Speaking on the John Ziegler radio program some months ago, California School Superintendent Jack O'Connell sang the "diversity is our strength" song, but also mentioned that students from a certain ethnic background don't place a high premium on female education. Despite bring pressed a few times, he refused to give a hint as to which group he was refering to.

He's still humming past failure:

O'Connell also waded into the immigration issue Tuesday [in a talke with the editorial board of the NC Times], saying public schools are required by law to educate any school-aged child in the state, regardless of immigration status.

"Twenty-five years ago there was a federal court decision that said, 'They're here,' " O'Connell said, emphasizing the federal mandates that require the state to provide a free, equal and appropriate public education for all.

Educating every student, regardless of origin, is not only required by law, but it's good for the state, O'Connell said.

"There's a reason we are the sixth- or seventh- largest economy in the world as a state, and that is our diversity," O'Connell said. "I think that's a strength."

I'm no education expert, and I fully realize that many "studies" are simply stories fashioned around an agenda, and I realize that other factors may be involved, but it didn't take much work to find out that we've got a major problem.

In the "Smartest State" chart, CA is at #47, in the friendly company of Nevada, Arizona, Mississippi, Alabama, Alaska, and Louisiana.

Another study was more favorable: CA was only at #34. The 2003 "National Assessment of Educational Progress" apparently didn't rank other states, but doesn't give CA high marks.

Continuing his idiocy:

One of the best ways to meet the needs of minority students in cities such as Oakland and Los Angeles where "more than 100 languages are spoken" is to hire minority teachers from the same background, O'Connell said.

"If you want to understand the culture, the traditions, the language, the buying characteristics of those countries, hire people from there --- and they're already here," O'Connell said.

Of course, that will also have the effect of retarding assimilation, as well as helping create race-, ethnicity-, and country or state of origin-based centers of political power, but don't expect O'Connell to either be able to figure that out or to oppose it.

Related:
20% of California high school seniors can't pass junior high test
"English-immersion foes hold children back"