The SAUSD 2011 STAR test results are still far below the O.C. averages

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• If you look more closely at Carr's scores you can see clearly that they have been sacrificing science and social studies for math scores and it definitely shows. Massive improvements in math but the other two topics are dropping drastically.
  In defense of the district, NO ONE has ever really figured out what to do with low-income, low parent education and second language learners that makeup the majority of the students in SA. Expecting a school district to fix problems that are systemic in society is unrealistic. Fix the poverty, fix the schools. Teachers and other school personnel do not have control over the major causes of low achievement. It's not an excuse and we will continue to work hard, but it is reality.

• One school that's apparently excelling is El Sol. Change the District to El Sol Santa Ana Science to pull up their stats. There's something to be said about this diamond in the rough.

• Paco:

  You seem to offer a quick fix solution that is downright ridiculous. Evidently you don't have any experience working with the intricate issues that affect many of the families at SAUSD. Please keep those comments to yourself.

  Working at a charter school myself, I have seen first hand that many of the parents that seek an alternative educational opportunity for their children MAY be low-income and not have as much education as other parents, such as Irvine, but they RECOGNIZE the value of their child's education and want their child to excel. Those parents that have their kids at El Sol didn't endure standing in lines and going on wait list for their own personal health! Many are willing to put in their fair share of the work and then some to help their child.

  Additionally, El Sol is a dual immersion school. The dual immersion program is a "gate-like" program where both sides of the brain are being developed resulting in increased test scores because the kids are in fact smarter (read the research on dual programs). While many people like these programs, not everyone agrees with them so having a total district over-haul is a ridiculous proposal.

  The charter school model functions like a business. If you don't produce results and satisfy your customers, then you close for business. Despite the fact that charter schools are funded 70 cents on the dollar vs. districts, a small bureaucracy is a money saver at charter schools, allowing them to use those funds directly for the benefit of the students and family support safety-nets (after-school programs and other outreach efforts). The district spends so much on salaries, union negotiations, and frivolous expenditures, etc that they don't have the money to decrease class sizes and provide more meaningful educational opportunities. The problem is in their business model - or lack of thereof.

• Pedroza is missing a few columns on his OC/SAUSD comparison chart.
  1. Avg Income in OC/SAUSD
  2. # of enlish learners
  3. percent of students qualifying for a free lunch
  4. # parents with a college degree
  5. # of hack bloggers attacking the school district.

  What you gotta ask, Art is, "Where is a SAUSD like population doing better? And why isn't SAUSD doing that?" But that would actually give you integrity.

  Yay! Sol Acadademy! Keep up the good work. That model doesn't work for a whole state population.

• As an El Sol parent, I can tell you that the dual immersion program works and SA would do well to increase the dual immersion options within the district. This would especially help them with declining enrollment as there are plenty of students from well-heeled families who would jump at the chance to send their kids to SA for a quality dual immersion program. El Sol has students from Capo, Long Beach, Huntington Beach, Yorba Linda and many other cities. Aside from the dual immersion program, the preschool is giving their students a major jumpstart on their education. This model WOULD work in many SA schools, it has been working as a part of the program at Jefferson Elementary for years. Even though El Sol accepts some students from out of the district, the most amazing thing about the school is that the majority of the students are from low income, Hispanic families and their achievements rival that of many Irvine schools. Yes, the district should be finding a way to model what is done at El Sol and it isn't impossible.

• Maybe it's the fact that the majority of the students are Mexican, and have that 'don't care' attitude.

• Develop both sides of the brain, increased test scores, smarter kids… Why don’t people like these programs Ms. G? Is it the Spanish?

• You would be surprised how many people are opposed to a dual immersion model. There is a definite misunderstanding about what dual immersion is and a resistance to providing anything in Spanish even though this model produces students that far exceed their English only counterparts (and they actually can do everything in two languages!).

• What I find really interesting is that I don't really know anything about what you are talking about. I'm not exactly sure how I am f*cking under (as you so eloquently stated) anyone, let alone a few dozen families by attending a school that is in my city and following every procedure to get into the school. What are you talking about? As I understand it, the families who started OCEAA are perfectly happy with their choice to attend that school and the majority of the students at El Sol are low income Hispanic students and the school is serving the population it was intended for. I definitely won't apologize for sending my kid to the best school in my area, we also got into one of the Fundamental schools but chose El Sol for the dual immersion program.

• Another question, who exactly squandered a great opportunity? The school is doing well with a usually difficult to serve population.