Guest Column

Sacrificing Another Generation

By Hector M. Barajas

September 28, 2005

In the nine months leading up to November’s referendum, special interest groups and political action committees have ganged together to saturate our airwaves with commercials depicting teachers, firefighters and nurses calling on the Governor to cancel the election.  As a result, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has seen his approval-rating drop from a high of 65% to 39%.

While hired actors read scripts that dismiss proposals for change, self-interested legislators look for ways to rally a constituency tired of unkept promises for a better life. While the Governor’s rating has declined, they are still almost double that of the Democrat-controlled legislature which continues to face job approval ratings in the mid 20s. Why the low numbers?

For the past 10 years, Democrats have been defending and supporting the status quo while sacrificing another generation of Latinos.  Democrats continue to be on the wrong side of many social, economic and educational issues.  Many of them take stances counter to the values of those who have elected them. Consider the problems of effectively educating our children - clearly the most important issue facing the future of our state.

For many Latino communities, education is viewed as the great equalizer between poverty and wealth. Under the stewardship of a Democrat-controlled legislature, an educational system that was the model for other states now ranks near the bottom among all 50 states.

Consider that half of all Latinos never graduate from Los Angeles Unified School District, yet Democrats offer no vision for how to change those numbers except more of the same - more of what doesn’t work.

When Governor Schwarzenegger talks about accountability and improving educational outcomes of those whose needs are the greatest, his suggestions and ideas are immediately opposed, often by the very same legislators representing the communities where the failing schools are located. In truth, Democrats in power have become so dependent on special interest groups and political action committees for money to support their failed ideas that they fear reprisal. Who would want to bite the hand that feeds them?

The cost of educating Californians represents more than fifty-percent of our total annual budget. In the past two years Governor Schwarzenegger has increased funding for education by three billion dollars, to a total of sixty-two billion dollars. What does three billion dollars buy? Our community and parents should demand and expect more from our schools.

·       We should be seeking higher standards for graduation rates - failing teachers shouldn’t be allowed to fail their students.

·       The failing student should be the exception, not the rule.
·       Students should be reading at their grade level - high school juniors should not be reading at the 5^th grade level.

·       More of our children should be attending the college of their choice.
·       Businesses should be demanding our educated children to manage their companies.

Over fifty-one million dollars of lobbyist’s money has been spent to fight this vision for a better system. Fifty-one million dollars has been spent to demand more tax money to be spent with less accountability.

Rather than fight to prevent the implementation of standards and demands for accountability, educators should be focusing on providing programs directed to help our low-scoring students, and the recruitment and training of qualified teachers.

There is no justification for half of our children to be cast aside by the education system. Our goal should not be mediocrity. We should not tolerate those who would cast aside our children’s futures. No child should be left behind.

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Hector M. Barajas is the Deputy Political Director of the California Republican Party

 

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