Education In California, and the State Budget Crisis

In California, in order to resolve the budget crisis, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has decided to eliminate five days per year from the public school schedule. So, rather than 180 days, the kids will be in school a 175 days per school year. Those five days, according to the governor, will save the State of California enough money to give them the opportunity to somehow fix a state economy in trouble.

Meanwhile, the rest of the country is watching.

Of course, when this news of cutting school days hit the air waves and newspapers last month, a lot of people were upset, specifically educators and Democrats. They were throwing their hands up in the air crying out, "How dare you take away five days of education from our children. They are already not doing well, as it is, when it comes to test scores. Especially when compared to the international community. As a nation, we are falling behind! And now you are going to take away days that our children could be learning!"

It doesn't matter if you give them days, take away days, make the days longer, or make the days shorter. It does not even matter if you throw more money into the public school system. The problem is not money, or the amount of time the children are in the classroom. The problem is the system. Our kids are not learning in the current public school system because of the curriculum, and how it's being taught.

The "feel-good," psychology inspired, liberalistic teaching methods that have replaced the "basics" are ruining the kids. You remember those basics, don't you? The three R's as some would call them? Reading and writing with phonics, mathematics with calculations?

The problem is the system. More time in the classroom setting, and throwing money at the education problem, will not fix it. The curriculum must be changed. The system is broke and it must be fixed.

So what kind of fundamental change in our public school system are we looking at if we are to save it from complete ruin?

When considering changes, you must pursue a system that has already succeeded. In this case, a system similar to that of the private schools and home schools. In other words, back to the basics. Back to the days of the three R's, discipline, and God-based morality. Reading, writing, and arithmetic. That is how you fix our ailing public school system. It is a proven success in the private schools, and home schools. What they are doing in the public schools is a proven failure. The path to take is obvious.