Posts Tagged: 10 percent

California, shockingly, has the lowest literacy rate of any state

A volunteer teacher reads to a group of young children. (Photo: Monkey Business Images, via Shutterstock)

by WILL SHUCK posted 02.28.2022

Decades of underinvestment in schools, culture battles over bilingual education, and dizzying levels of income inequality have pushed California to the bottom of the pile, making it the least literate state in the nation. Nearly 1 in 4 people over the age of 15 lack the skills to decipher the words in this sentence. Only 77 percent of adults are considered mid to highly literate, according to the nonpartisan data crunchers at World Population Review.

California’s latest drought is already here

A dry field and barn off of Highway 152 in California's Pacheco Pass. (Photo: Hank Shiffman, via Shutterstock)

by CHUCK McFADDEN posted 03.31.2021

As if the COVID-19 epidemic, economic malaise, disrupted schooling and wildfires weren’t enough, California now finds itself heading for a drought. A big drought. In fact, the U.S. Drought Monitor says that 91 percent of the state is in a drought right now. 

Clock ticking on dispute over vaccination exemptions

A young boy watches as he is vaccinated. (Photo: JPC-PROD, via Shutterstock)

by JOAQUIN ROMERO posted 08.20.2019

A contentious, heavily amended attempt to tighten California’s mandatory vaccination law remains stalled in the Legislature with the deadline less than four weeks away. The measure would crack down on doctors who write fake medical exemptions for children.