Deukmejian Defends Record on Schools

Gov. George Deukmejian, whose record on education has frequently come under attack, defended himself Saturday by pointing out that schools in New York and New Jersey have problems too.

“There are those who will never be satisfied with our education budget no matter how big the increases,” Deukmejian said in his weekly radio speech. “If you think a bigger budget guarantees scholarship, just ask New Yorkers.”

While contending that spending more on education is not necessarily the answer, the governor said he was “pleased to announce” that the state lottery will soon top the $2-billion mark in contributions to schools. Deukmejian opposed the lottery when it was approved by the voters in 1984.

On Monday, Deukmejian said, he will receive more than 60 specific recommendations from the California Commission on Educational Quality on how to improve the state’s educational system. He appointed the commission last year after a bruising battle with state Superintendent of Public Instruction Bill Honig over the budget for schools.

Honig and other critics of the Republican governor have long pushed for increased spending on education, pointing out that California’s spending per pupil is among the lowest in the nation. Over the last five years, Honig also has promoted a series of reforms to improve the quality of education in California, which he says lags behind many other states.

Deukmejian, in seeking to blunt criticism of his record, said that even states that spend more on their schools need major improvements in their educational systems.

New York, the governor said, “is frequently cited by big spending advocates as a state that spends more per pupil than we do.” But Deukmejian quoted from a speech by New York Gov. Mario Cuomo in which the Democratic governor complained that “each year, thousands of children drop out of school before they have learned to read and write.”

Deukmejian who often touts his opposition to tax increases, added, “New Yorkers also pay considerably higher taxes than Californians.” He did not mention that, faced with a $2-billion budget shortfall, he recently proposed a tax-increase plan but withdrew it after it came under fire from fellow Republicans.

New Jersey, another state that spends more on education than California, also came under criticism from Deukmejian. New Jersey officials, he noted, took over management of the second-largest school district in the state, in Jersey City, after it failed to meet basic educational standards.

“California’s schools need a strong financial commitment to succeed and I pledge to continue to provide that strong support as long as I am governor,” he said. “But our schools need a lot more than complaints about funding.