If you want higher income, it’s more important to study math in high school than to graduate high school. That’s from two separate studies, and it’s reason enough to keep standards high, says Gus Mattammal. In his book A is for Average, the candidate for Superintendent of Public Instruction argues against dumbing down math education in the name of “equity” because in doing so, Black students lose out on earnings potential.
Read MoreAs another hopeless regional transit tax rumbles towards Bay Area residents this fall (SB63, advanced by Mayor Mahan and the San Jose City Council) the inestimable Randal O'Toole explains why throwing good money after bad mass transit ideas is always a mistake, and VTA is Exhibit A, in this Opp Now exclusive.
Read MoreOpp Now contributor Cristabel Cruz says people should ignore requests to vote for the lesser of two evils, and should vote their consciences instead. What a refreshing concept. An Opp Now exclusive.
Read MoreWhile the SJ Mayor offers a state-level plan to “spend better”, he currently sits on the board of the VTA, an “extremely costly” and structurally defective transit agency. So says past state Assembly candidate Ted Stroll, who wants voters to elect VTA board members directly. An Opportunity Now exclusive reaction.
Read MoreMayor Mahan is right about one thing: Californians shouldn’t be asked to pay more until the government does better. But his spending proposal amounts to managerial reform, not structural reform, according to Peter Verbica, Candidate for U.S. Congress, CA-19. An Opportunity Now exclusive reaction.
Read MoreWe asked our resident marketing expert (Philip Davenport works for an ad agency in Brooklyn) to take a look at two ads from the California governor's race: Matt Mahan's and Tom Steyer's. We asked Philip to keep the politics out of it, and just view the ads as he would if he were a client giving feedback to the agency. Philip is not a CA voter and assures us he wouldn't vote for either candidate. An Opportunity Now exclusive.
Read MoreSure, the SJ mayor is right to point out that California’s budget is broken, but by what standard will Mahan measure his results, asks Mark Moses, author of The Municipal Financial Crisis. He says the CA gov candidate’s spending plan doesn’t even hint at what real accountability would look like. An Opportunity Now exclusive reaction.
Read More“Even some who favor preferences in admissions would likely balk at a better package of aid simply because of an applicant’s race,” writes William McGurn in a WSJ opinion piece: ACA 7 would allow schools to offer more financial aid money to a wealthy black student, and on better terms, than to a poor Asian student.
Read MoreWith a heavy application of performance metrics, Matt Mahan’s statespending plan draws from the same formula as his San Jose mayoral race, says SVBA’s Pat Waite. He warns that a Governor Mahan would have to work through intractable grit at the state level. An Opportunity Now exclusive reaction.
Read MoreGubernatorial candidate Matt Mahan’s spending plan for CA does a good job of diagnosing California’s fiscal maladies, but his proposed treatment is not enough to cure the patient, according to Marc Joffe. An Opportunity Now exclusive reaction.
Read MoreUnder pressure to address San Jose’s massive budget shortfall, CA gubernatorial candidate Mayor Matt Mahan talked up “charitable or commercial ventures” as if they were “core municipal functions.” They’re not, says Mark Moses, author of The Municipal Financial Crisis: instead of chasing the glamour of being a sports destination, leaders should first make sure you can park your car downtown without it getting stolen. An Opportunity Now exclusive Q&A response.
Read MoreA corrosive teaching fad that made children bad at reading has long since been debunked, says Gus Mattammal in his education policy book A is for Average. But California has been slow to replace it with a proven method that would help the state’s most disadvantaged students. The candidate for Superintendent of Public Instruction argues that cynical and ideological forces are to blame.
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