The California Legislature is weighing a proposal by Gov. Gavin Newsom to set aside $300 million for low-income schools, but some education advocates say it won't do enough to improve educational outcomes for Black students.
Assemblymember Akilah Weber, a Democrat from San Diego, introduced a bill last year aimed at ensuring more education money reaches Black students. But she pulled the bill after conversations with Newsom, citing concerns that it could violate the state or U.S. Constitution because it focused on one specific racial group, even though it didn't specifically use the word "Black."
"This proposal is exactly what our state needs to work toward repairing the longstanding harms of inequity in education and ensuring our schools are more fair and accessible for all students," she said in a statement. "For 10 years, we've had a funding formula that has done nothing in particular for Black students, and it's time for that to change," said Margaret Fortune, CEO for a network of charter schools aimed at closing the achievement gap for Black students.
About 70% of Black students failed to meet state testing standards for English Language Arts in the 2021-2022 school year, compared with less than 40% of white students, according to state data. About 84% of Black students didn't meet math standards, compared with about 50% of white students. Students from majority-Black districts would also benefit from the accountability portion of Newsom's budget proposal, which requires districts to implement strategies to improve academic outcomes, Gardon said.
Tinsae Birhanu, a student and health ambassador for the Black Students of California United, said the state needs to do more to improve outcomes for Black students, including making sure the makeup of teachers is more diverse and combating high expulsion rates.
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