The Williams Case

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that the settlement of the Eliezer Williams, et al., vs. State of California, et al. (Williams) case, a class action in 2000 in San Francisco County Superior Court, provided additional funding for low-performing schools. The author points out that the case enumerates a definition of an adequate level of education by listing things that a child should be taught in school, both academically and socially, such as "each child will be equipped as a citizen to make informed choices," "self-knowledge and knowledge of the total environment so as to allow each child to choose life work intelligently," and "social ethics, both behavioral and abstract, to facilitate compatibility with others". The paper relates that three models may be successfully be used by the California Quality Education Commission to determine the cost of an adequate education program, including the cost function model, the observational model, and the professional judgment model, which is often referred to as the resource cost model and has several advantages.

From the Paper:

"Additionally, some educators have expressed their doubts as to whether the amounts mentioned would actually be enough to make a significant difference or rather whether they would be enough to reach every one of the students in the 2,400 schools implicated in the settlement. This may be so, however, in my opinion, it is hard to evaluate what the actual cost would be, even if we may use several methods to determine the cost of minimum education level (presented here below). In this sense, it is much better to start somewhere and work on the way to achieve what the final scope may be. In my opinion, the settlement provides the very basis of a serious change and improvement of public education in California. The fact that the state has decided to stop the legal and judicial bickering and actually act upon its mission, that of providing equal opportunities for everyone, shows a great step forward."

More papers on The Williams Case:

• Analytical Essay # 57085 : "The Williams Case"
• Persuasive Essay # 57245 : "The Williams Case Settlement"
• Article Review # 139399 : "The Markoplus Case" - An Article Review"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: