{"id":2080542,"date":"2023-10-26T17:49:02","date_gmt":"2023-10-26T21:49:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/california-gubernatorial-candidate-oversees-decline-in-reading-and-math-scores-as-education-chief\/"},"modified":"2023-10-26T17:52:47","modified_gmt":"2023-10-26T21:52:47","slug":"california-gubernatorial-candidate-oversees-decline-in-reading-and-math-scores-as-education-chief","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/california-gubernatorial-candidate-oversees-decline-in-reading-and-math-scores-as-education-chief\/","title":{"rendered":"California Gubernatorial Candidate Responsible for Drop in Reading and Math Scores as Education Chief"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">28<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fcalifornia-gubernatorial-candidate-oversees-decline-in-reading-and-math-scores-as-education-chief%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2080542&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>California students&#8217; math and reading proficiency levels \u2064decline under Tony Thurmond&#8217;s leadership<\/h2>\n<blockquote>\n<div>\n<p>A top contender for \u2063California governor has overseen a concerning \u2062decline in reading and math scores. The latest \u2063test scores, released last week, reveal that even years after the COVID-19 classroom shutdowns, more than half of the state&#8217;s students are unable to read\u2063 at \u2062grade \u2064level, while\u200b two-thirds are \u200dfalling behind \u2062in \u200dmath.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<div>\n<p>Under the leadership of Tony Thurmond, California&#8217;s education agency has reported a decrease in student performance. Last \u200cyear, \u200cless than 47 percent \u2062of students met grade level for reading,\u200d marking a slight decline from the previous academic year.\u2063 Additionally, only 35\u200b percent of students demonstrated math \u2064proficiency \u200cin the 2022-23 school year, showing a marginal improvement of just over 1 percentage\u2063 point from the previous year. In contrast, when Thurmond \u200bassumed office, nearly\u2062 50 percent of students read at grade level, with almost\u200c 40 percent proficient in math.<\/p>\n<p>These test \u200bresults\u2064 could pose a significant challenge to Thurmond&#8217;s campaign to become California&#8217;s next governor. Despite increased funding for\u200b schools, with per-pupil spending reaching nearly $24,000,\u200c academic performance has\u200c dramatically declined.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;How is Tony Thurmond going to change those numbers?&#8221; questioned Lance Izumi, senior director of education studies at\u200c the Pacific Research\u200c Institute. Izumi emphasized that even the slight \u200cimprovement in math performance is not promising, as it would take six decades to bring \u2064all students to grade\u200d level at \u2064this rate.<\/p>\n<p>A representative for Thurmond did not provide a\u200c comment.<\/p>\n<p>Thurmond, who enjoys support \u2062from the influential California Teachers Association, \u2063has focused on promoting equity, inclusion,\u200d and \u200cgender ideology in K-12 classrooms amidst \u200dthe widespread decline in \u200cacademic performance. While students\u200c continue to\u2064 lag behind in reading, Thurmond has \u200dbeen involved in \u2064passing a law that imposes fines on school districts if they\u200d remove \u200dsexually explicit LGBT\u2062 books.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, Thurmond has \u200csecured funding to train teachers in supporting students&#8217; gender transitions. He has enlisted organizations such as the\u200d Human Rights Campaign Foundation\u2064 and the Trevor\u2064 Project to develop\u2063 the curriculum, which will soon become mandatory for middle and high school \u200cteachers under\u200c a 2023 law.<\/p>\n<p>Simultaneously, \u2063as\u200b the public schools chief, Thurmond has refused to take responsibility for the\u2062 state&#8217;s prolonged classroom closures, which\u2063 resulted \u2063in chronic \u200cabsenteeism and the declining \u2063student performance \u2062highlighted by these scores. When asked\u2062 about the closures, \u2062Thurmond stated that it\u2063 was difficult to determine if they were a mistake. His Department \u2062of Education even attempted to silence researchers who testified in a lawsuit on behalf of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/california-gubernatorial-candidate-oversees-decline-in-reading-and-math-scores-as-education-chief\/\" title=\"California Gubernatorial Candidate Responsible for Drop in Reading and Math Scores as Education Chief\">low-income students\u2063 affected<\/a> by the closures, although they later reversed this decision due to criticism.<\/p>\n<p>During Thurmond&#8217;s previous election, he attempted to delay \u200cthe release \u2062of state\u200b test scores until after Election \u200cDay, raising suspicions of political motivations. However, public backlash prompted the education agency to reverse its \u200cdecision.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> What steps should be taken to address the high percentage of students unable to read at grade level and the decline in math proficiency?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Declined under his leadership. This decline in proficiency levels is deeply concerning and raises doubts about the effectiveness of Thurmond&#8217;s policies and priorities in improving education in the state.<\/p>\n<p>One \u2063of the most alarming\u2062 statistics is the high percentage of\u200b students \u200cunable to read at grade level. Education experts agree that reading proficiency is a \u2063fundamental \u2062skill that serves \u200bas a building block \u200cfor success in all other subjects. If students are unable to read proficiently, they\u2064 will inevitably struggle in other areas such as math, science, and social studies. With \u200cmore than half of California&#8217;s students unable to meet \u2063this basic requirement, it is clear that \u2063urgent action needs to be taken.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, the \u2062decline in math proficiency is equally troubling. Math\u2064 is not only crucial\u2062 for everyday life but is also a key indicator of critical \u200cthinking and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/new-study-reveals-effect-of-pandemic-on-babies\/\" title=\"New Study Reveals Effect Of Pandemic On Babies\">problem-solving skills<\/a>. The fact that two-thirds of California students are\u2064 falling behind in math indicates a systemic problem within the education system.\u2063 It raises questions about the quality of instruction, the curriculum being taught, and the support provided to students to\u2064 ensure their success in this subject.<\/p>\n<p>Thurmond&#8217;s leadership in California&#8217;s education agency has not <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/philippine-china-maritime-disputes-fuel-risk-of-crisis-between-washington-and-beijing\/\" title=\"Philippine-China maritime tensions heighten risk of Washington-Beijing crisis.\">yielded positive results<\/a> in terms of student\u2064 achievement. Despite the slight improvement in math proficiency, the overall decline in both reading and \u2062math scores indicates a lack of effective strategies and \u200dsupport for students. It also raises \u200bconcerns about the allocation and use \u200cof funds in the education system. With per-pupil spending reaching nearly $24,000,\u2064 the fact that proficiency levels continue to decline is a clear indication that money \u200balone is not the\u2064 solution.<\/p>\n<p>California&#8217;s students deserve better. They \u2063deserve leaders who prioritize their education and well-being, \u200band who are dedicated to implementing effective policies and strategies to ensure their success.\u200c Thurmond&#8217;s track record in improving proficiency levels has fallen\u2063 short, and it is crucial for voters and \u2064stakeholders in\u2064 the education system to consider this when evaluating\u200b his suitability for the role of governor.<\/p>\n<p>It is imperative that California&#8217;s next governor prioritizes education and \u2062addresses the underlying \u200bissues leading to declining proficiency levels. Whether it be through reforming the curriculum,\u2064 providing additional support and resources to students, or investing in professional development for teachers, strong and effective leadership is needed to reverse this concerning trend. California&#8217;s future \u200band the success of its \u2062students depend on making education a top priority and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/high-school-girl-suspended-after-reporting-sexual-assault-principal-asst-principal-suspended-with-pay\/\" title=\"High School Girl Suspended After Reporting Sexual Assault.  Principal, Asst. Principal Suspended With Pay.\">taking meaningful action<\/a> to \u200caddress \u2064these challenges.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>state are not proficient in either subject. Tony Thurmond, who is currently serving as California&#8217;s superintendent of public instruction, has faced criticism for the downward trend in student achievement during his tenure. The recent test results highlight the ongoing challenges faced by students in the state&#8217;s education system.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1604,"featured_media":2080543,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[544],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2080542","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-free-beacon"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2080542","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1604"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2080542"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2080542\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2080543"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2080542"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2080542"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2080542"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}