Who Will Teach Students Needing Remedial Work?

Re “CSU Ousts 8.2% Over Weak Skills,” Jan. 29: So the California State University has dismissed about 3,000 students this year for failing to meet standards in basic skills in English or mathematics. How will these students be educated?

The community college system has traditionally complemented the CSU and University of California systems by providing non-transferable courses for students needing skills development. But Gov. Gray Davis’ budget-cut proposals reduce the number of students who can be served at the community colleges. Already the community colleges are eliminating class sections, laying off instructors and reducing academic services for students.

The governor is proposing to increase funding for CSU and UC even as those systems refuse to provide the education that skills-deprived students need. It adds up to a system that will result in more students who will not receive the education required to succeed in our increasingly complex economy.

If CSU doesn’t want to educate these thousands of students and insists on emulating UC’s practice of educating primarily the “easy cases” and concentrating on faculty research, so be it. But the state should shift higher-education funding to the community colleges, which are willing to do the more challenging work of educating the “hard cases.”

Don Goldberg

Los Angeles

*

I am a sophomore at Cal State Northridge. I successfully passed my last remedial class last year. As a Mexican American, coming from an immigrant household in which English is not my primary language, I have encountered difficulties in assimilating Spanish and English. My family’s ability to be involved in school and support my education has been limited.

Other important factors “are playing a role in the persistently high number of students who need remedial help in English.” Minority students often come from schools in poor neighborhoods. Although during my high school years I belonged to the honor society program and took Advanced Placement courses, I strived hard to attain my academic skills. I strongly recommend high school teachers “redouble [their] efforts to find ways to improve the teaching and learning process.” Improved teaching would minimize the percentage of students taking remedial classes and being dismissed from the CSU system.

Araceli Gonzalez

Reseda