Here is some information on how California schools compare to other states. It was compiled by the Fordham Foundation which seems to have a right wing agenda but even the Fordham Foundation does not support the VUSD ANTIs in their contention that schools in California and specifically VUSD have oodles of money that they are misusing. In fact the Fordham Foundation says we in California spend less than the national average among all the states in United States.

They contend that teachers in California are among the best paid even accounting for cost of living. That contention is categorically untrue. As noted in my previous blog, the Department of Education in California appears to be averaging highly paid administration and non-teaching positions with classroom teacher salaries in order to give the appearance that classroom teachers have a higher salary than they do. Because admin and specialty non teachers like psychologists have credentials and are considered certificated should not mean that their much better salaries be averaged with classroom teacher salaries when computing average TEACHER salary.

The California Department of Education seems to be using a weird contrivance called a FTE in order to manipulate statistics to show classroom teachers in California salary average is far higher than it really is. When one out of every six data points in an average is not in the set of classroom teachers and in fact is paid far more than classroom teachers then the average is BOGUS.

Fordham is apparently using the phony California Department of Education statistics to decide that California teachers are among highest paid in nation.

Here is the Fordham Foundation statement on California schools:

How California Compares:

Demographics, Resources, and Student Achievement

For good or ill, there is clearly no state that compares with California. And no state will play as large a role in educating America’s future citizens. Seeing the dynamics that affect California’s public schools through a national lens can sharpen our understanding of the challenges our schools face and the progress they are making.

The indicators included in this report provide some answers regarding how California compares with the rest of the country and the four next-largest states—Texas, New York, Florida, and Illinois — which are the most likely to face similar challenges. Of equal importance are the issues the data and analyses raise about the young people this state is educating, its commitment to its public schools, and its progress in helping its students succeed.

The following highlights hint at the breadth of information in this report. You can purchase a PDF download of the full-color report or have a printed copy to be mailed to you.

Demographics

California has far more K–12 students than any other state.

Its birth and immigration rates have slowed compared with fast-growing Texas and Florida.
Its largest ethnic group is Latinos, unlike most states.

It has the highest percentage of children who live in a family in which the head of household has not completed high school.

It ranks first by a wide margin in the proportion of children who speak a language other than English at home.

Resources

California spent $614 less per pupil than the national average in 2005–06.
That year, it ranked in the middle in per-pupil expenditures among the five largest states.
Its teacher salaries are among the highest even when adjusted for the cost of living.
It ranks last in total school staff per student.

After years of low investment, California spent more on school facilities from 2003 to 2006 than any other state.

Student Achievement

California is one of three states that earns an “A” for its academic content standards from the Fordham Foundation.

It has a higher-than-average proportion of schools not making adequate yearly progress as the state defines it under NCLB.

Overall, it ranks among the lowest on NAEP (the “nation’s report card”), but its scores are much closer to the U.S. average if English learners’ results are excluded.

Its high school students are more likely to take advanced placement classes and perform well.
Its high school graduates are less likely to enroll directly in a four-year university.