Posted on October 7th, 2005 — in Education
San Diego hasn’t been a model for clean and effective government recently, but in one area the beach-obsessed metropolis may be ahead of the curve. In 2000, San Diego schools, one of the largest districts in the country, launched the Blueprint for Student Success, which called for an increased effort to teach literacy to students who were lagging behind. The Public Policy Institute of California provides the first assessment of the program, concluding that it worked well in elementary schools, which means it could become a national model. A note of caution: the program didn’t work in high schools, although perhaps for reasons that could be fixed.
From Blueprint to Reality: San Diego’s Education Reforms
Posted on October 6th, 2005 — in Education
The California Budget Project weighs in with an analysis showing that Prop. 76 could lead to cuts in state education funding — something other researchers have also found — but the report also includes a fascinating sidelight. Californians simply are forking over a smaller share of their income for public schools. We rank 39th in school funding as a share of income. Raise that figure to the national mark and schools would have received an extra $4.5 billion last year.
What Would Proposition 76 Mean for Education?
For More Background, see the IGS “Hot Topic” on Prop. 76: http://www.igs.berkeley.edu/library/htSpendingLimits.html
Posted on October 4th, 2005 — in Politics :: Polls and Surveys
Lousy polling numbers for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger ceased to be news months ago, but for those who like watching the political equivalent of a car wreck, the Survey and Policy Research Institute provides fresh data. The governor’s approval rating is a paltry 31 percent.
Schwarzenegger’s Statewide Approval Rating Slides Further
Posted on October 3rd, 2005 — in Economy and Business
Once upon a time everybody got a paycheck on payday. Now most people get a notice that the money has been deposited into your bank account. In the future, could you just find that more money has been placed onto your “pay card?” Pay cards work something like a credit or debit card, and the California Research Bureau looks at whether they might be the wave of the future. The good news: They save employers money and allow flexibility for employees who don’t have a bank account. The bad news: Workers could be on the hook for ATM fees whenever they withdraw some cash.
Pay Cards as a Payroll Option
Posted on October 2nd, 2005 — in Education :: Public Finance
The Legislative Analyst’s Office is the latest to weigh in on the likely effects of Prop. 76, the state spending limit on the ballot in November. The LAO finds that unless the state could bank a large amount of cash during good times — which would require the Legislature and governor to resist pressure to spend huge surpluses — the initiative would probably whittle away state spending over time. That echoes other research. One interesting twist: This report notes that even if the state found the political will to raise taxes for needed programs, under Prop. 76 the proceeds might not be eligible for immediate spending. The state would have to wait a few years while the increased revenues were factored into the spending-limit formula, eventually raising the cap.
Proposition 76: Key Issues and Fiscal Effects
For More Background, see the IGS “Hot Topic” on Prop. 76: http://www.igs.berkeley.edu/library/htSpendingLimits.htmll
Posted on October 1st, 2005 — in Children and Families
What’s the true cost of living in California? The California Budget Project chops the state into 10 regions, then builds a family budget in each area to see how much income is needed to make ends meet. In some parts of the state, even a job paying the median wage wouldn’t be enough.
Making Ends Meet: How Much Does It Cost to Raise a Family in California?