Newsom and other Democrat leaders need to take education more seriously.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom is facing new questions about academic standards after declining to say whether he supports bringing standardized testing back to University of California admissions.
The controversy comes as thousands of UC faculty members raise concerns about whether some incoming students are adequately prepared for college-level mathematics.
Newsom was questioned Wednesday about the growing debate surrounding the SAT and ACT, which the University of California system removed from its admissions process several years ago.
Instead of taking a firm position on restoring the exams, Newsom said he wants more evidence before reaching a conclusion.
Newsom said he wanted to see the evidence before reaching a conclusion.
The Democratic governor acknowledged having his own views on the subject but suggested that individual accounts from professors are not enough to settle the debate.
Newsom said he has his own views on the issue but wants to examine the data rather than rely on anecdotal evidence.
For California parents and taxpayers, however, the controversy is becoming difficult to ignore.
UC Professors Raise Alarm Over Student Math Skills
Thousands of University of California faculty members have supported calls for officials to reconsider the university system’s admissions-testing policy amid concerns about academic preparedness.
Professors say some students are reaching prestigious California universities without the math foundation traditionally expected of college freshmen.
Those concerns have been reinforced by findings at UC San Diego.
A university Senate-Administration Working Group examining admissions and academic preparedness found a dramatic increase between 2020 and 2025 in incoming students whose math skills fell below expected levels.
The report found that the number of students demonstrating math skills below the high-school level increased nearly 30-fold during that five-year period.
The findings have become a major part of the argument over whether eliminating standardized admissions tests made it more difficult for universities to determine whether applicants are prepared for demanding college coursework.
SAT and ACT Debate Returns to California
The University of California Board of Regents voted in 2020 to begin phasing the SAT and ACT out of admissions consideration.
Supporters of test-free admissions have argued that standardized exams can reflect differences in family income, access to test preparation and educational opportunities.
Critics see the situation differently.
They argue that SAT and ACT scores can provide universities with an objective academic measurement that supplements high school grades, particularly at a time when concerns about grade inflation have increased.
The debate is therefore about more than one admissions requirement.
It raises a larger question for California’s education system: How should universities determine whether students are truly ready for college?
Newsom has so far declined to endorse either side.
Berkeley Professor Describes Serious Math Gaps
Concerns have also emerged at UC Berkeley, one of the country’s most prestigious public universities.
Mathematics professor Zvezdelina Stankova has warned that some students are arriving significantly behind the level expected for university mathematics.
She described situations in which time that could otherwise be devoted to calculus concepts must instead be used reviewing foundational subjects such as fractions and basic algebra.
Stankova has argued that some students are several years behind where they need to be mathematically.
That has provided ammunition to critics who believe California’s college admissions system needs a more reliable way of measuring academic readiness.
But supporters of test-free admissions caution against assuming that eliminating the SAT and ACT is solely responsible for declining math preparedness.
Pandemic-era learning disruptions, differences among K-12 schools, grading practices and other educational problems could also play a role.
UC Officials Reviewing Standardized Testing
The controversy may ultimately force University of California leaders to reconsider their policy.
UC officials are reviewing the role standardized testing could play in future admissions, although a final decision has not yet been made.
Linda Darling-Hammond, president of the California State Board of Education, indicated that officials have several possibilities to consider if testing returns.
“There are some different options for testing if they choose to bring it back, and [University of California Regents] are looking at that now,” Darling-Hammond said.
That means California could eventually restore the SAT or ACT, adopt another assessment or continue with its existing admissions approach.
For now, Newsom appears unwilling to commit.
California Spending More Than $28,000 Per Student
Newsom’s comments are attracting additional attention because California has poured enormous sums of taxpayer money into education.
The governor made his remarks while appearing at Schafer Park Elementary School, where his administration was highlighting investments in early childhood education.
Newsom and first lady Jennifer Siebel Newsom promoted California’s expansion of “community schools,” which can provide services extending well beyond classroom instruction.
Depending on the program, those services can include free food, vision care, laundry assistance and other support for students and their families.
California’s per-pupil education spending has risen above $28,000 annually.
The state’s budget also includes approximately $2.4 billion in additional special education spending, representing a substantial increase in that area.
Meanwhile, Newsom’s administration says California’s universal transitional kindergarten program can save participating families about $14,000 annually.
Those investments are a major part of the governor’s education agenda.
But critics argue taxpayers should also be asking what they’re receiving in return.
California Math Scores Remain Troubling
Despite California’s enormous education budget, statewide academic results remain a concern.
Fewer than half of California students reached the state’s standards in mathematics and English language arts during the latest testing period cited in the debate.
Approximately 37% met or exceeded the math standard in 2025, while roughly 48% did so in English language arts.
Those figures leave a majority of students below the state’s mathematics benchmark.
For parents, educators and taxpayers, that creates an obvious question: Why are academic results still struggling when California is spending so heavily on public education?
Newsom believes improvement is coming.
The governor said he is “confident” that California’s next round of academic results, expected in October, will show progress.
The Bigger Question for California Parents
The fight over standardized testing is unlikely to disappear.
Supporters of restoring the SAT and ACT believe universities need an independent measurement that can help identify whether applicants possess the academic skills necessary to succeed.
Opponents argue that standardized tests have shortcomings of their own and that admissions decisions should consider a student’s complete academic record and personal circumstances.
But reports of college professors reviewing fractions and basic algebra with students admitted to some of America’s most prestigious public universities have added urgency to the discussion.
California taxpayers are spending billions of dollars on public education every year. Parents send their children to school expecting them to graduate with the reading, writing and mathematics skills needed for college or the workforce.
Whether standardized testing is ultimately part of the solution remains an open question.
Newsom says he wants to see more data before deciding.
With UC professors sounding alarms about academic preparedness and university officials reviewing their admissions policies, California’s education debate is only getting started.