RE: Question 1a: What's Missing

A number of items and characteristics which I would expect to see in the Master Plan appear to be missing. I'm probably confused based on my expectations that a "plan" is something that can be followed to achieve an objective. This Master Plan seems to be an "audit" tool to be used in measuring compliance with certain peripheral aspects of schooling in California. Not that a good audit tool isn't also valuable and that peripheral aspects (such as the state of repair of facilities) aren't very important.

The first characteristic which I would expect in the Master Plan would be a structure that cuts through some of the confusion often associated with education topics. Though there are several options for such a structure, I would prefer one which was Outlined according to organizational units. Such a structure would discuss issues and recommendations in a context of the organizational unit which could do something about the issue. (Side note: Since I think the primary responsibility for schooling rests with the local community, most of this theoretical outline would key into the School District or System and the specific departments that carry out the tasks.)

Tne structure of the draft Master Plan seems to be so abstract and amorphous as to defy effective discussion. As written the plan places topics about curriculum materials comingled with exhortations to parents not to automatically takes their children's side in disputes.

The second characteristic I would expect to see in a Master Plan would be concrete projects or programs which a person could read and say, "I can do that". And then they would immediately begin to implement the action item without having to call a committee to figure out what the item would look like in reality.

Rather than linguistically emasculatiing each paragraph so that it can apply to all communities and education levels and learning styles, the Master Plan ought to have "versions" for normal schools, alternative schools, special education, distance learning approaches, rural schools, GATE programs, at-risk communities, and many more "contexts" for learning in California.

Finally, I wonder how many people are surprised at a Master Plan that seems to ask questions rather than to provide answers. I realize that I am one who implements plans instead of conducting oversight of bureaucracies. But I would think that the public expects something quite different from this "new" plan than what it currently is.