Schools Survey Shows Innovation Concern

Residents who live within the boundaries of one of the county’s top-performing school districts say they are wary of experimental educational programs, according to a school district survey released late Tuesday.

While the survey shows “a generally positive backdrop” of public opinion regarding the 21,700-student district, Gary Lawrence said, residents believe that Irvine Unified is too eager to embrace new educational methods.

Lawrence in May surveyed 400 registered voters, who gave the district an overall approval rating of 81%.

“There’s a strong sense that the educational establishment can get carried away with avant-garde and experimental things, making our children the guinea pigs,” Lawrence told school board members Tuesday night.

Lawrence also reported that 64% of those surveyed believe the district should “wait awhile” before trying programs based on new theories. Twenty-nine percent of those surveyed disagreed, saying the district should be aggressive in trying out new programs, and 7% expressed no opinion.

More than 100 parents from Springbrook Elementary School signed a petition last spring blaming falling test scores on a lack of emphasis on basic skills in favor of experimental programs.

“That’s exactly a case in point,” school board member Tom Burnham said of the parent protest. “The community is looking for balance.”

And yet the survey indicates that people move to Irvine because of the district’s reputation for innovation, Supt. Dennis M. Smith said.

“The flip side is that parents also want us to exercise caution and not to lose sight of the basics, that fundamental skills are important,” Smith said. “That’s a message we need to hear, so we keep everything in balance.”