Steve Hilton states that California spends nearly the most per student nationally ($27,000+) yet achieves some of the worst academic results, with less than half of students meeting basic English standards and two-thirds failing math standards. He attributes this failure to the monopoly held by teacher unions, which prioritize political goals over student interests, as evidenced by prolonged pandemic school closures.

Impact: High. This point underscores a critical systemic failure in California's education, suggesting that current funding models and union control are detrimental to student outcomes and require fundamental reform, such as embracing school choice.

In the source video, this keypoint occurs from 00:45:41 to 00:48:30.

Sources in support: Steve Hilton (Republican Candidate for Governor of California)