Wilson Fires 3 of His Own Nominees to State Teacher Agency

In a highly unusual action, Gov. Pete Wilson has fired three of his own Republican appointees to the state board that licenses teachers because they do not fit into his educational reform plans.

Wilson made the unpublicized move Wednesday by withdrawing from the confirmation process his nominees to the state Commission on Teacher Credentialing, a low-profile agency in the state bureaucracy.

The appointees, who had served without Senate confirmation since last spring, were Eunice Sato, a former Long Beach mayor; Melissa J. Robinson, a Stockton teacher, and Barbara C. Painter, a San Joaquin Valley rancher.

The nominees received notice of their removal in telephone calls from Wilson’s office.

“I was shocked. There was no explanation. I was told out of the clear blue sky,” said Sato, a longtime GOP and civic activist. “I was told only that there are other people who wanted to be appointed.”

Efforts to reach Painter and Robinson for comment were unsuccessful.

Confirmation of the women had been expected to be so routine that none were asked to appear before the Rules Committee for a hearing.

The commission consists of 14 voting members appointed by the governor, who serve at his pleasure, plus the state superintendent of public instruction. The agency sets standards for the licensing of public school teachers in California.

Wilson did not explain his reasons in a letter to the Senate withdrawing the appointments. In the absence of public controversy, it is rare for a governor to fire his own appointees before they are confirmed.

However, Wilson’s press secretary, Sean Walsh, indicated that Sato, Robinson and Painter did not fit into what he called “the governor’s forward-looking and pretty aggressive education agenda. We want to provide an opportunity for others to serve.”

As part of his criticism of public education, Wilson has called for junking the entire state Education Code and has deplored the teacher credentialing system as wasteful and time-consuming.

To the consternation of teacher organizations, Wilson has proposed hiring retired and unemployed defense industry technicians or military personnel as science and math teachers, apparently without completing the teacher credentialing process.

An Administration official, who asked not to be identified, said the three appointees were “not with the program.”