East Bay students file class action suit against education officials

OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) -- Students from seven low-performing California schools, including three in the East Bay, filed a class action lawsuit Thursday against the state and its top education officials.

The students at Castlemont and Fremont High schools in Oakland, and Nystrom Elementary in West Contra Costa County are among those who claim they've received less learning time than other, more affluent children.

The suit identifies several reasons for what it calls "lost learning time," including poor staffing levels, over-reliance on substitutes, and service courses that require students to do office work or other tasks.

"The lost learning time accumulates over time, it starts when students are very young, and then students typically fall further and further behind as they lose more and more time, as they progress through the educational system," attorney Kathryn Eidmann said.

The students say frequent fights are another distraction because teachers have to leave the classroom to break them up.