School choice, merit pay key to saving California’s K-12 system

California leads the world in computer technology — for now.

But a new study finds only 40% of California high schools offer computer science classes. That ranked 42nd among the 50 states and Washington, D.C. The top state was Maryland at 98%. The national average is 53%.

The study was by the Advocacy Coalition, a collection of 100 education groups. It also found the Golden State averaged 76,446 open computer science jobs a month, averaging salaries of $115,754. That’s 47% above the median salary of $78,672. It would give students a leg up on their futures if everyone graduated high school with a working knowledge of computer science higher than uploading TikTok videos.

To address that, on Oct. 13 Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 1251, by Assemblymember Luz Rivas, D-Arleta, an MIT graduate in electrical engineering. It requires the state Commission on Teacher Credentialing to convene a work group to study the shortage of computer science teachers in K-12 schools.

But no work group is needed. We know what needs to be done.

We talked to Lance Izumi, the senior director of Education Studies at the Pacific Research Institute. He outlined a few things California needs to address.

First is the new California Mathematics Framework passed in July by the State Board of Education. EdSource reported the “Equity-focused approach stresses context, concepts, ‘big ideas’ and no tracking.” That is, it’s dumbed down. It’s intended to increase state scores on national math tests, but will do the opposite. On the 2022 National Assessment of Educational Progress, only 30% of state fourth-graders scored proficient or advanced.

The new framework is similar to one San Francisco Unified adopted in 2013, which has been an utter failure.

“The latest evidence shows that discouraging algebra in 8th grade did not result in closing the gap for Black and brown students,” Supervisor Myrna Melgar told the San Francisco Examiner in June.

While throwing around the word “equity” is in vogue among progressive elites, it’s not going to improve mathematics instruction.

Second is the lack of merit pay for STEM teachers.

“There’s a great demand for them, so many computer-science teachers end up going into the private sector,” Izumi said.

That’s because the immense power of the California Teachers Association insists union contracts pay humanities and gym teachers the same as STEM teachers. If we had a more rational system, school systems would be able to attract the teachers they need.

Related: School choice would reduce state bullying

Third is the lack of competition among schools. Charter schools, which are public schools but allowed to innovate, have been stalled at 12% of state schools.

The latest attack, reported by the Wall Street Journal on Oct. 2, has been an attempt by the United Teachers of Los Angeles to limit charters from using otherwise empty classrooms. UTLA and their statewide allies have waged war on those trying to improve the state’s broken education system.

The current system obviously is failing California’s students. What’s needed is merit pay for STEM teachers and, most of all, more school choice. Under just-elected Gov. Jeff Landry, Louisiana is expected soon to become the 11th state to enact universal school choice, meaning parents will get a voucher good at any school, regular public, charter or private.

Although that seems an unreachable goal in union-dominated California, it’s the only way this state can stay at the top of the fierce global technology competition.