California's Failing Schools

It is no secret: the California public school system is a disaster. Everyone knows it. The scads of articles on the subject speak to it.

A sampling of what we're talking about:

From The Guardian, California schools were once the nation's envy. What went wrong?
From the California Policy Center, Too Many Kids Are Failing In California, and So Is The Education Establishment
From the California Globe, The Failure of K-12 Remote Learning Education in California
From City Journal, California's Misguided Education Spending
From the Republican Party of Sacramento County, Is California's Education System Failing Our Students?
From MSN, Large California school districts eliminate 'D' and 'F' grades
From SF Gate, Why California keeps failing to grade its schools
From the Redwood Bark, Why public schools in California deserve an F for failing their own students

So yeah, most people recognize that California schools have a very serious problem.

What can we do about it? Well, the first thing that comes to mind is elect people who are willing to address the problem. And yes, get involved! Go to school board meetings. Talk to teachers and parents. It is no longer acceptable to remain silent, giving tacit approval to those in leadership positions.

Teachers now have choices

Thanks to the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Janus v. AFSCME, the First Amendment rights of teachers throughout the United States have been restored. Teachers can now decide for themselves whether or not to join a union or association; membership can no longer be mandated.

California teachers now have options with regard to untion membership!

Educators are now stepping up and taking the simple teacher's freedom pledge:

Teacher Freedom pledge

I will make sure I am aware of all of my First Amendment rights, including my rights to join, or not join, a teaching association.
I will exercise those rights every year by exploring my options and making the decision that best meets my needs, and the needs of my students and school.
I will do my best to make sure my colleagues are aware of their rights and options.
I will not allow anyone to pressure, bully, or coerce me into a membership decision to any organization, and I will stand up for any colleague if they are being pressured, bullied, or coerced into a decision.
I will expect my colleagues to support me in whatever membership decision I make, and I in turn, will respect their wisdom and their right to decide what is best for them.