Public Schools
Education
Adam Abolfazli – Permission to Fail
Adam Abolfazli, Sacramento-area public high school student and author of the new book Permission to Fail, shares with us his firsthand view from the classroom on how recent changes in public education such as increased parent and student apathy toward the learning process and a lack of academic rigor, have ...
Pacific Research Institute
December 9, 2024
Education
Dr. Lance Izumi explains why math scores are low in the United States
Watch the full interview here.
Lance T. izumi
October 17, 2024
Blog
Read the latest on teachers' unions
Teacher Shortages in Schools? Blame the Teachers’ Unions
A just-released analysis by the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) says, “there are at least 55,000 vacant teaching positions nationally.” However, contrary to the conventional belief that these vacancies are spread across the board, the NCTQ analysis observes, “The reality is, teacher shortages do exist—in specific subjects, regions, and ...
Lance Izumi
July 1, 2024
Blog
Why High School Graduates Turn Out to Be College Illiterates
Education Week recently pointed out that high school graduates’ “college readiness has reached historic lows, according to several metrics—including the lowest scores in 30 years on the ACT and declining scores on the SAT, the two primary standardized tests used for college admissions.” The ACT measures college readiness in English ...
Lance Izumi
June 12, 2024
Classroom Ideology
Read the latest on equity grading in public schools
Equity grading is just grade inflation dressed in woke clothing
As standardized student test scores plunge, some school districts are responding by masking student knowledge deficiencies through equity grading, which is little more than grade inflation dressed up in woke clothing. There is little doubt that student learning across the country is at a dire level. On the 2022 National ...
Lance Izumi
June 5, 2024
Blog
Producing Democratic Citizens: Private Schools Do Better Than Public Schools
As college campuses across the country descend into chaos, with authoritarian mobs violently taking over buildings, attacking police, and vandalizing property, Americans rightly wonder why so many young people are engaging in grossly undemocratic behavior. New research provides a clue, with public schools scoring significantly below private schools in forming ...
Lance Izumi
May 14, 2024
Blog
Read about SF's turn to the right
San Francisco voters turn to the right on crime and schools
The most controversial, Measure E, passed 54% to 46%. It allowed the following: After a public hearing, the chief of police could install surveillance devices without the approval of the Police Commission; Police could use drones to pursue vehicles and for investigations, including facial recognition, without the approval of the ...
John Seiler
March 22, 2024
Blog
Learn About Latest Ineffective Education Spending
Lawsuit Settlement Forces Accountability on California’s Spending for Student Learning Loss
After sharply criticizing Governor Gavin Newsom’s unaccountable education spending proposals, I was happily surprised to see my criticisms vindicated in a recent court settlement that will force the state to finally demonstrate that its spending programs actually produce positive outcomes for students. In Governor Newsom’s proposed 2024-25 budget, he included ...
Lance Izumi
March 4, 2024
Blog
Take a deep dive on Gov. Newsom's education budget
Newsom’s Proposed Education Budget: A Recipe for More Disaster
With all the blaring headlines about California’s huge state budget deficit, one would think that education spending, which accounts for around 45 percent of the budget, would take a significant hit. Well, think again. In the 2019-20 fiscal year, which was the last pre-pandemic budget, state General Fund spending for ...
Lance Izumi
January 16, 2024
Blog
Lessons from PRI’s School Board Member Conferences: Your Superintendent Does Not Have the Final Say – You Do.
The highlight of these events, however, was the opportunities for school board members to network and meet like-minded people fighting the same fight in their districts. Many of the school board members in attendance are in the minority on their boards, some being the lone voice of reason. Many are ...
Emily Humpal
December 27, 2023
Adam Abolfazli – Permission to Fail
Adam Abolfazli, Sacramento-area public high school student and author of the new book Permission to Fail, shares with us his firsthand view from the classroom on how recent changes in public education such as increased parent and student apathy toward the learning process and a lack of academic rigor, have ...
Dr. Lance Izumi explains why math scores are low in the United States
Watch the full interview here.
Read the latest on teachers' unions
Teacher Shortages in Schools? Blame the Teachers’ Unions
A just-released analysis by the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) says, “there are at least 55,000 vacant teaching positions nationally.” However, contrary to the conventional belief that these vacancies are spread across the board, the NCTQ analysis observes, “The reality is, teacher shortages do exist—in specific subjects, regions, and ...
Why High School Graduates Turn Out to Be College Illiterates
Education Week recently pointed out that high school graduates’ “college readiness has reached historic lows, according to several metrics—including the lowest scores in 30 years on the ACT and declining scores on the SAT, the two primary standardized tests used for college admissions.” The ACT measures college readiness in English ...
Read the latest on equity grading in public schools
Equity grading is just grade inflation dressed in woke clothing
As standardized student test scores plunge, some school districts are responding by masking student knowledge deficiencies through equity grading, which is little more than grade inflation dressed up in woke clothing. There is little doubt that student learning across the country is at a dire level. On the 2022 National ...
Producing Democratic Citizens: Private Schools Do Better Than Public Schools
As college campuses across the country descend into chaos, with authoritarian mobs violently taking over buildings, attacking police, and vandalizing property, Americans rightly wonder why so many young people are engaging in grossly undemocratic behavior. New research provides a clue, with public schools scoring significantly below private schools in forming ...
Read about SF's turn to the right
San Francisco voters turn to the right on crime and schools
The most controversial, Measure E, passed 54% to 46%. It allowed the following: After a public hearing, the chief of police could install surveillance devices without the approval of the Police Commission; Police could use drones to pursue vehicles and for investigations, including facial recognition, without the approval of the ...
Learn About Latest Ineffective Education Spending
Lawsuit Settlement Forces Accountability on California’s Spending for Student Learning Loss
After sharply criticizing Governor Gavin Newsom’s unaccountable education spending proposals, I was happily surprised to see my criticisms vindicated in a recent court settlement that will force the state to finally demonstrate that its spending programs actually produce positive outcomes for students. In Governor Newsom’s proposed 2024-25 budget, he included ...
Take a deep dive on Gov. Newsom's education budget
Newsom’s Proposed Education Budget: A Recipe for More Disaster
With all the blaring headlines about California’s huge state budget deficit, one would think that education spending, which accounts for around 45 percent of the budget, would take a significant hit. Well, think again. In the 2019-20 fiscal year, which was the last pre-pandemic budget, state General Fund spending for ...
Lessons from PRI’s School Board Member Conferences: Your Superintendent Does Not Have the Final Say – You Do.
The highlight of these events, however, was the opportunities for school board members to network and meet like-minded people fighting the same fight in their districts. Many of the school board members in attendance are in the minority on their boards, some being the lone voice of reason. Many are ...