The most significant portion of the act is the first paragraph, which limited the tax rate for real estate:
Section 1. (a) The maximum amount of any ad valorem tax on real property shall not exceed one percent (1% ) of the full cash value of such property. The one percent (1% ) tax to be collected by the counties and apportioned according to law to the districts within the counties.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Proposition_13_(1978)
I have heard people blame this Proposition for taking California public schools from #1 in the nation to the dismal state they are in now. What do you think?
Originally posted by AThousandYoungAdopt the Finnish system. Make sure all teachers from primary school upwards have a university education and know their faeces.
What if a large percentage of the student population in a particular area are psychologically damaged due to unreasonable stress from repeated traumatic experiences? What if those same students have also been improperly educated until now and are not ready for their grade level?
Originally posted by KazetNagorraWe do that. California is a pain in the nuts to become a legal teacher in, and yet all that formal education doesn't do the job for certain impoverished populations.
Adopt the Finnish system. Make sure all teachers from primary school upwards have a university education and know their faeces.
Originally posted by KazetNagorraHow plausible is that? Tell me more about your system over there.
Well, just get rid of poverty then.
It follows, then, that the educational system is not to blame for the poor results of impoverished populations, and neither are the ethnic demographics of the population in question.
EDIT - Poor folks are supposed to use education to get out of poverty I thought. This creates a sort of circular thinking sort of thing if not addressed.
California's dismal academic performance is the result of dismal students.
This is Inglewood High, where I went in the 60's, and where Thousand says I am a coward for leaving because i didn't want my daughter to go there.
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Thousand doesn't have kids so he doesn't have a clue, does he?
Originally posted by KazetNagorraThis sounds like what England has for a system that also does no work well enough.
Public schools should be funded according to the number of students they have. All students should undergo standardized testing, and poorly performing schools should be closed down.
Firstly, the problem is that equal funding for each student will by definition fail to address different levels of need. It ignores both above and below average pupils. If you really care about improving standards then you would not rely on equal funding but would put resources where they may have a positive impact.
Secondly there are costs to testing (not just financial) which create a backlash. The main problem is "teaching to the test" instead of educating. Pupils on the borderline get priority over those who are either too below standard to reach the benchmark or too bright to fall below it.
Thirdly the chaos of closing down a failing school is a big problem on many levels. What is ignored is that many schools go through periods of good and period of bad performance for diverse reasons.
Finally social factors are not addressed by teaching at all. These include the impact of poor diet on behaviour and learning, the impact of psychological problems and social problems among pupils, the impact of parental aspirations and their absence, the impact of poor housing.
Even if we restrict our concern to what is done within a school, there is a lot of stuff that could be acted upon but that is not about teaching. Teachers are pretty serious about their work (almost certainly following a normal curve) but they are just teachers and not gods.
Originally posted by AThousandYoungFor example?
For example?
I've been banned for 3 months I was sitting around minding my own business when YOU made some crappee remark in a thread about my leaving Inglewood blaHBLAHBLAh coward blah blah.
THAT'S when I PM'D you.
I didn't start teh siht, you did.
Don't cry about it now.
Originally posted by Sam The ShamCrying? LOL.
For example?
I've been banned for 3 months I was sitting around minding my own business when YOU made some crappee remark in a thread about my leaving Inglewood blaHBLAHBLAh coward blah blah.
THAT'S when I PM'D you.
I didn't start teh siht, you did.
Don't cry about it now.