Seventy-five percent of fourth grade children can’t read at or above a proficient level, and the same percentage of eighth-graders tested below proficiency in math achievement.
Health leaders and children’s advocates in California and across the Coachella Valley are troubled, but not all that surprised, by a new report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation that ranks the state among the lowest in the country for child well-being.
California was ranked 41st nationally in the 2013 Kids Count Data Book, showing almost no improvement from last year.
The state, which is home to 13 percent of the nation’s children, received a placement of 29th on children’s health, 39th on education, 42nd on family and community, and 46th on economic well-being.
“These are the people that are going to be in charge,” said Glen Grayman, president of the board of the Desert Healthcare District and Health Assessment Resource Center. “These are the people who are our collective future, and that we’re collectively treating them in this manner is sad.”
[…]
