Newsom visits school in Compton, touts statewide education programs

COMPTON, Calif. (KABC) -- Governor Gavin Newsom toured Clinton Elementary School in Compton Thursday, recognizing Compton Unified School District's recent gains in academic scores, while also pushing his statewide education goals.

"We have seen academic growth that outpaces almost all districts in the state of California and across the nation," said Dr. Darin Brawley, the Compton Unified School District Superintendent.

Brawley hosted Newsom, who was pushing his Golden State Literacy Plan, a promise to continue increasing California's rising reading skills.

The price tag is well into the billions of dollars, a bold move during a time when California is facing a $12 billion drop in state revenues.

Among the programs Newsom is funding, there is one that would reduce the student-teacher ratio from 12-to-1 to 10-to-1. Another program funds Transitional Kindergarten classes in every school district. And at the cost of $4.4 billion, Newsom wants "After School for All" and "Summer School for All" programs to begin.

"Nine hours a day of enriched learning opportunity and a minimum of 30 days during the summer of subsidized learning," Newsom touted. "Unprecedented in California history."

Newsom mentioned that his own struggles with dyslexia have spurred his determination to increase literacy in California.

"People were persistent and had my back, and people didn't give up on me," Newsom said about how he was able to overcome the learning disability. "I struggle with it every single day. There's not a day where my dyslexia does not expose itself."