Christopher Steinhauser Laments Missed Opportunity for Low-Income and Under-Represented Students

Chris Steinhauser, superintendent of the Long Beach Unified School District (USD) and a member of the Board of Trustees for the California State University system, authored a commentary in EdSource arguing that Governor Gavin Newsom’s veto of the Pathways to College Act (Assembly Bill 751) was a missed opportunity to support under-represented students across the state. The bill would have given students the opportunity to take a college entrance exam during the school day for free in place of the state’s 11^th grade assessment. Long Beach USD offers the SAT for free during the school day, along with other supports such as individualized Khan Academy video tutorials and free Saturday SAT prep sessions. Steinhauser states that these programs and practices propel more low-income and underrepresented students into college, and argues that vetoing the bill is a step backward from closing the achievement gap.