Powell: The crisis is in K-12 schools

The Sun-Star has run two editorial opinions supporting Proposition 30, parroting The Modesto Bee regarding saving Modesto Junior College and California State University, Stanislaus, the pitch obviously aimed at college students of voting age. This seems to ignore that the reported crisis in our schools is in the elementary-high school grades.

I see this as just more of the same old philosophy that has guided California politicians for several decades. That is to repair damaged structures from the roof down, rather than from the foundation up.

It is discouraging to see the Sun-Star editor not credit his/her source, but less so than seeing the governor plugging Proposition 30 on TV surrounded by elementary age children whose age group gets no direct (if any) benefit from the proposition.

I expect that within the next decade California parents of elementary and high school students will come to realize that the educational goals of parents and the teachers' unions are not the same.

It is a realization that has been a slow train comin', to use an old California expression.

JOSEPH POWELL

Atwater

Editor's note: The Sun-Star and The Modesto Bee are both owned by McClatchy Newspapers and often share editorial content.