California is spending more than half of its $98-billion general fund budget this year on K-12 and higher education. After years of cutbacks, Brown proposes more funding for both in his spending blueprint for the fiscal year that begins July 1.
But the state's students rank among the bottom in reading and math of the 50 states, and the higher education system is so overburdened that many students cannot get into some required courses, delaying their graduation and increasing their student loan debt.
Kashkari would deal with the latter by linking a portion of state funding to campus performance, measured by such markers as graduation and course completion rates.
He would also require the University of California and California State University systems to place 20% of their courses online within four years, though he offers no details about how he would force them to do so. The governor and Legislature have limited control over the public universities, particularly the UC system.
Kashkari would also create a scholarship program that waived tuition for students majoring in science, technology, engineering or math, in exchange for a small — unspecified — percentage of their future earnings.
Oregon has a similar program, and U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Florida) introduced legislation for a federal version earlier this year that would be financed by private investors.
Education experts said that although they were intrigued by some of Kashkari's ideas — such as directing money to schools rather than districts, or increasing the school year — they say that a paradox is woven through the proposal.
As Kashkari is calling for more local control and less authority at the state level, he is also calling for bold changes that would require centralized intervention.
"There is a mix of suspicion of big government with big initiatives and big goals, and so you see kind of this contradictory mix," said John Rogers, director of the Institute for Democracy, Education and Access at UCLA. He "wants to, at least rhetorically, suggest we need less government, not more.… It's very difficult to do both of those things … at the same time."
Kashkari also uses his education plan to accuse Brown of complacency and Democrats of an alliance with teachers' unions that have been impediments to change.
California is spending more than half of its $98-billion general fund budget this year on K-12 and higher education. After years of cutbacks, Brown proposes more funding for both in his spending blueprint for the fiscal year that begins July 1.But the state's students rank among the bottom in reading and math of the 50 states, and the higher education system is so overburdened that many students cannot get into some required courses, delaying their graduation and increasing their student loan debt.Kashkari would deal with the latter by linking a portion of state funding to campus performance, measured by such markers as graduation and course completion rates.He would also require the University of California and California State University systems to place 20% of their courses online within four years, though he offers no details about how he would force them to do so. The governor and Legislature have limited control over the public universities, particularly the UC system.Kashkari would also create a scholarship program that waived tuition for students majoring in science, technology, engineering or math, in exchange for a small — unspecified — percentage of their future earnings.Oregon has a similar program, and U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Florida) introduced legislation for a federal version earlier this year that would be financed by private investors.Education experts said that although they were intrigued by some of Kashkari's ideas — such as directing money to schools rather than districts, or increasing the school year — they say that a paradox is woven through the proposal.As Kashkari is calling for more local control and less authority at the state level, he is also calling for bold changes that would require centralized intervention."There is a mix of suspicion of big government with big initiatives and big goals, and so you see kind of this contradictory mix," said John Rogers, director of the Institute for Democracy, Education and Access at UCLA. He "wants to, at least rhetorically, suggest we need less government, not more.… It's very difficult to do both of those things … at the same time."Kashkari also uses his education plan to accuse Brown of complacency and Democrats of an alliance with teachers' unions that have been impediments to change.
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