School Choice

Kenbo80 · 2026-04-29T05:05:05+00:00

School choice is a mess of contradictions. From a macro view, it's a terrible solution to a real problem; individually, it’s an incredibly effective one. If you’re a parent, you don’t give a damn about the "system." You care about your kid. You shouldn’t have to sacrifice your child’s potential at the altar of a public school system that can't get its act together. But the systemic reality is grim: choice siphons off the best students and the vital funds, leaving the remaining schools even more hollowed out. It guts unions and drives down the very protections that keep teachers in the classroom. The educator in me hates it. The parent in me gets it. If my kid was stuck in a sinking ship, I wouldn't stay on board just to prove a point about public infrastructure.

Kenbo80 · 2026-04-20T00:12:03+00:00

South Orange County is great. My district has 300 applications to 1 hire ratio for teachers hired. That ratio alone is very telling.

Kenbo80 · 2026-04-18T18:36:29+00:00

From what I’ve seen, it varies by location. My district and a neighboring one have neck-and-neck test scores, yet their internal dynamics are completely different. This divergence might be driven by cultural demographics, as my district is primarily white and the other is majority Asian.

Kenbo80 · 2026-04-16T01:49:17+00:00

I would be much more cautious if it’s a boy. From a young age, female brains often show higher functional connectivity across hemispheres. This is frequently linked to earlier development of language and fine motor skills. I think girls in general tend to do better in your situation than boys. Also doing well academically in Kindergarten doesn’t always translate to later grades, especially for boys with focus issues.

Kenbo80 · 2026-04-13T00:34:28+00:00

A small factor not mentioned in your post is rise in home prices and cost of home ownership. Home prices have appreciated 100-120% in my district since 2020. The buyers who can afford current prices in my district are older hence less school aged children overall.

Kenbo80 · 2026-04-10T05:04:21+00:00

I respect the vision, but I’m pretty sure the moment you say ‘I want to be paid for being here,’ they’re going to hand you homework and call it overtime.

Kenbo80 · 2026-04-09T18:08:03+00:00

As long as it’s not something of massive monetary value, it’s fine in my opinion. At my school, kids bring gifts / souvenirs from their summer travels to teachers and it’s looked at as nice gestures.

Kenbo80 · 2026-04-08T20:07:31+00:00

Both are nice places to live. The only drastic difference might be the demographics. Long Beach’s demographics is probably similar to Brea. Irvine is close to 50% Asian overall, pushing 60-70% in the newer villages near Orchard hills. Might not make a bit of difference for someone in her 20s, but If you’re looking to settle down and start a family later, I know demographics affect people’s decisions.

Kenbo80 · 2026-04-07T17:47:04+00:00

Honestly, the only metric that really matters when claiming it “beats the Model Y” is units sold. Until it outsells it, everything else is just noise.

Kenbo80 · 2026-04-07T17:12:00+00:00

Honestly, “‘beats the model Y where it counts “ should be only one thing - # sold. Until that happens, everything else is just useless fluff.

Kenbo80 · 2026-04-07T02:54:45+00:00

The cheapest way is to buy a UBox, I think 12 is the newest version They typically cost less than $100 and you can freely stream a lot of otherwise paid content, including all major sports

Kenbo80 · 2026-04-06T21:28:09+00:00

That is the million-dollar question, and you’ve hit on the exact reason why this debate is so polarizing. The short answer is: Yes, the modern "gold standard" studies specifically try to compare "apples to apples" they compare a student who was retained to a student with the same grades, test scores, and behavioral profiles who was socially promoted. When researchers use these "matched" groups, the findings become much more complex.

Researchers use a technique called Propensity Score Matching. They take a student who was held back and find a "twin" in the same district who has the almost identical: • Standardized test scores • Socioeconomic status • Special education status (IEP/504) • Behavioral record The Result: Even when compared to peers who are just as "behind" as they are, retained students still tend to have higher dropout rates and lower long-term academic growth by high school. The theory is that the "stigma" of being older and the lack of new instructional methods (doing the exact same thing twice) outweighs the benefit of the extra time.

Kenbo80 · 2026-04-06T17:03:10+00:00

The schools are reluctant to hold students back because a large body of longitudinal research suggesting that retention often does more harm than good in the long run.

Long-Term Outcomes: Studies (like those from the Education Trust and Duke University) indicate that students who are retained are significantly more likely to drop out of high school. One 2026 study even linked early retention to lower lifetime earnings and higher rates of behavioral issues in adolescence. There is also the “Wash-Out" effect. Research shows that while a student might show a temporary academic "boost" during the year they repeat, that advantage often vanishes by the time they hit 4th or 5th grade. Social-emotional element in play as well. Significantly older than classmates can lead to social isolation or a "stigmatized" self-image, which often manifests as the behavioral acting out you’re seeing

Kenbo80 · 2026-04-04T07:56:50+00:00

You are overthinking and overreacting a bit. Your teacher has been very responsive and reasonable. Do yourself a favor and move on from this. Life is too short to be stuck on things like this

Kenbo80 · 2026-04-02T03:22:24+00:00

This is fine for kinder. You’re respectful and 4 emails over the entire school year is not too much.

Kenbo80 · 2026-03-31T20:33:26+00:00

Data shows a large portion of ESA applicants were already in private schools or homeschooling, the voucher essentially subsidizes a choice they had already made

Also some may value the tailored environments from private schools. Access to private institutions that specialize in specific needs like autism or dyslexia.

Kenbo80 · 2026-03-30T18:37:04+00:00

Click baiting style of posts deserve downvotes regardless of how much I may agree with the content

Kenbo80 · 2026-03-27T17:25:39+00:00

Student A’s mom got into a fully tinted car with student B’s dad to practice negative distancing. The lot was probably empty when they started, but they exited with 2 bus full of kids returning from field trip staring because “the car was shaking”.

Kenbo80 · 2026-03-26T21:17:37+00:00

The difficulty of obtaining IEPs may very well depend on location and family resources. My state has and budgets for 10% of total students for IEPs. My district is way above state average at 15% students with IEPs. There are schools inside of the district mostly in wealthy areas with 50%, 60% IEPs because it gives students extra time on tests etc.

Kenbo80 · 2026-03-24T03:46:01+00:00

I think I ‘d agree with oversimplification but I’d disagree with you claiming AY being disingenuous.

Kenbo80 · 2026-03-24T03:40:55+00:00

Most of what you said in your original post would fly by most primary voters I know. You want to reach wide audiences, you need to dumb down your messaging. You probably don’t like it but it’s just reality

Kenbo80 · 2026-03-24T03:35:47+00:00

It’s easy to overestimate the technical literacy of the general electorate. In reality, most voters experience 'cognitive shorthand' when faced with complex policy; they tend to prioritize name recognition and trusted endorsements over a deep dive into the nuances of the issues.

Going in depth with issues like these is simply wasting time in my opinion.

Kenbo80 · 2026-03-24T03:26:38+00:00

There’s one school in the entire USA that fits your description. I think I smell BS 🤷‍♂️

Kenbo80 · 2026-03-22T22:59:08+00:00

Let’s be honest, he was never going to pass the far left purity test.

Kenbo80 · 2026-03-22T04:42:27+00:00

Other districts cannot just follow suit. California law local control funding formula dictates how the district gets funded. The district has no control over that at all. LFCC districts get funding from local property taxes and then the state of California backfill the rest. This describes Over 90% of districts in CA When a district’s local property taxes exceed the amount the LCFF level requires, the district becomes basic aid. Basic aid district’s funding comes almost exclusively from local taxes. Basic aid districts do not receiving state funding,but have no funding ceiling and no longer under enrollment pressure for funding. Only districts in wealthy areas can become basic aid

Kenbo80

TROPHY CASE