Education Reform

By Thomas M.D. "Tom" Warschauer

The problem is not low graduation rates. It is low standards at some schools and diplomas that often mean too little. Students need to respect what a high school diploma can do for them. That will only be true if we continue to improve the standards in our high schools.

• The CTA (teacher's union) concept that all teachers, regardless of talent and regardless of discipline should be paid the same defies logic and the reality of the marketplace.
• Teachers, not administrators, need to determine when a student is ready to progress to the next level.
• Teachers need to be rewarded for good performance but, where continued poor performance persists, eventually removed. Parents need to be provided school choice (always).

• While students must continue to pay adequate tuition, we must provide resources to maintain UC as a top research university system and CSU as a top quality institution of higher education. We must provide resources so that students who work hard in high school and meet UC and CSU standards can in fact be admitted. Higher education in the state drives our future growth and competitiveness.