"Every myth that we hear about increasing high school expectations - that kids will drop out - that is debunked," said Russlyn Ali, executive director of the Education Trust-West, an Oakland nonprofit focused on closing the achievement gap. "When you give kids the right support, when you give teachers the right support, graduation rates will rise."

Well, the irony of it all...

Had just finished posting the above article...went back to my "education news" source...BINGO!

Looks like many of Superintendent Garcia's graduates are going to be all dressed up with no where to go.

CSUN must cut 1,100 students

By Connie Llanos, Staff Writer

Faced with an increasingly bleak financial outlook, California State University officials said Thursday that they would have to slash enrollment at the 23-campus system by up to 10,000 students next year - the first-ever cut of its type.

Under the plan, students living within the geographic region of each campus will have first priority. At the nine busiest campuses, including Cal State Northridge, the enrollment period for fall 2009 admission will end Nov. 30. In the past it has run into winter and even spring.

CSUN expects to see its total full-time student enrollment shrink by 1,100, to 25,700 in fall 2009 from 26,800 this fall. The freshman class will be hit hardest, falling from 4,625 this fall to 4,000 next fall.

"The money just isn't there," said CSUN provost Harry Hellenbrand.

While no immediate tuition hikes were being considered, he said he wouldn't rule it out in the future given the dire financial straits.

In addition, CSUN and other busy campuses will look at ways to cut current enrollment to make room for new students. Measures may include loosening course requirements to help students graduate faster and kicking out students who are chronically on academic probation.

Because currently enrolled students and community-college transfer students will be the priority for CSU campuses, many high school students planning to enroll at CSUN next fall will be disappointed.

"We just don't have enough slots for the people who are applying," said CSU spokeswoman Claudia Keith. "We simply have no choice. "We have about 10,000 more students right now than we are getting funding for. We can't continue to do that and expect quality not to be impacted."

Looking at an overall state budget shortfall of $11billion, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has asked all higher-education systems to cut their budgets.

California's 2008-09 budget grants the Cal State system $215 million less than what officials say it needs to cover current enrollment growth and expenses. Now the CSU system is looking at a midyear cut of $66.3million in addition to a $31.3million one-time cut that was approved by trustees last month.

The University of California also faces cuts of $48 million for the current fiscal year and the governor is proposing a $65.5 million midyear cut for that 10-campus system.

At a meeting in San Francisco on Thursday, the UC regents approved the 2009-10 budget, but also said they would curb freshman enrollment if their budget is not increased by the state.

The UC regents eliminated tuition hikes that were approved by their finance committee Wednesday, but "some very tough choices are ahead of us," UC President Mark G. Yudof warned.

"We need to preserve access and affordability to the greatest extent possible. We also need to ensure that we're providing students access to an education of the high quality they expect of UC."

The enrollment cuts come at a time when most schools are seeing record numbers of applications and a large pool of qualified applicants. The state's community college system, itself struggling in harsh budget conditions, is bracing for an influx of high school seniors who will be turned away by the UC and Cal State systems.

Adriana Barrera, vice chancellor of the Los Angeles Community College District, said schools will increase class sizes to meet the demand.

"As community colleges, our mission is to keep our doors open to all students, and we will try mightily to not turn anyone away as we anticipate having more students," Barrera said.

"It's an unfortunate circumstance that the economy is such that universities are forced to turn away students, but as community colleges we will try to provide the means of an education to the largest number of students we possibly can."