Former La Mayor Richard Riordan:

IN HIS EYE-OPENING book, “The World Is Flat,” New York Times columnist Thomas L. Friedman warns that the United States is in a “quiet crisis” and that “we should be embarking on an all-hands-on-deck, no-holds-barred, no-budget-too-large crash program for science and engineering education immediately.” If we don’t, Friedman points out, our society will not be able to compete with such countries as India and China in today’s unprecedented open market. Millions of American jobs could be at risk.
This is the crucial context of the California high school exit exam. Right now, in order to graduate, seniors in the state need to pass a test — a test, mind you, that they can take as many as six times before the end of senior year. This exam only assesses whether students have attained 8th-grade math levels and 10th-grade English skills. That’s correct; students only need to demonstrate middle school math skills to pass a high school exit exam. And we hope to prepare our next generation for the fierce global job competition ahead?

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Marc Eisen raised similar points recently: “Brave New World: Are our kids ready to compete in the new global economy? Maybe not“.