{"id":9679,"date":"2025-08-09T19:44:11","date_gmt":"2025-08-10T03:44:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/inedc.com\/24\/?p=9679"},"modified":"2025-08-09T19:44:11","modified_gmt":"2025-08-10T03:44:11","slug":"why-schools-are-broken-and-how-el-dorado-county-can-help-fix-them","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/inedc.com\/24\/government\/why-schools-are-broken-and-how-el-dorado-county-can-help-fix-them\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Schools Are Broken \u2014 And How El Dorado County Can Help Fix Them"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Cris Alarcon, InEDC Writer. (Aug 9, 2025)<\/p>\n

EL DORADO HILLS, Calif. \u2014 The U.S. public school system was built in a different century for a different workforce, and local educators and experts say it is showing the strain as students face academic declines and a national mental-health emergency that schools were never designed to handle. National testing results and federal health surveys, they warn, point to systemic gaps that local districts and community organizations here in El Dorado County are beginning to address \u2014 but many advocates say deeper structural change is needed. Nations Report Card<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/span>CDC<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cThe public school system in America was never designed for the world we live in now,\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

wrote Justin MacDonald, head of The Academy at District Church in El Dorado Hills, in a recent opinion piece arguing the system prizes conformity over discovery.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cWe need to stop viewing school as a place to stuff heads with facts. It should be a place where students can discover who they are and why they matter.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

What the numbers say<\/strong>
\nNationally, long-term NAEP (the Nation\u2019s Report Card) assessments show reading and math scores for 13-year-olds have slipped to levels not seen in decades \u2014 declines educators tie to pandemic disruptions, chronic absenteeism and widening opportunity gaps. The long-term trend assessment recorded multi-point drops compared with pre-pandemic baselines and larger declines compared with a decade earlier. Nations Report Card<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

At the same time, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports alarming mental-health trends: about four in 10 high school students said they experienced persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness in the past year, and one in five seriously considered attempting suicide, according to the 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Those figures, officials say, place new and urgent expectations on schools to serve as mental-health front lines. CDC<\/span>+1<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Local response and capacity<\/strong>
\nLocally, the El Dorado County Office of Education has bolstered student support services, citing mental-health and wellness as a top priority and marshaling programs designed to expand counseling, crisis response and social-emotional learning across district campuses. County Superintendent Dr. Ed Manansala has led efforts to expand partnerships and professional development aimed at identifying and supporting students in crisis. edcoe.org<\/span>+1<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

But those programs \u2014 while essential \u2014 address symptoms more than root causes, according to MacDonald and national policy analysts. MacDonald says standard measures of success, chiefly standardized tests, fail to capture skills like resilience, identity formation and the ability to navigate adult life.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cWhen we reduce kids to test scores, we reduce their future potential,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

What reformers and think tanks are saying<\/strong>
\nA growing chorus of education scholars suggests the next phase must move beyond incremental \u201creform\u201d and toward a broader \u201crethinking\u201d of schooling \u2014 preserving strong academics while also reimagining metrics, school culture and teacher roles. The American Enterprise Institute has urged policymakers and school leaders to use pandemic disruption as an opening to reconceive how schools work and what success looks like. American Enterprise Institute<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Other research organizations emphasize that learning happens best in safe, supportive communities rather than rigid, industrial models of schooling. Building a school culture that explicitly supports students\u2019 social and emotional needs \u2014 and trains staff to sustain that environment \u2014 is increasingly presented as central to improving both well-being and achievement. The Thomas B. Fordham Institute<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Practical steps \u2014 locally and statewide<\/strong>
\nMacDonald offers three practical starting points that align with measures being piloted in some districts:<\/p>\n

\u2022 Reimagine metrics: Supplement state assessments with indicators of creativity, collaboration and character so that school success is measured in broader terms than short, high-stakes tests.
\u2022 One-on-one coaching: Scale individualized advising or coaching programs that help students identify strengths, career pathways and coping strategies outside the classroom.
\u2022 Change the culture: Invest in staff training and schoolwide routines that teach emotional regulation, conflict resolution and civic skills as core parts of the day.<\/p>\n

Local districts in El Dorado County already have pieces of this work underway \u2014 from countywide wellness teams to expanded counseling capacity \u2014 but administrators say sustained funding, policy flexibility and community buy-in are required to scale pilot projects into lasting change. edcoe.org<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Who stands to gain \u2014 and who to watch<\/strong>
\nStakeholders include students and families, local districts (including El Dorado Union High School District), county education leaders, faith-based educational programs such as The Academy at District Church, and state policymakers who control accountability rules and funding. Private and nonprofit partners \u2014 from mental-health providers to after-school programs \u2014 can also expand capacity if districts ease regulatory barriers and prioritize support services in budgets.<\/p>\n

A path forward will likely require a blend of local innovation and state-level policy shifts: flexible accountability models, targeted grants for coaching and mental-health services, and teacher preparation that blends academic expertise with social-emotional skill building.<\/p>\n

\u2014 \u2014 \u2014<\/p>\n

For now, MacDonald\u2019s message is simple and familiar: schools must stop treating children principally as vessels for tested content and start preparing them as people for life\u2019s complexity.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cRethinking education doesn\u2019t start with the next round of policy updates,\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

he wrote.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cWhen students know they are loved and capable, both they and their educators can begin to remove systemic dysfunction.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Reporting note: National testing and health statistics cited above are from the National Assessment of Educational Progress and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Local program information was drawn from the El Dorado County Office of Education.<\/em><\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

By Justin MacDonald, Guest Columnist, the head of The Academy at District Church in El Dorado Hill. (Aug 9, 2025)<\/p>\n

\n

The American public school system was never built for the world our children live in today. It was designed over a century ago for an economy that needed factory workers \u2014 where following orders mattered more than asking questions, and uniformity was the gold standard. Back then, preparing students for repetitive, predictable work made sense. But that world is gone.<\/p>\n

Our children \u2014 Gen Z and Gen Alpha \u2014 aren\u2019t headed to assembly lines. They are stepping into a world of constant change, rapid technological shifts, and unprecedented mental-health challenges. The cracks in our educational foundation have become impossible to ignore.<\/p>\n

The latest National Assessment of Educational Progress shows reading and math scores among 13-year-olds at their lowest levels in decades. At the same time, the CDC reports that nearly 40% of high school students feel persistent sadness or hopelessness \u2014 a staggering rise over the past decade. These are not small, isolated issues. They are symptoms of a system struggling to prepare young people for real life.<\/p>\n

And yet, we still measure success primarily through standardized tests. We rarely ask if a student can manage stress, think critically, or build healthy relationships. When we reduce kids to test scores, we reduce their potential \u2014 and in doing so, we shortchange their futures.<\/p>\n

In El Dorado County, we have an opportunity to do better. We can start by reimagining the role of education altogether. That means changing our metrics to value creativity, collaboration, and character alongside academic achievement. It means ensuring every student has access to one-on-one coaching that helps them see their value beyond grades. And it means addressing school culture so that emotional resilience and confidence are as important as test scores.<\/p>\n

Reform that tweaks standards or shuffles curriculum around the edges won\u2019t cut it. We must remember that schools are not factories; they should be communities. Communities nurture, challenge, and shape character. Factories do not.<\/p>\n

Rethinking education isn\u2019t about the next policy update from Sacramento or Washington. It starts with remembering why we educate in the first place. When students know they are loved and capable, real learning can happen. When we commit to building schools that develop whole people \u2014 not just test-takers \u2014 we will finally begin to fix what\u2019s broken.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Justin MacDonald is the head of The Academy at District Church in El Dorado Hills. The views expressed here are his own.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

NAEP scores and CDC surveys reveal a crisis in academics and student mental health. Local leaders in El Dorado County say the fix starts with rethinking testing, coaching students and building supportive school cultures<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9680,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":{"format":"standard","override":[{"template":"7","parallax":"1","layout":"no-sidebar-narrow","sidebar":"default-sidebar","second_sidebar":"default-sidebar","sticky_sidebar":"1","share_position":"float","share_float_style":"share-normal","show_share_counter":"1","show_view_counter":"1","show_featured":"1","show_post_meta":"1","show_post_author":"1","show_post_author_image":"1","show_post_date":"1","post_date_format":"default","post_date_format_custom":"Y\/m\/d","show_post_category":"1","post_reading_time_wpm":"300","post_calculate_word_method":"str_word_count","show_zoom_button":"0","zoom_button_out_step":"2","zoom_button_in_step":"3","show_post_tag":"1","show_popup_post":"1","number_popup_post":"1","show_author_box":"1","show_post_related":"1","show_inline_post_related":"1"}],"image_override":[{"single_post_thumbnail_size":"crop-500","single_post_gallery_size":"crop-500"}],"trending_post_position":"meta","trending_post_label":"Trending","sponsored_post_label":"Sponsored by","disable_ad":"0","subtitle":"Urgent NAEP and CDC findings push local leaders to rethink testing, mental-health care and classroom culture"},"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"jnews_override_counter":{"view_counter_number":"0","share_counter_number":"0","like_counter_number":"0","dislike_counter_number":"0"},"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9679","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-government"],"yoast_head":"\nWhy Schools Are Broken \u2014 And How El Dorado County Can Help Fix Them - Placerville NewsWire<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"NAEP test drops and a youth mental-health crisis demand a new model. Local leaders and educators outline practical fixes for El Dorado County\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"http:\/\/inedc.com\/24\/government\/why-schools-are-broken-and-how-el-dorado-county-can-help-fix-them\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Why Schools Are Broken \u2014 And How El Dorado County Can Help Fix Them - Placerville NewsWire\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"NAEP test drops and a youth mental-health crisis demand a new model. Local leaders and educators outline practical fixes for El Dorado County\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"http:\/\/inedc.com\/24\/government\/why-schools-are-broken-and-how-el-dorado-county-can-help-fix-them\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Placerville NewsWire\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/groups\/EDCnewswire\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/groups\/EDCnewswire\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-08-10T03:44:11+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/inedc.com\/24\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Justin-MacDonald.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"400\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"400\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Cris Alarcon\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@https:\/\/twitter.com\/inedccom\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@inedccom\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Cris Alarcon\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/inedc.com\\\/24\\\/government\\\/why-schools-are-broken-and-how-el-dorado-county-can-help-fix-them\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/inedc.com\\\/24\\\/government\\\/why-schools-are-broken-and-how-el-dorado-county-can-help-fix-them\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Cris Alarcon\",\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/inedc.com\\\/24\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/6fe000a08266795285f981ef371f05f2\"},\"headline\":\"Why Schools Are Broken \u2014 And How El Dorado County Can Help Fix Them\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-08-10T03:44:11+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/inedc.com\\\/24\\\/government\\\/why-schools-are-broken-and-how-el-dorado-county-can-help-fix-them\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1306,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/inedc.com\\\/24\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/inedc.com\\\/24\\\/government\\\/why-schools-are-broken-and-how-el-dorado-county-can-help-fix-them\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"http:\\\/\\\/inedc.com\\\/24\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/08\\\/Justin-MacDonald.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Government\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"http:\\\/\\\/inedc.com\\\/24\\\/government\\\/why-schools-are-broken-and-how-el-dorado-county-can-help-fix-them\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/inedc.com\\\/24\\\/government\\\/why-schools-are-broken-and-how-el-dorado-county-can-help-fix-them\\\/\",\"url\":\"http:\\\/\\\/inedc.com\\\/24\\\/government\\\/why-schools-are-broken-and-how-el-dorado-county-can-help-fix-them\\\/\",\"name\":\"Why Schools Are Broken \u2014 And How El Dorado County Can Help Fix Them - Placerville NewsWire\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/inedc.com\\\/24\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/inedc.com\\\/24\\\/government\\\/why-schools-are-broken-and-how-el-dorado-county-can-help-fix-them\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/inedc.com\\\/24\\\/government\\\/why-schools-are-broken-and-how-el-dorado-county-can-help-fix-them\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"http:\\\/\\\/inedc.com\\\/24\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/08\\\/Justin-MacDonald.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-08-10T03:44:11+00:00\",\"description\":\"NAEP test drops and a youth mental-health crisis demand a new model. Local leaders and educators outline practical fixes for El Dorado County\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/inedc.com\\\/24\\\/government\\\/why-schools-are-broken-and-how-el-dorado-county-can-help-fix-them\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"http:\\\/\\\/inedc.com\\\/24\\\/government\\\/why-schools-are-broken-and-how-el-dorado-county-can-help-fix-them\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en\",\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/inedc.com\\\/24\\\/government\\\/why-schools-are-broken-and-how-el-dorado-county-can-help-fix-them\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"http:\\\/\\\/inedc.com\\\/24\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/08\\\/Justin-MacDonald.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"http:\\\/\\\/inedc.com\\\/24\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/08\\\/Justin-MacDonald.jpg\",\"width\":400,\"height\":400,\"caption\":\"Justin MacDonald, head of The Academy at District Church in El Dorado Hills\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/inedc.com\\\/24\\\/government\\\/why-schools-are-broken-and-how-el-dorado-county-can-help-fix-them\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"http:\\\/\\\/inedc.com\\\/24\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Why Schools Are Broken \u2014 And How El Dorado County Can Help Fix Them\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/inedc.com\\\/24\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"http:\\\/\\\/inedc.com\\\/24\\\/\",\"name\":\"News InEDC\",\"description\":\"Comprehensive News . In El Dorado County - InEDC.com\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/inedc.com\\\/24\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"http:\\\/\\\/inedc.com\\\/24\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/inedc.com\\\/24\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"News InEDC\",\"url\":\"http:\\\/\\\/inedc.com\\\/24\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en\",\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/inedc.com\\\/24\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"http:\\\/\\\/inedc.com\\\/24\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/01\\\/logo-1.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"http:\\\/\\\/inedc.com\\\/24\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/01\\\/logo-1.png\",\"width\":400,\"height\":128,\"caption\":\"News InEDC\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/inedc.com\\\/24\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/groups\\\/EDCnewswire\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/inedccom\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/inedc.com\\\/24\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/6fe000a08266795285f981ef371f05f2\",\"name\":\"Cris Alarcon\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e7e14e06508c2268b6f72e5713ecbbdf36482501dd12b326035e8591505c3bb?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e7e14e06508c2268b6f72e5713ecbbdf36482501dd12b326035e8591505c3bb?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e7e14e06508c2268b6f72e5713ecbbdf36482501dd12b326035e8591505c3bb?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Cris Alarcon\"},\"description\":\"Former Member: Executive Board of Directors, Treasurer, Boys & Girl Club of El Dorado County Western Slope. - Former Member: Board of Directors, Treasurer, Food Bank of El Dorado County. - Opening Team Dealer at Red Hawk Casino - Retried EDC Elections Department Inspector. - Chairman of El Dorado County Charter Review Committee, Youngest Charter Member of the Hangtown Kennel Club. - Political Strategist and Campaign Manager.\",\"sameAs\":[\"http:\\\/\\\/inedc.com\\\/24\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/groups\\\/EDCnewswire\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/https:\\\/\\\/twitter.com\\\/inedccom\",\"https:\\\/\\\/studio.youtube.com\\\/channel\\\/UCPFu68Ud5AouF2N14NzLeyw\\\/videos\"],\"url\":\"http:\\\/\\\/inedc.com\\\/24\\\/author\\\/admin\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Why Schools Are Broken \u2014 And How El Dorado County Can Help Fix Them - Placerville NewsWire","description":"NAEP test drops and a youth mental-health crisis demand a new model. Local leaders and educators outline practical fixes for El Dorado County","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"http:\/\/inedc.com\/24\/government\/why-schools-are-broken-and-how-el-dorado-county-can-help-fix-them\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Why Schools Are Broken \u2014 And How El Dorado County Can Help Fix Them - Placerville NewsWire","og_description":"NAEP test drops and a youth mental-health crisis demand a new model. Local leaders and educators outline practical fixes for El Dorado County","og_url":"http:\/\/inedc.com\/24\/government\/why-schools-are-broken-and-how-el-dorado-county-can-help-fix-them\/","og_site_name":"Placerville NewsWire","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/groups\/EDCnewswire","article_author":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/groups\/EDCnewswire","article_published_time":"2025-08-10T03:44:11+00:00","og_image":[{"width":400,"height":400,"url":"http:\/\/inedc.com\/24\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Justin-MacDonald.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Cris Alarcon","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@https:\/\/twitter.com\/inedccom","twitter_site":"@inedccom","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Cris Alarcon","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"http:\/\/inedc.com\/24\/government\/why-schools-are-broken-and-how-el-dorado-county-can-help-fix-them\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"http:\/\/inedc.com\/24\/government\/why-schools-are-broken-and-how-el-dorado-county-can-help-fix-them\/"},"author":{"name":"Cris Alarcon","@id":"http:\/\/inedc.com\/24\/#\/schema\/person\/6fe000a08266795285f981ef371f05f2"},"headline":"Why Schools Are Broken \u2014 And How El Dorado County Can Help Fix Them","datePublished":"2025-08-10T03:44:11+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"http:\/\/inedc.com\/24\/government\/why-schools-are-broken-and-how-el-dorado-county-can-help-fix-them\/"},"wordCount":1306,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"http:\/\/inedc.com\/24\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"http:\/\/inedc.com\/24\/government\/why-schools-are-broken-and-how-el-dorado-county-can-help-fix-them\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"http:\/\/inedc.com\/24\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Justin-MacDonald.jpg","articleSection":["Government"],"inLanguage":"en","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["http:\/\/inedc.com\/24\/government\/why-schools-are-broken-and-how-el-dorado-county-can-help-fix-them\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/inedc.com\/24\/government\/why-schools-are-broken-and-how-el-dorado-county-can-help-fix-them\/","url":"http:\/\/inedc.com\/24\/government\/why-schools-are-broken-and-how-el-dorado-county-can-help-fix-them\/","name":"Why Schools Are Broken \u2014 And How El Dorado County Can Help Fix Them - Placerville NewsWire","isPartOf":{"@id":"http:\/\/inedc.com\/24\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"http:\/\/inedc.com\/24\/government\/why-schools-are-broken-and-how-el-dorado-county-can-help-fix-them\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"http:\/\/inedc.com\/24\/government\/why-schools-are-broken-and-how-el-dorado-county-can-help-fix-them\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"http:\/\/inedc.com\/24\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Justin-MacDonald.jpg","datePublished":"2025-08-10T03:44:11+00:00","description":"NAEP test drops and a youth mental-health crisis demand a new model. Local leaders and educators outline practical fixes for El Dorado County","breadcrumb":{"@id":"http:\/\/inedc.com\/24\/government\/why-schools-are-broken-and-how-el-dorado-county-can-help-fix-them\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["http:\/\/inedc.com\/24\/government\/why-schools-are-broken-and-how-el-dorado-county-can-help-fix-them\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en","@id":"http:\/\/inedc.com\/24\/government\/why-schools-are-broken-and-how-el-dorado-county-can-help-fix-them\/#primaryimage","url":"http:\/\/inedc.com\/24\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Justin-MacDonald.jpg","contentUrl":"http:\/\/inedc.com\/24\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Justin-MacDonald.jpg","width":400,"height":400,"caption":"Justin MacDonald, head of The Academy at District Church in El Dorado Hills"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"http:\/\/inedc.com\/24\/government\/why-schools-are-broken-and-how-el-dorado-county-can-help-fix-them\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"http:\/\/inedc.com\/24\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Why Schools Are Broken \u2014 And How El Dorado County Can Help Fix Them"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"http:\/\/inedc.com\/24\/#website","url":"http:\/\/inedc.com\/24\/","name":"News InEDC","description":"Comprehensive News . In El Dorado County - InEDC.com","publisher":{"@id":"http:\/\/inedc.com\/24\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"http:\/\/inedc.com\/24\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"http:\/\/inedc.com\/24\/#organization","name":"News InEDC","url":"http:\/\/inedc.com\/24\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en","@id":"http:\/\/inedc.com\/24\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"http:\/\/inedc.com\/24\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/logo-1.png","contentUrl":"http:\/\/inedc.com\/24\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/logo-1.png","width":400,"height":128,"caption":"News InEDC"},"image":{"@id":"http:\/\/inedc.com\/24\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/groups\/EDCnewswire","https:\/\/x.com\/inedccom"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"http:\/\/inedc.com\/24\/#\/schema\/person\/6fe000a08266795285f981ef371f05f2","name":"Cris Alarcon","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e7e14e06508c2268b6f72e5713ecbbdf36482501dd12b326035e8591505c3bb?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e7e14e06508c2268b6f72e5713ecbbdf36482501dd12b326035e8591505c3bb?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e7e14e06508c2268b6f72e5713ecbbdf36482501dd12b326035e8591505c3bb?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Cris Alarcon"},"description":"Former Member: Executive Board of Directors, Treasurer, Boys & Girl Club of El Dorado County Western Slope. - Former Member: Board of Directors, Treasurer, Food Bank of El Dorado County. - Opening Team Dealer at Red Hawk Casino - Retried EDC Elections Department Inspector. - Chairman of El Dorado County Charter Review Committee, Youngest Charter Member of the Hangtown Kennel Club. - Political Strategist and Campaign Manager.","sameAs":["http:\/\/inedc.com\/24","https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/groups\/EDCnewswire","https:\/\/x.com\/https:\/\/twitter.com\/inedccom","https:\/\/studio.youtube.com\/channel\/UCPFu68Ud5AouF2N14NzLeyw\/videos"],"url":"http:\/\/inedc.com\/24\/author\/admin\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/inedc.com\/24\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9679","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/inedc.com\/24\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/inedc.com\/24\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/inedc.com\/24\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/inedc.com\/24\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9679"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/inedc.com\/24\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9679\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9681,"href":"http:\/\/inedc.com\/24\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9679\/revisions\/9681"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/inedc.com\/24\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9680"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/inedc.com\/24\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9679"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/inedc.com\/24\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9679"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/inedc.com\/24\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9679"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}