California’s pandemic report cards

From: POLITICO California Playbook - Tuesday Oct 25,2022 01:25 pm

Oct 25, 2022

By Jeremy B. White , Lara Korte , Sakura Cannestra and Owen Tucker-Smith

Presented by the Electric Trucks Now Campaign

THE BUZZ: The report cards on pandemic-era schooling confirm how seriously California students suffered.

Scores from the 2022 Smarter Balanced assessments finally dropped yesterday — not post-election, as once seemed possible — and the picture was predictably grim. The California Department of Education’s data showed substantial drops in the share of students meeting state muster on English (4 percent, down to less than a majority) and math (7 percent, down to about a third) since 2019. Years of progress evaporated. Students of color saw steeper drops in some categories than other kids.

Federal data shows coronavirus responses undermined schools around the country. And while California’s scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress took a hit, California eighth graders outperformed kids in some other states by holding the line on English assessments. Gov. Gavin Newsom lauded that outcome in a celebratory press release, arguing the state “focused on keeping kids safe” while spending enormous sums to soften the impact.

The distinction between states isn’t just academic. Few issues animated pandemic politics quite like the fate of schools and students — a test of the balance between public health and public education, in which California adopted more stringent standards than other states. Newsom and his supporters — who were more prevalent than you might think — said they were prioritizing the health of kids, relatives and teachers. Red state governors and in-state conservatives pointed to California’s extended school closures as a cautionary tale.

A Newsom spokesman emphasized to POLITICO that California “did a better job of keeping kids safe and minimizing learning loss compared to states like Florida and Texas,” Newsom’s perpetual bogeymen. (“There are no winners. There are no losers. There are losses among all states and all grades,” National Assessment Governing Board chair Beverly Perdue told POLITICO).

Image of a student taking a test.

A student takes a standardized test. | Alex Brandon/AP Photo

Newsom and education officials spent months navigating that minefield. While education was not the main impetus for the campaign to recall Newsom, his opponents ran on an issue that fomented extreme parental frustration. They seized on the fact that his children had already returned to in-person private school education even after Newsom lamented the difficulties of “ living through Zoom school .” Shuttered classrooms helped lead to the ouster of multiple San Francisco school board members. The conditions for reopening schools and then the fate of remote learning consumed Sacramento policymakers.

Some level of learning loss was inevitable no matter the state. Newsom found vindication in Californians faring better on federal tests than some counterparts, and he argued for California’s outlays on areas like pre-K and school meals while saying the dip in scores offered a “call to action.” Critics argue the pandemic exacerbated already-profound issues with a dysfunctional public education system. “Long before our response to the pandemic sent California students into virtual learning for over a year, our state was failing students,” CA Parent Power Executive Director Megan Bacigalupi said in a statement, and California’s pandemic response “made an existing problem worse.”

BUENOS DÍAS, good Tuesday morning. The deadline for Californians to register to vote or update their registration officially arrived about six hours ago. If you missed it, you can still sign up to vote through Election Day — you’ll just have to show up in person.

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QUOTE OF THE DAY: “You cannot return to the Council without causing more harm and disruption. There is no path forward that includes your continued participation in this Council … Every day you remain interferes with the Council's ability to function, delays the city's healing process, hurts your constituents, and reduces your chance of redeeming yourself and your legacy.” Los Angeles City Council President Paul Krekorian pushes City Council Member Kevin de León, in a formal letter, to resign.

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Top Talkers

GIVING UP — “' Why bother with a real map?': Here are the dubious sites NIMBY Bay Area cities propose for housing ,” by the San Francisco Chronicle’s Joe Garofoli: “As municipalities in the Bay Area furiously write plans describing how they’ll meet their state-mandated goal to collectively build 441,176 units of housing over the next eight years, the challenge of getting it done extends beyond high costs and sprawling NIMBYism.”

— “ California Poised to Overtake Germany as World’s No. 4 Economy ,” Opines Matthew A. Winkler for Bloomberg: “California’s economy has proven relatively resilient, first through the pandemic and now through the current period of elevated inflation. So much so that the Golden State’s gross domestic product is poised to overtake Germany’s as the fourth largest in the world after the US, China and Japan.”

CAMPAIGN MODE

PROP 1 NUANCE — “ Abortion is on the California ballot. But does that mean at any point in pregnancy? ” by NPR’s April Dembosky: “What exactly Californians are voting for isn't totally clear. Some lawmakers say the amendment would merely enshrine abortion rights in the state, while others say the amendment would expand abortion rights.”

— “ 5 takeaways from Newsom’s only debate this election, from gas prices to the White House ,” by the Sacramento Bee’s Maggie Angst: “Throughout the debate, Dahle repeated a similar message that the governor was a smooth talker who failed to deliver real solutions to the state’s most pressing issues.”

HISTORICALLY SPEAKING — “ Newsom commits to second term as governor. But presidential ambition often breaks promises ,” by the Sacramento Bee’s Maggie Angst: “Recent history is replete with examples of politicians who made similar vows — only to later break them in pursuit of higher office.”

— “ Democratic registration is rising in California, but not with this one group ,” by the San Francisco Chronicle’s Leila Darwiche: “In over 75% of California cities, the share of voters registered as Democrats rose from 2020 to 2022. But cities where the vast majority of residents identify as Hispanic saw the opposite trend.”

A message from the Electric Trucks Now Campaign:

DIESEL POLLUTION KILLS. ELECTRIC TRUCKS SAVE LIVES. California’s freight communities, neighborhoods near warehouses and families living next highways are breathing the most polluted air in the country. The disproportionate exposure of these mostly Black and Brown communities to diesel exhaust pollution is one of the clearest examples of environmental racism. The California Air Resources Board's (CARB) own analysis shows we can save lives and deliver environmental justice with a stronger Advanced Clean Fleet standard.

CALIFORNIA AND THE CAPITOL CORRIDOR

THE METRICS — “ Test scores across U.S. reveal ‘heartbreaking’ pandemic declines, with math hit hard ,” by the Los Angeles Times’ Paloma Esquivel: “Eighth-graders in nearly every state across the nation and fourth-graders in a large majority of states, including California, saw significant drops in average math scores since the pandemic, reflecting “heartbreaking” academic setbacks for students across wide swaths of the country, according to the results of the “nation’s report card” released Sunday.”

— “ Though wage theft is a crime, few California DAs file charges for it ,” by CalMatters’ Jeanne Kuang and Lil Kalish: “Wage theft has been a federal crime for decades but in California, where felony cases are punishable by up to three years in jail, prosecutors across the state rarely filed criminal charges based solely on wage theft. Some prosecutors say that is beginning to change.”

— “ Cal State banned caste discrimination. Two Hindu professors sued ,” by the Washington Post’s Marisa Iati: “Two Hindu professors are suing the head of their university system to oppose the addition of caste to an anti-discrimination policy amid a broader battle over whether colleges should explicitly call out caste-based bias.”

— “ Antisemitic Incidents In LA And Beverly Hills, Seemingly Prompted By Kanye West Comments, Cause Outrage And Worry ,” by LAist’s Michael Flores: “On Saturday, demonstrators unfurled a banner over the 405 freeway declaring, “Kanye is right about the Jews.” They raised stiff arm Nazi salutes to drivers below. That night, about 25 antisemitic flyers were found at homes in the northern section of Beverly Hills.”

UNDER THE RADAR — “ Thousands of apartments may come to Santa Monica, other wealthy cities under little-known law ,” by the Los Angeles Times’ Liam Dillon: “The tactic now could be deployed by developers in more than 100 Southern California cities that are out of compliance with the state requirements. According to experts, it is most likely to be used in wealthier areas with little housing production and high potential profits.”

— “ The radicalization of Kevin Kiley: A Placer politician’s strange journey from MLK to MAGA ,” Opines Hannah Holzer for the Sacramento Bee: “Now Kiley has loudly positioned himself as the antithesis of the progressive values of the California majority. The once-thoughtful young Ivy League scholar has molded himself into an anti-“woke”, anti-liberal, anti-Newsom and anti-California crusader endorsed by Donald Trump.

WINDY WORRIES — “ Santa Ana winds, possibly year’s biggest, hit Southern California and may lead to power outages ,” by the Los Angeles Times’ Alexandra E. Petri: “Large parts of Southern California were hit with Santa Ana winds Monday in what some meteorologists are saying might be the biggest Santa Ana event this year, with possible public safety power outages for tens of thousands of residents amid concerns about fire dangers.”

NUMBER FOUR — “ California set to become 4th largest world economy, but why can few afford to live here? ” by CBS’s Ashley Sharp: “While the numbers seem great on paper, one economic expert tells CBS13 they do not tell the whole story about the state's economy.”

JOIN WOMEN RULE THURSDAY FOR A TALK WITH DEPARTING MEMBERS OF CONGRESS: A historic wave of retirements is hitting Congress, including several prominent Democratic women such as Illinois Rep. Cheri Bustos, House Democrats’ former campaign chief. What is driving their departures? Join POLITICO on Oct. 27 for “The Exit Interview,” a virtual event that will feature a conversation with departing members where they'll explain why they decided to leave office and what challenges face their parties ahead. REGISTER HERE .

BIDEN, HARRIS AND THE HILL

BIDEN’S BULLETIN — Biden admin set to warn about threats to nation’s election infrastructure , by POLITICO’s Erin Banco and Eric Geller: Top Biden national security officials are tracking multiple threats to the nation’s election security infrastructure ahead of the midterms and are set to issue warnings, including in an internal intelligence bulletin this week.

SILICON VALLEYLAND

CLOSER LOOK — “ Silicon Valley’s big tech donates little locally ,” by the San Jose Spotlight’s Brian Howery: A review by San José Spotlight of donations from several Santa Clara County-based tech companies shows these corporations gave a fraction of 1% of their revenue to local charities last year. While recipients say these funds support efforts to aid their communities, local advocates argue big tech should focus more on their own backyards, where the gap between the wealthy and poor continues to grow.”

HOLLYWOODLAND

WEINSTEIN ON TRIAL — “ Opening Statements Begin in Harvey Weinstein’s Los Angeles Trial ,” by the New York Times’ Livia Albeck-Ripka and Lauren Herstik: “Opening statements took place on Monday with prosecutors trying to detail a pattern of alleged sexual assaults of women, typically in hotel rooms.”

— “ Hollywood talent agency CAA cuts ties with Kanye West after antisemitic tirade ,” by the Los Angeles Times’ Anousha Sakoui and Wendy Lee: “The fallout facing the rapper formerly known as Kanye West has continued to grow as one of Hollywood’s biggest agencies has stopped representing him.”

A message from the Electric Trucks Now Campaign:

MIXTAPE

COVIDLAND — “ A stunning 300 new COVID variants are circling the globe. Which ones will break through in the Bay Area? ” by the Mercury News’ Lisa M. Krieger.

— “ California teacher charged with hiding missing teenager for nearly two years ,” by the Guardian’s Gloria Oladipo.

YUM — “ Bay Area pizza trend: The rise of the pizzaiola ,” by the Mercury News’ Jessica Yadegaran.

— “ Haven't Received California's Inflation Relief Payment Yet? Here's the Timeline of Direct Deposit and Debit Card Payments ,” by NBC’s Kayla Galloway.

— “ Has Berkeley declared a ‘war on cars’? One bike lane has come to symbolize a larger battle ,” by the San Francisco Chronicle’s Rachel Swan.

BIRTHDAYS

Samuel Dulik

A message from the Electric Trucks Now Campaign:

ELECTRIC TRUCKS NOW TO STOP DIESEL DEATH. CARB's own research shows that we will achieve greater pollution reductions, save more lives and achieve $10 billion more in additional societal benefits by moving up the 100% electric truck sales goal by just four years. That is mostly public health savings from cutting almost 40% more deadly diesel soot pollution and 50% more smog-forming pollution than the proposed standard.

There is massive support from equity, health, business, labor, clean air and climate groups from across California for the Advanced Clean Fleet Accelerated ZEV Transition Alternative that hits 100% electric truck sales by 2036. Electric truck technology is here and strategies and funding are already in place to grow charging options to meet these reasonable and gradual goals.

Tell CARB to deliver cleaner air faster to our most polluted communities with a stronger electric truck standard.

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