Being from Fresno, and raised in California's Central Valley, I'm not at all surprised to see several cities here come up on the list (Bakersfield, Fresno, Modesto, Stockton). I have a higher education degree, but the area's economy is heavily based on agriculture, since it has some of the richest topsoil in the world. Ag jobs don't pay a lot, so they are going to attract and hold people with relatively little education.
Unfortunately, this area is an oft-ignored part of the state, despite the huge amount ag contributes to the economy. We have some of the poorest areas in the country.
However, keep in mind that less educated does not mean stupid or lazy. Farmworkers in particular are some of the hardest-working people I've ever met. They have to be, since they typically get paid by how much they get done, and not an hourly wage.
There is a massive immigrant population here, mostly from Mexico and Latin America, but also Southeast Asia and elsewhere. This brings unique challenges. The children of these immigrants often have a difficult time straddling the conflicting cultures of their parents and the U.S. It's not as simple as just getting them schools and libraries, though more attention there wouldn't hurt.
Still, it's also important to recognize that, even if everything was done right (and it currently isn't by a long shot), this will always be a low-education area of the country.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
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