Ah, to live somewhere besides California. IMO the main problem with this state is that they set education standards way too low, and it is too late to raise them, which in turn creates ignorance and a new generation to do nothing for the state.
I understand what you are saying, if I were to be put in a school on the east coast, I'd be very far behind in math, probobly not even at a high school level. (Alg 2 = 8th grade in most of West Virginia) On the other hand, if I were raised on the East Coast, I'd be doing fine at a higher level of math. I don't like California, or this nations independant schooling system.