40 yrs of Chicano Studies

[Jeanfromfillmore]

Old 10-04-2009, 06:03 AM
ilbegone ilbegone is offline
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Default Larry Aceves Educator
This appeared in a local newspaper yesterday as a letter to the editor.

The author is a candidate for state superintendent of public instruction in 2010.

Quote:
Gaps have grown
Larry Aceves
Posted: 10/02/2009 08:16:48 PM PDT

RE: "SAT scores dip for high school class of 2009," Aug. 25.

The news that this year's SAT scores dropped an average of two points from last year should come as no surprise considering our schools have suffered severe budget cuts in recent years on top of decades of inadequate funding.

The news for Latino, African-American and low-income students is even more disconcerting, as the long-standing achievement gaps affecting these groups have widened.

The governor and legislators bemoan these disparities, yet they agreed to additional budget cuts for the coming year that will exacerbate these divides. While Sacramento has raised expectations for our schools and students to the highest in the country, they've driven school funding to the lowest per-pupil level in the country.

I am not a politician but a former teacher, principal and superintendent with 30 years' experience, and I know that our students have paid the price for the state's budget disarray for too long.

As state superintendent, I will be our schools top advocate for the adequate and equitable resources needed for all of our students to be successful in college and the workplace.

LARRY ACEVES
San Francisco

The author is a candidate for state superintendent of public instruction in 2010.