California education isnt as bad as Steve Hilton says its worse

Steve Hilton, Republican candidate for governor, recently decried the state of education in California.“Two out of every three Black students in California do not meet basic English standards,” he wrote.In reality, the problem is much worse.Consider this. In July, the Associated Press reported that California’s reading scores “have been inching upwards,” even if they hadn’t yet caught up to the “Mississippi Miracle” in education.

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By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.Never miss a story The AP noted that in 2013, California ranked 47th nationally in fourth-grade reading skills, with only 40% of students reading at grade level.

In 2025, that rose to 46% of students reading at grade level. That is just a 6% increase in 13 years for fourth-graders.  As for the Mississippi miracle, in roughly the same time frame, fourth-graders showed the highest growth in the nation in reading and math.They also moved from the bottom of the rankings to above the national average for the first time.So, what’s wrong with California?First, California waited years to get behind the push for phonics, the old-fashioned approach to reading that was at the core of Mississippi’s improvement.Second, Mississippi holds back third-grade students if they don’t pass their reading requirements. They want results.

Nobody passes for social reasons or to make schools look better than they are.There is real accountability.California doesn’t do that, which is significant because fourth grade is a “key benchmark” for educational achievement.

If kids can’t read by fourth grade, they fall behind in other subjects as well, and the shortfall becomes much more difficult to address.Fourth grade is the magic moment, and California is missing it.Beyond those problems, there are California’s sel...