California's Prop 82, im sick of it

[Pengwuino]

I think theres quite a few Californians here so I think its a suitable discussion topic. To me, its just pissing me off to no end. Both sides are just plastering kids faces on the screens and if i hear the phrase "expensive preschool bureaucracy" one more time, im going to snap. I mean im leaning towards being against Prop 82 but i swear to god that phrase makes my blood boil. Preschool bureaucracy????? WHAT THE HELL DOES THAT EVEN MEAN???? I'm losing it, whats everyones opinion on it?

http://www.ss.ca.gov/elections/elections_viguide06.htm

OH MY GOD ANOTHER COMMERCIAL!??!??! SHOOT ME NOW!

[Gokul43201]

Just read both props (very quickly). I think I'd vote NO on both, but I'm not Californian!

I just don't see any really convincing arguments for either of them. Literacy isn't low because 4-year-olds aren't in school. It's low because 14-year-olds don't think it's worth the effort. And unless the public library system is in serious disrepair or is overburdened, I don't think renovations or additions will have a noticeable impact on literacy.

[Pengwuino]

I haven't even read prop 81, let me check it out.

These can't be the only 2 propositions on the ballot this month...

[Math Is Hard]

Did I ever mention how much I detest Rob Reiner?

Anyhoo, IMHO, it's not the early ed years where we have the crisis. It's somewhere between the 4rth and 12th grade that the system is breaking down. I agree with these folks: http://www.reason.org/pb42_universalpreschool.pdf

America’s flexible approach to early education gives children a strong foundation, according to widely used proxy measures of preparedness, concrete skills assessments and reports by kindergarten teachers. We find further evidence of the strength of our early education system in international comparisons, which show U.S. fourth graders are “A” students on the international curve, excelling in reading and science and performing above average in math.

By twelfth grade, U.S. students are “D” students on the international scale—a decline occurring after fourth grade. Whatever the cause of that decline, it appears to have little or nothing to do with a lack of preparation in the early years.