CALIFORNIA FACES LAWSUIT OVER ‘LITERACY CRISIS’

A group of lawyers representing teachers and students from poorly performing schools is suing California because so many schoolchildren do not know how to read and they argue the state has done nothing about it.

The advocacy law firm, Public Counsel, demands the Department of Education respond to the “literacy crisis” and implement recommendations to address the problem that were proposed in a state report five years ago.

“When it comes to literacy and the delivery of basic education, California is dragging down the nation,” Public Counsel lawyer Mark Rosenbaum said.

Statewide English assessments found less than half of California students from grades 3 to 5 have met statewide literacy standards since 2015.