Addresses issues such as illiteracy and the qualification of teachers in the State of California.
This paper argues that by adding more unqualified teachers into the California school system, the rate of illiteracy will continue to grow due to the inexperience of these teachers and their inability to pick up problems such as dyslexia. The paper also touches on the state’s unique position of having a large percentage of Asian and Latino pupils who are not familiar with English and are thus labelled as illiterate.
Unless new political mandates address the problem of creating new qualified teachers in time for the expected shortage, teachers will be less prepared to assist struggling readers. Also, if the political structure does not take a stance on illiteracy, then the schools will focus on whatever did become a mandate. The current system has two options with the illiterate students. Either the children are passed upward to the next grade with the reading deficiency or they are held back and passed upwards later. The system has already addressed the problem in its own way. ?You could almost assess these kids adequately just by using their ZIP Codes – those from poorer districts will be behind, and those from richer districts will stay ahead. (Unknown, As California overhauls schools, America watches for lessons)”