Why is public education declining?

A Sacramento Bee editorial for January 11 describes a report prepared for the California Faculty Association.  The report shows a decline since 1977 in the number of Californians with bachelor’s degrees (from No. 1 or 2 in the U.S. to No. 13) and in the number of California adults who are high school graduates (from No. 1 or 2 to No. 49).  Spending on higher education has also declined: In 1980, California ranked 11th in the nation in spending per $1,000 of personal income, whereas today it ranks 21st.

The editorial urges Californians to reclaim our tradition of being among the most highly educated states.

Let’s look at who paid for this study: The California Faculty Association.  Is this likely to be a disinterested analysis?

Last March, the CFA sent out some statements about the role of public higher education in the California economy.  I questioned those statements.  I analyzed statistics regarding CSU degrees granted and found that there was very little correlation between the degrees students are earning and labor market projections.  (See March 31 postings.)

It seems likely that one reason fewer people are earning bachelor’s degrees is that the promised higher-paying jobs for college graduates are simply not there.  If anyone can tell me of any field other than nursing where we have too few citizens with college degrees, I would like to know about it.  (I’m not talking about jobs for which employers require a college degree because they can’t count on high school graduates to be able to read, write, and do basic math.)

As for the truly alarming decline in California high school graduates, one reason for this is the insistence on pushing all students toward college, whether or not they have the interest or aptitude for it.  This just discourages adolescents, especially those who are struggling with English.