Student Achievement

Wish List for Schools

By Linda Jacobson — February 14, 2006 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

California’s schools are not doing what they should to prepare the state’s more than 6 million students for a society in which technological advances are occurring at lightning speed and business can be conducted around the clock, anywhere in the world, Jack O’Connell, the state superintendent of public instruction, said last week.

During a State of Education Address that was at times harsh on public schools, he cited the achievement gaps between black and Hispanic students and their white peers in elementary grades, noting that the gaps widen as students get older.

BRIC ARCHIVE

It was Mr. O’Connell’s third such address since being elected to the post in 2002.

“Quite simply, in the demanding global economy, the achievement gap not only threatens the future of our students, but also the future economic health and security of our state and nation,” Mr. O’Connell said. “The simple yet terrible fact is that the population of students that is growing the fastest in this state is the population that is lagging the furthest behind.”

The state, he said, is facing a serious teacher shortage, one that will be made worse when an estimated 97,000 teachers retire over the next 10 years.

Mr. O’Connell, a former Democratic state lawmaker, said he would work with the legislature and Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

He called for “fully funding” regional teacher-recruitment centers and for incentives to lure talented educators into the classroom, particularly in low-performing schools. He also called for expanding professional-development programs for teachers in science, history, and the social sciences, and recommended $53 million in new spending to provide academic coaches in all subject areas in struggling schools.

Mr. O’Connell said he would also work with the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing to establish new pathways for becoming a teacher.

“Not long ago, a job opening for a high school principal would get 50 or more applicants,” he added. “Today, only a handful of applicants will appear.”

Mary Perry, the deputy director of EdSource, a nonprofit policy-analysis organization in Mountain View, Calif., said Mr. O’Connell’s ideas might be well received since he’s proposing programs that were halted when the economy was in trouble. But there will still be the “question of how much money is available,” she said.

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School Climate & Safety Webinar
Investing in Success: Leading a Culture of Safety and Support
Content provided by Boys Town
Assessment K-12 Essentials Forum Making Competency-Based Learning a Reality
Join this free virtual event to hear from educators and experts working to implement competency-based education.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Recruitment & Retention Webinar
Substitute Teacher Staffing Simplified: 5 Strategies for Success
Struggling to find quality substitute teachers? Join our webinar to learn key strategies to keep your classrooms covered and students learning.
Content provided by Kelly Education

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Student Achievement Spotlight Spotlight on MTSS
This Spotlight explores key aspects of MTSS implementation, including its relationship to special education and effectiveness in improving student outcomes.
Student Achievement Spotlight Spotlight on High-Impact Tutoring
This Spotlight will help you learn what makes tutoring effective, identify how to make tutoring financially sustainable, and more.


Student Achievement What the Research Says Socioeconomic Status Matters in Student Achievement—But It’s Not Everything
Data suggests that a significant portion of the achievement gap could be tied to socioeconomic status.
5 min read
Illustration of a large brick wall with graduation cap and books on top of the wall and two silhouetted males sitting and standing at the base of wall and looking up.
Gina Tomko/Education Week + Canva
Student Achievement Opinion Should Schools Adopt Equitable Grading Practices? A Teacher Voices His Concerns
Responsible grading needs to reflect more than just content mastery, argues a veteran educator.
5 min read
Image shows a multi-tailed arrow hitting the bullseye of a target.
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty