The challenges of the new Common Core approach, why gas prices in California are still bad, some businesses are booming ahead of El Nino.
California's Common Core results show challenges of teaching new method
Results of the new Common Core tests, taken last spring by more than 3 million public school students, were released Wednesday. Let's just say, they weren't pretty.
Only 44 percent of students met or exceeded English standards. A mere 33 percent met or exceeded math standards. Results were even lower for Los Angeles Unified School District.
What does this say about education in the California?
Joining Take Two to discuss:
- Bootsie Battle-Holt, math teacher math at Marina del Rey Middle School and Performing Arts Magnet
- Erin Sopapunta, English teacher to 11th and 12th graders at Polytechnic in Sun Valley
Serena Williams' road to tennis greatness
Before she was a tennis star, before she was a world-wide brand, before she was on track to become the fourth woman in tennis history to complete a calendar year Grand Slam: Serena Williams was just a talented young girl from Compton, California.
Since then, she and her sister, Venus, have reshaped the tennis world.
"Tennis is considered a white, country club sport, and here was this pair of sisters from the courts of Compton, and this crazy dad who made these outrageous predictions, and a lot of people didn't know what to do with this," said
, who writes about sports for Grantland. "A lot of people wanted no part of it. But she [Serena] both won, and became one of the most compelling personalities in sports."
To hear more on the Williams sisters and what stands between Serena and history, click on the blue audio player above.
Good El Niño chances mean good business for roofers, gutter installers
Weather forecasters say there is an increasingly good chance of a strong El Niño system this winter, and that could mean some much-needed rain and snow for California.
But a wetter-than-average winter could bring its own problems— like mudslides, flooding and leaking roofs. That means business is booming at The Rain Gutter Specialists in L.A., even as we enter a fifth year of drought.
Joining Take Two to discuss:
- Guy Ziv, owner of Rain Gutter Specialists
The Wheel Thing: Why are gas prices high if crude oil is low?
Last year at this time, crude oil prices were twice what they are now. But gas at the pump? It's barely gone down at all.
Our Wheel Thing maven, OC Register auto critic Susan Carpenter offers some reasons why cheap crude doesn't always mean cheaper gas.
State of Affairs: California lawmakers close in on legislative session
California lawmakers are in the final leg of this legislative session, but there have been some big hurdles in the way: bills on climate change, the right to die and a fix for California's big transportation funding, just to name a few.
Joining Take Two to discuss:
- of USC's Sol Price School of Public Policy
- , Capital Public Radio state government reporter