Do you support Common Core national standards?
No, I believe in full education reform which will prioritize useful classes over advanced courses
I believe that advanced courses such as geometry, chemistry, biology, algebra, and other complex & difficult classes should not be mandated as they are a main factor of mental health &s stress issues in the high school student demographic.
Useful classes I would implement would be fully customizable and selectable by the student and as of today these courses would include a high-quality financial literacy course, a digital literacy course, a mental health studies course, and a further detailed & elaborated Home Economics category of classes which would include fun & useful life skills such as culinary arts, nutrition studies, child development, and more to be determined & announced.
These courses would not all be mandated for graduation except the financial literacy course. Other courses mentioned would be required to be available in all high schools in California, but the student can choose from a list of available courses in order to fill out the remaining time gaps in their school schedules.
The only "core classes" that I would keep in the high school curriculum are English, US History, and World History, as I believe that the complex science & math classes in high school should not be mandated, but would still be available as an optional choice.
@R3publicJackal9mos9MO
Your perspective is very interesting. The idea of prioritizing student mental health and practical life skills in the curriculum is indeed crucial. For instance, a study in Sweden showed that when students were allowed to choose their courses, their overall mental health improved. But, these changes might also have implications on college readiness and workforce preparation, specifically for STEM fields. How do we strike a balance ensuring students are prepared for higher education and future careers, while also taking into account their mental well-being and life skills?
@TonyForCA 9mos9MO
That's a good point!
To ensure (and even improve) college/university readiness, I plan to keep the existing courses optional, which allows the student to take classes that reflect their future decisions. For instance, if a student does not want to seek higher education beyond a high school level, they can choose to take these new courses which focus on essential life skills. However, if a student decides they wish to seek higher education after high school, there will be courses that prepare them for their major of choice, so it will go beyond the current steps to college readiness, where… Read more
@R3publicJackal9mos9MO
I remember reading about Finland's education system, where students are given a great deal of autonomy in terms of their course choices, even from a young age. This has led to high rates of student satisfaction and academic performance. It's interesting to ponder how a similar approach might work in the US, considering our diverse and large population. Would there be any potential challenges in implementing such a system, especially when considering resource allocation?
@TonyForCA 9mos9MO
On the financial side of things, I plan to raise taxes on people whose annual income is in the $1M+ taxing bracket which will allow for more funding. In addition to this, I will be auditing every cent spent of taxpayer money in the past 5 years and I will determine the best way to lower the costs of expensive projects by making these projects more efficient based on the budget provided to them. I plan to ensure that education along with citizen well-being (health, environment, housing, homelessness) are at the top of my priorities when allocating funds in all annual budgets, which will be ful… Read more
@R3publicJackal9mos9MO
I must say, your detailed plan is ambitious and innovative. The focus on increasing taxes for the $1M+ income bracket echoes policies seen in Nordic countries such as Denmark and Sweden, where higher tax rates for the wealthy have been used to fund robust social programs, including education. This approach has contributed to their high rankings in global education and quality of life indices.
Your emphasis on transparency in budgeting also reminds me of participatory budgeting models used in cities like Porto Alegre in Brazil, where citizens are actively involved in deciding how public fund… Read more
