Ruling Blocks Calif. High School Exit Exam

Houston Chronicle ^ | May 12, 2006 | Chron

[mr. mojo risin]

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A judge Friday suspended California's high school exit exam _ denounced as discriminatory by critics _ in a ruling that could allow thousands of students who failed the test to get their diplomas anyway.

The judge granted a preliminary injunction in a lawsuit filed by 10 students and their parents, who claim the exam discriminates against poor students and those who are learning English.

"There is evidence in the record that shows that students in economically challenged communities have not had an equal opportunity to learn the materials tested," Freedman wrote.

The argued that the six students failed the exam because they have poor English skills, not because they were denied a good education.

[mr. mojo risin]

Man...can it get any worse?

[Pukin Dog]

Hey, why complain?

We are closing the borders, but I STILL need cheap labor!

[madprof98]

Man...can it get any worse?

In California? Of course, it can.

[nmh]

They'll make a big splash in the job market ... if they can't master English and high school subjects.

[So Cal Rocket]

Man...can it get any worse?

Yes, just wait until the law passes that require textbooks in CA to recognize the acheivement of Gay, Lesbian, and Transgender people in history.

[nmh]

Sounds like this high school would be a great place to replace the ILLEGALS. They don't speak English either and they are also uneducated. Let em fight it out.

[lastchance]

So in other words no student is allowed to be smarter than another. Gee what a concept.

[nmh]

Abe Lincoln was dirt poor. Taught himself how to read. Lots of setbacks. Lost his Mom at a young age and still he became President. Amazing how childish and irresponsible we have become.

[DAC21]

My guess is that a significant percentage were going to fail the test. Liberal judges couldn't stand by and let the teachers (Union) take the heat for that.

[Mrs. Darla Ruth Schwerin]

Yeah, it's discrimination, alright. It's discrimination that our society is subjected to junk like that...

[CAluvdubya]

Were the students attending Rio Linda High?

[nmh]

Yeah, one hand washes the other and the ultimate goal is to keep the sheeple dumbed down so they retain their power.

[dhs12345]

Why waste your time. Why not buy a CA high school diploma on line for $50.

Remember this when hiring people from CA. Their high school diploma is probably not worth the paper it is printed on.

[DAC21]

"Yes, just wait until the law passes that require textbooks in CA to recognize the acheivement of Gay, Lesbian, and Transgender people in history"

And strike the term Mother and Father while they are at it.
Now to be know as Parental unit from here on out. Sad thing is , from what I understand, this is all true. Arnold is done if he doesn't veto it.

[nonsporting]

So, these kids don't get to leave High School?
(/s)

[beethovenfan]

Corrupt, stupid judges are ruining this country. Why not
just give kids a high school diploma when they turn 18?
Wouldn't want to hurt their self esteem, y'know.

[edcoil]

Why even have schools and or education. Lets get rid of it all and save ourselves billions and billions of dollars.

[buwaya]

They've been taking the test for years. The pass rate is
@90%, and these are CA high school students. Its not like this is a hard exam.

[Mikey_1962]

We have seen what the teachers UNION has produced and we don't like their product.

Unfortunately this is not a free market where other suppliers can be found without increased cost.

[umgud]

This is a real victory for CA students. They will thank people like this judge for years if this becomes permanent.

[sinanju]

Oh, they'll have no trouble finding work... It's just that they'll stay at the bottom of the economic ladder their entire lives.

[3AngelaD]

A lawsuit like this works to the detriment of all involved. After 12 years of a free education, these students are dumb asses, and they are suing to ensure that they are certified, degreed dumb asses. The lawsuit just gives weight to the idea that being ignorant is OK, and that ignorance is only the result of the mean old schools trying to deny you a degree, not an indication of any shortcomings on your part. I'll bet employers are just lining up to offer these "graduates" good, high-paying jobs. The lawyers who filed this lawsuit ought to be ashamed of themselves.

[VOA]

"The Mississipification of California"

The title of an article in (IIRC) Newsweek about how California was
sinking in many areas: education, infrastructure, etc.

Done over a decade ago. And coming true today.

[wmfights]

I guess we don't need schools to turn the children of immigrants into Americans any more. Having a common language and understanding of our common culture isn't necessary either.

[roverman2K6]

Welcome to the world of lefties, it does not make anyone smarter.....its designed to make smarter people dumb as the rest. Lefties do this on purpose to keep everyone dumber then them, (impossible)

[Enchante]

This judge is far too stupid and ignorant to have any business making up the law as he goes. It's not as though the test is even remotely demanding, from what I've read about it. An 8th grader should be able to get 95% on it (at least) and they're only requiring a 50% score from people who are supposed to be ready to graduate from HIGH SCHOOL.

IF YOU CAN'T PASS THIS TEST YOU SHOULD BE MUCH TOO ASHAMED TO TAKE PART IN A LAWSUIT ABOUT IT!

We are not talking about college level mathematics or anything........

[RLM]

My first thought was to suggest eliminating the bar exam since it may unfairly discriminate against unqualified lawyers. But, on second thought, I can see it does not prevent lawyers lacking common sense and intelligence from passing the bar.

[muawiyah]

Good point. These judges know where people of "their class" get their housemaids, parlormaids, bedwarmers and gardeners from.

[Trajan88]

Confirmed: CA kids will be "stuck on stupid."

[vetsvette]

I agree with the judge --

If they can't read or write by this time we should just stop wasting taxpayer money trying to educate them. The country needs ditch diggers too.

[RedBeaconNY]

If those exit tests are anything like New York's Regents exams, they're meant to determine whether a student knows the bare minimum, and nothing more. They're not a challenge to anybody with either a brain or an attention span.

[ThomasThomas]

This is the state site for the exam. Doesn't look very hard. It is above Jr. High in some ways.
http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/hs/resources.asp

[Uncle Hal]

The reason the students cannot pass the exit exam is because they did not learn enough in high school to pass the exam. It is obvious they should not graduate. This ruling will not last.

[Robe]

This judge just said the test discriminates against STUPID people..
My question.. Did this Judge GO to SCHOOL ????

[TheOracleAtLilac]

let the scenario play out....

a whole segment of H.S. grad dumb f**ks that can't get meaningful jobs because of their sloth in H.S.

The Dems to the rescue
pass some socialistic laws empowering the outta work dumb f**ks...in exchange for their votes.

[bannie]

I believe that the test is written at a 10th grade level.

[TheOracleAtLilac]

I believe that the test is written at a 10th 8th grade level.

[bert]

Say you graduated in 06?

We don't hire '06ers son.

[sphinx]

Here is an entrepreneurial idea. Why can't someone organize an independent testing organization with a blue chip advisory board to offer a rigorous, comprehensive high school exit exam -- a national Regents, if you will? Taking the test would be entirely voluntary, as would be the decision to submit the results to colleges and future employers. (If you foul up, just forget you ever took it.)

Provided that the organization maintained its standards -- which it would have every incentive to do, since its reputation is what is would be selling -- good students would be able to earn a legitimate credential that might rapidly acquire significant cache in the marketplace.

[nothingnew]

Man...can it get any worse?

My suggestion:

Give every newborn a HS Diploma and close the schools.

I have to get back to my beer now...

FMCDH(BITS)

[Husker8877]

You obviously don't know any Calfornia HS students like my daughters and their friends.

These are brilliant, savvy, hard-working kids (many of them minorities) who don't deserve to be slandered and/or lumped into your prejudicial statement.

[Political Junkie Too]

Man...can it get any worse?

Yes. They are also now complaining that SAT scores are low because students are exhausted by the end of the test and therefore answer later questions and essays wrong.

-PJ

[umgud]

Employers will now have to question the qualifications of everybody instead of relying on the fact that they may have a diploma. This hurts all students, not just the failing.

[BenLurkin]

"It is hard to be poor. It is hard to grow up in a place where there is a lot of crime," said the 18-year-old, a Mexican immigrant who attends school in the working-class San Francisco Bay area city of Richmond. "No one will be hurt if we get our diploma."

I wonder if this youngster happens to know any of the neighborhood criminals personally.

[CPOSharky]

...the exam discriminates against poor students...

That's exactly the purpose of the exam, idiot judge.

...and those who are learning English.

If you don't know English by graduation, see above.

[B4Ranch]

You both live in Calif. Now you know why the public schools are held in such high regard.

>>Superior Court Judge Robert Freedman also denied the state's request to immediately stay the decision pending an appeal.<<

I thank the judge for making things so clear! It is great to know there is no bias in our justice system.

[Jack Black]

From the article: "Superior Court Judge Robert Freedman"

He is pictured on the right.

BIO:
Judge Robert Freedman was appointed to the Superior Court by Governor Pete Wilson in 1998 and elected assistant presiding judge in 2003. Before his judicial career, Judge Freedman was an attorney in private practice with the firm formerly known as Wald, Freedman, Chapman, and Bendes in Oakland for more than 25 years.

...More...

Calif. Judge's Backlog Draws Inquiry
Matthew Hirsch
The Recorder
May 8, 2006

Alameda County, Calif., Superior Court Judge Robert Freedman, a former assistant presiding judge who has held several top administrative positions in the court, was charged Wednesday with "willful misconduct" by the state Commission on Judicial Performance.

In an eight-page notice of formal proceedings, the CJP said Freedman exceeded a 90-day period deemed "reasonable … to carry out the basic responsibility of a judge to decide cases." Twice Freedman was advised about upholding the 90-day rule, etched out in the Code of Judicial Ethics, but he continued to delay his rulings a total of 20 times, the complaint charges.

Perhaps more damaging to Freedman is a second charge that accuses the judge of essentially falsifying public documents for work he had yet to complete. Before judges get paid, they must certify in an affidavit that they have no matters on hold for more than 90 days, and Freedman was cited for signing these affidavits multiple times between June 2000 and October 2004.

A third charge says he failed to meet deadlines on more than 200 fee-waiver applications, costing the county roughly $10,000....(continued at Findlaw.com)

.

[george76]

[george76]

 

"Well, the world needs ditch diggers, too."

"Well, the world needs ditch diggers, too."

[Pukin Dog]

He probably is one of the criminals. I dont know why they called it a San Francisco Bay city, because Richmond is northwest of Berkeley. It is also a very run down ghetto of a town.