In a startling revelation, more than 50% of third graders in Los Angeles public schools are not reading at their expected grade level, according to a recent Board of Education presentation. This five-hour briefing was not just a report, but a roadmap outlining future strategies to address this pressing issue.

These figures are particularly concerning, as experts emphasize the importance of third grade as a pivotal stage in a child’s educational journey. It’s a time when reading proficiency can greatly influence a student’s long-term academic trajectory.

Currently, only 43.6% of third graders in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) meet the expected reading standards, compared to a slightly higher statewide average of 44.2%. This highlights a broader challenge that extends beyond just Los Angeles but across California.

Despite California’s status as a leader in educational spending, with an estimated budget of $107 billion last year, the results in LAUSD reveal critical shortcomings. Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho, however, appeared to downplay the significance of these failures in his response.

California leads the country in education spending, at an estimated $107 billion last year, but LAUSD Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho seemed to shrug off the failures.

“No one ever reaches all of the goals that are designed,” Carvalho said at a board meeting Wednesday.

Governor Newsom also praised Carvalho — who makes $440,000 per year — during his State of the State speech earlier this week. “I just want to say this to the teachers, the classified employees and to the parents of L.A. Unified school kids, you should be very proud of the progress you’re making,” he said.

He added Carvalho “has just been doing a remarkable job.” The Los Angeles Unified School District — the second largest in the nation — set a benchmark in 2021-2022 to get all third-grade student currently below grade level standards back up to grade level.

Instead, with only one year left in the 4-year plan, damning new data shows only about half of those students are now reading at grade level.

For math, only 36.8% of students in LAUSD are meeting or exceeding standards. Across the state, that number is 37.3%.

Yvonne Ng, whose daughter is in kindergarten at Braddock Drive Elementary School in Culver City, blasted Carvalho for dismissing the sprawling school system’s poor marks.

“If goals are set and not achieved, it is very important to recognize what are the reasons for it and think of ways to overcome them,” she said. “It is an irresponsible and reckless response from a superintendent of the second largest school district in this nation, largest in the state of California.”

The LAUSD also set a goal for 70% of its high school graduates to earn a C average or better in certain courses that prepare them for college by the end of the 2025-2006 school year. That number currently stands at 58.4% … well short of the 70% planners hope to reach.