Poor-Performing School Districts Need a Heavy Dose of Accountability

The results are abysmal. San Francisco Public Schools published a new report showing terrible outcomes for its K-12 students and tragic disparities in educational outcomes among demographic groups. The report should fuel parents’ desire to know what is being taught in the classroom and how schools are spending precious taxpayer dollars.

Among all San Francisco public school students, only 47.2% of those exiting 8th grade were ready for high school; breaking it down by race, 47.4% of White students, 71% of Asian students, 15% of African American students, and 23.7% of Latino students met 8th grade readiness standards. Similarly poor performance and racial disparities were reported in reading, math, career preparedness, and other metrics.

It’s shocking but sadly not surprising, in the way that totally predictable outcomes always are. For the last two years, America has watched as schools across the country prioritized politics over education and shutdowns over students. Some of the most egregious examples have been in California, and notably in San Francisco.

Read the rest of the op-ed in The Orange County Register. 

Mike Brownfield is Director of Communications for the Goldwater Institute.