Opinion: After Affirmative Action Ruling, San Diego Schools Must Bridge Persistent Achievement Gap

Regardless of your stance on the recent Supreme Court ruling regarding Affirmative Action, it is crucial to acknowledge that the inadequate representation of Black and Hispanic students in higher education is not a direct result of their race. Instead, it stems from the longstanding failure of the public education system to address and bridge the achievement gap that has persisted for decades.

Recently released 2022 standardized test scores confirm that 66% of San Diego’s Black students do not meet standards in English language arts, and 81% do not meet standards in math. The figures for Hispanic students are 62% and 76% in English and Math. This is simply unacceptable, and the San Diego Unified School District should share a plan to address this academic travesty. 

Parents can no longer stand by and allow the district to socially promote students. Instead, they must demand that the district take steps, starting in elementary school, to meet their children’s academic needs.

One way to increase the academic performance of minority students is to extend the school year or even the school day for those students who are failing or struggling. What’s needed is uninterrupted, full-time instruction just like students receive during a traditional school year that continues into the summer.

Having an extended school year is not a new concept. Many countries have much longer school years than we do. In Japan, the minimum number of school days in a year is 210. In China, the average length of the secondary school year is 245 days. And in most of Australia, the primary and secondary school year lasts about 200 days.  

With the exclusion of race as a criterion in college admissions, academic performance will be based on merit and assessed through measures like grade point average, standardized test scores and other criterion. To help struggling students, San Diego Unified should also increase the number of public school-choice options and allow current choice schools to increase their enrollment to accommodate those students who are currently on long waiting lists. 

Unfortunately, when it comes to school choice, minority parents with little or no money have few options. One way to empower these parents and help prepare Black and Hispanic children for college is to allow families to pick the school that works best for them and ensure that the money to pay for it follows the student. 

Antiquated public schools contribute significantly to the underrepresentation of Black and Hispanic students in college. Well-run school choice options can create competition, and competition can trigger low-performing schools to improve.

Rather than simply providing an alternative to neighborhood public schools for a few students, school choice will also benefit students remaining in their neighborhood schools. The competition will motivate schools and school districts to respond to the loss of students and the associated revenue. A rising tide, as they say, will lift all boats. 

San Diego Unified plans to spend $1.8 billion this school year to educate our children. With that amount of money spent on public education, parents should demand better results. But if school districts continue to stifle public-school choice, then they should be prepared for an artificial Intelligence alternative that will most likely be implemented by the private sector. This could offer better academic results at a fraction of the price.

Educational leaders should take the supreme court’s decision on affirmative action as a wakeup call and seize this opportunity to explore alternative models of education. If done correctly public education could pave the way for increased representation of Black and Hispanic students in colleges and universities across the nation. 

Bridging the achievement gap, ending social promotion, extending the school year, and expanding public-school choice are all steps in the right direction. By addressing these challenges, we can create a more equitable educational landscape. 

Mark Powell has a master’s degree in educational administration and is former vice president of the San Diego County Board of Education. He is the president of Parents For Quality Education and has been a teacher, vice principal and dean of students in the San Diego Unified School District.