School Spending

It is absurd that California provides schools $2,000 to $3,000 per student less than states like New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. All our schools are under-funded, which gives us our high class sizes.

It is even more absurd to compare La Jolla and Lincoln high schools in terms of allocated funding (“School-by-School Spending Figures Cause Consternation,” Nov. 11). Neighborhood resources, level of parent education and home support systems do not compare.

All San Diego schools need the smaller class sizes and support programs which greater funding provides, but minority isolated schools especially do. Of 141 incoming Lincoln ninth-graders who were tested for reading, 113 (80.1%) were below grade level and 58 (41.1%) were at or below sixth-grade level.

La Jolla High School has the same acknowledged problems as Lincoln High School, but there it is primarily limited to the African-Americans and Latinos who voluntarily take the bus to other schools. Shame on Principal J.M. Tarvin for his divisive, self-serving remarks.

Having taught at Lincoln and “north of I-8,” I know that there is no more dedicated staff of teaching professionals anywhere than at Lincoln. While site control over the school budget may happen, and we may be able to use it more wisely, any progress will still come in incremental steps. That progress will come despite the political rhetoric.

DON CRAWFORD

Social Studies Department Chairperson

Lincoln High School