By John Ubaldi, “Ubaldi Reports”

In October the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) reported that educational test scores in math and reading dropped to a thirty year low, but instead of addressing the deficiencies by raising standards, states and cities are doing the opposite by lowering standards to meet renewed educational achievement goals.

The state of New York is set to lower its educational requirement needed for students to gain proficiency in math and English, this change follows the “learning loss” experienced during the coronavirus pandemic.

The Times Union reported an absolutely abysmal educational result where one of the cities in New York, Schenectady reported that not one eighth grader who took the math test scored as proficient. The scores for the third through eighth grade tests throughout the state were much lower in 2022 than in 2019, a result no doubt of the absence of in-person learning during the first year and beyond of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In recent articles I wrote that the city of Baltimore had had 23 schools throughout the metropolitan area had one student who was proficient in math, despite spending close to $22,000 per student.  Additionally, 20 other schools only found one child proficient in core subjects.

This dismal statistics is replicated across the country, where a report compiled by Wirepoints reported that Illinois has 60 public schools at which not one student was proficient at grade-level proficiency in reading or math.

The report also highlighted there were 23 schools, including 18 in Chicago, where no student demonstrated proficiency in either subject in 2022, another seven Illinois schools had zero proficiency in reading alone, and 30 had no students with proficiency in math alone.

These dismal educational statistics fall primarily on the backs of black and Hispanic students, but why no public outcry considering the leaders of these states and cities continually cite how the people of color lives matter, again why no outrage?

Where is the outrage from Black Lives Matter, Reverend Al Sharpton, and the entire Democratic Party in New York State?

The State of Illinois is an educational disaster, where over 70% of black and Hispanic children are deficient at grade level in math and reading, but crickets from those who claim Black Lives Matter.

Current Mayor of Chicago Lori Lightfoot decries racism at every turn, but she has direct oversite of the entire Chicago Unified School District, but currently Black children make up 75% of the student body, but yet over 70% can’t read or do math to grade level.

This despite the school district in Chicago spends $29,000 per student, yet 70% of black and Hispanic student are deficient in math and English, where is Illinois favorite son, former President Barack Obama?

Incidentally, his children went to private school there entire life all the while championing public school for everyone else children just not his; Why?

Instead of doing whatever is necessary to raise academic achievement states and cities are going the opposite direction by lower standards, like the former mayor of New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio discussed and was pushing the ending the of gifted and talented programs

De Blasio‘s reasoning was under the guise of achieving equity because not enough blacks and Hispanics were able to enter the program, but instead of addressing the problem, his solution was to lowering everyone to the same educational level.

Other states such as Oregon are suspending or removing educational proficiency standards in writing, math, and English to graduate high school, in order to obtain equity in educational outcome.

With all its efforts regarding equity the state provides a dismal educational achievement level for black and Hispanic students, but instead of focusing on raising standards Oregon is going in the opposite direction by lowering standards.

Just last year, The California State University (CSU) Board of Trustees unanimously voted to end the use of standardized tests in its undergraduate admissions process. The board took the action this week when it approved CSU’s Committee on Educational Policy’s resolution to amend Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations thereby removing SAT and ACT tests from undergraduate admissions requirements.

The main driving force is to address equity in graduate admissions, but instead of examining why blacks and Hispanic disproportionally fail to gain entrance maybe the state should examine its dismal k-12 educational system.

Before the pandemic per California Department of Education 70% of black and Hispanic students were not proficient in math or English, and the situation has only gotten worse.

“Cal Matters” Columnist Dan Walter wrote that the pandemic underscored that too many of California’s elementary school students lack effective reading ability. EdSource noted that, prior to the pandemic, fewer than 50% of the state’s third-graders were reading at the expected level for their age. Three years later, after students had suffered through school closures and haphazard Zoom school that had dropped to 42%.

The question that has never been asked of California Governor Gavin Newsom, why are you so adamant about pushing public education, but then opt your children out to attend private school.

The entire focus has been about funding, but the U.S. spends roughly $800 bill on education from the federal, state and local governments, far more than any industrial country, but we have the worst results; why?

This is only a small sampling of why the key civil rights issue of our times is America’s failing Schools, if not addressed will severely impact the national security of the United States!