October 20 The system 

Edaucation is a wild animal in the state of California .Like Australia there is schooling that will help  your child get ahead , mainly private schools and some public schools . Here it’s a little different . There is huge fluctuations . Some public schools , actually a lot, produce pass marks in English and maths that are well below 50%. Lower socio economic areas are a factor but funding seems to strike at the core . It is a shock to everything you’ve always been accustomed to as an Aussie . Last night Emma and I were shown a heap of stats and facts about funding and success rates in Californian schools . Independence and deregulation is big here but I am blown away that public schools in heavily populated counties regularly produce results that are unsatisfactory.It wouldn’t be allowed back in Australia, these schools would be put in administration . Hermosa Beach is the least funded school in the state . It also is one of the best performing. The short fall is made up by the parents . Fundraising. It is a relentless cycle of events , petitions , collections , galas and requests that invade your kids school bag on a weekly occurrence. I was drinking a few nice IPAs last night so I may be  a bit cloudy with my facts , but the parents in Hermosa are relied upon to raise 1. 4 million dollars each year to fund their school . There is a pressure to donate and to volunteer that I havn’t experienced. It’s a noble cause but there are problems . Not every one can afford it , and the women who chair the fundraising committee know who does donate and how much. It’s an expensive part of the world to live , a large section of the community rent. $50 000 would be a reasonable annual amount paid on rent alone for most families . It is a shock to then realise that your public school is really not ran this way . It is private in a real sense , as it relys largely on private funds . Almost every week that spare $100 you thought you could spend at a nice restaraunt is sliced and diced into raffle tickets , more crayons and materials and a never ending request for petty cash . It’s eye rolling stuff but what do you do ? There feels an undercurrent of ‘name and shame ‘ to those who don’t commit . Education is critical , it’s college or hamburger flipping . No in between . Self preservation and relentlessly rattling tins is a way of life here . It’s the only way to keep your kids ahead of the pack.