No New Teachers in His Budget, Wilson Concedes : Education: Enrollment growth can be handled with volunteers, the governor says. He plans to ask employers to pay workers who help at schools.

Gov. Pete Wilson acknowledged Wednesday that his proposed budget cuts will prevent California schools from hiring the teachers they need to handle burgeoning enrollments. But he said he believes much of the slack can be made up by the use of volunteer “mentors” and teacher aides.

The governor, who has proposed cutting back per-pupil spending to 1985 levels as part of his plan to close a $7-billion budget gap, said there is no way the schools can afford to hire enough teachers to significantly reduce class sizes or perhaps even maintain existing enrollments. Instead, he said, schools should rely on volunteers to ease the load on professional instructors.

Wilson, speaking to reporters after touring a preschool program and a computerized classroom at a Sacramento elementary school, said he will urge private businesses to give time off to employees who volunteer at their local schools.

Wilson said California’s school teachers ultimately may have to accept a salary freeze, as he has proposed for state employees. But he said one way to keep salaries competitive is to employ fewer new teachers.

“There is clearly a limit to the number of teachers you can hire,” Wilson said. “I would rather have fewer who are better compensated and have their efforts supplemented by the kind of teacher aides, the kind of change in techniques that allow for the more individualized instruction that we require, but we achieve it in a different manner than simply hiring more teachers.”

He added: “We’ve got a $7-billion budget gap. You’ve got to make some changes, some changes in the way you do business.”

In an 18-month fiscal plan submitted to the Legislature Jan. 10, Wilson proposed giving schools $2 billion less than they would need to keep up with enrollment growth and the cost of living. His proposed budget translates into $4,076 per student annually, the lowest level of state support for education since 1985.

At the same time, Wilson has set aside more money for preschool and to integrate health and social services into existing school programs. He also has allotted $5 million for school districts to establish programs that will recruit and train volunteer teacher aides and mentors to guide and motivate children outside the classroom.

The Republican chief executive said he hopes to persuade businesses to grant paid time off to employees who volunteer for the program.

“What I want from employers in this state is a recognition that they have a very selfish interest in assisting classroom teachers and principals and parents in making the classroom the kind of learning experience that it can and should be,” Wilson said. “I will be working with business organizations in the state . . . to bring that kind of organized and systematic volunteerism into the classroom.”

Wilson also said he will “explore” the idea of giving state employees the same opportunity he is urging private companies to provide their workers.

State Supt. of Public Instruction Bill Honig, who is trying to maintain cordial relations with the new governor, praised Wilson’s volunteer proposals as “great ideas.”

But he added: “I don’t think you can ever replace the professional in the classroom by volunteer help. The problem is that class sizes are large. Aides can help with individual attention but it’s not the kind of professional attention we’re talking about.”

Honig said schools will not be able to survive Wilson’s proposed cut simply by freezing teacher salaries.

But Maureen DiMarco, Wilson’s Secretary for Child Development and Education, said the schools are being asked to share a smaller portion of the $7-billion gap than their share of the overall budget.

“The governor’s commitment was reflected in his treating us very fairly, fully funding our growth in enrollment and making a real commitment to trying to do long-term investments that will ultimately make the educator’s job a better one, a more effective one and a more satisfying one,” DiMarco said.