California education candidate Richard Barrera addresses math skills and SAT requirements

<p>California state superintendent candidate Richard Barrera faced criticism from his opponent and education advocates after stating that it is the responsibility of UC professors to teach students who arrive without basic math skills, while rejecting the reinstatement of standardized testing requirements. This discussion arose as the University of California addresses concerns regarding college readiness.</p><p>Barrera, who is the president of the San Diego Unified School District Board of Education and a senior policy advisor to state superintendent Tony Thurmond, made these comments during an interview with NBC Los Angeles political reporter Conan Nolan. He was asked about the potential return of the SAT as a requirement for the UC system amidst concerns from professors about students entering elite universities lacking foundational math skills.</p><p>"Absolutely not," Barrera responded. "So math teachers at UCLA and Berkeley and every place else, part of your job that you get paid by the taxpayers to do is to teach our kids."</p><p>Barrera later told Fox News Digital that concerns regarding UC students' ability to perform basic math were "completely overstated," suggesting that some incoming students simply need a review of subjects they had not studied recently, and that universities share the responsibility for helping them catch up.</p><p>"I do think that this idea that students are coming in not knowing fractions is completely overstated," Barrera stated. "What we're seeing is students who take a placement test, in the summer before they attend their freshman year at UC, who might miss questions on algebra, on trigonometry, maybe subjects that they haven't had in a couple of years. That's just about review and acceleration."</p><p>Barrera emphasized that the issue is not about students being incapable of doing the work, but rather about needing some review and acceleration, and that the UC system should participate in that process.</p><p>Chino Valley Unified School District Board President Sonja Shaw, Barrera's opponent in the upcoming election for state superintendent of public instruction, criticized Barrera's response, stating that it shifted responsibility away from California's K-12 education system. "Richard Barrera heard professors at Berkeley and UCLA sound the alarm that incoming students can’t do elementary-school math and his immediate response was to blame the professors," Shaw said.</p><p>Corey DeAngelis, a research fellow at The Heritage Foundation, commented that Barrera's opposition to standardized testing protects California's K-12 education system from accountability regarding students reaching college without foundational math skills. "Richard Barrera’s answer tells you everything you need to know about who he works for," DeAngelis stated.</p><p>During the interview, Barrera acknowledged that some students have overcome significant obstacles to reach university campuses, asserting that they are capable of learning quickly with the right support. He argued against the notion of excluding students based on their math skills.</p><p>Tina Descovich, CEO and co-founder of Moms for Liberty, noted that students arriving at college without foundational skills reflect issues that began years earlier in their education. "A child who can't do fractions at 18 was a child who couldn't do fractions at ten, and the system knew it," she said.</p><p>The discussion follows an open letter signed by over 1,400 faculty members calling for the restoration of SAT and ACT math requirements for STEM applicants, with more than 3,000 faculty members expressing concerns about academic preparation by August.</p><p>According to California's state testing results, 30.49% of 11th graders met or exceeded the standard in mathematics, compared to 56.96% in English language arts. DeAngelis argued that these results undermine the claim that students reaching college without foundational math skills merely need additional support.</p><p>Barrera defended his stance against reinstating SAT or ACT requirements, stating that concerns about students needing additional academic preparation existed before the decision to eliminate standardized tests and that these exams have historically excluded some applicants.</p><p>Shaw concluded that the state should focus on ensuring that students master core subjects before entering college, emphasizing the need for high standards in K-12 education.</p>