🚀 go-pugleaf

California's students in fourth and eighth grades ranked at
the bottom among 43 states that participated in a national 
reading test given last year, according to a U.S. Department
of Education report card released Thursday.

ONLY MISSISSIPPI, THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA AND THE TERRITORIES
OF AMERICAN SAMOA, GUAM AND THE VIRGIN ISLANDS FARED WORSE THAN
CALIFORNIA on the 2002 National Assessment of Educational Progress.
The highest performing states were Montana, Nebraska, Massachusetts,
and Connecticut.

Among the states, California had the highest percentage of students
in eighth grade and the second highest in fourth grade reading below
basic standards. 

Overall, the report card ranked both fourth- and eighth-graders in 
California in the bottom quarter. 

The test results showed that 50 percent of California's fourth-graders
lacked basic reading skills, while 39 percent of its eighth-graders
were also labeled ''below basic.''

''It shows how far public education has to go,'' said Caprice Young,
president of the Los Angeles Unified School District board.  
''We need, as a society, to redouble our efforts and commitment to 
improving education for our students.''

[ You idiot Ms. Young it doesn't show that, it shows you are not
  earning your pay! ]

from;
http://www.dailynews.com/Stories/0,1413,200%7E20954%7E1466002,00.html
or here: http://www.chronwatch.com/editorial/contentDisplay.asp?aid=3233

                     =================

But Gray Davis is backed by the teacher's unions and Gray wants to
hike your taxes to give to these same failing schools.

  ===================================================
    Get a petition to recall Gray Davis here:
       http://www.rescuecalifornia.com/
   Fill it out at home, mail it in, easy as that!
  ===================================================