Wilson’s Agenda
In response to George Skelton’s Dec. 11 column: The educational community was not dragged into the class size-reduction reform kicking and screaming. Class-size reduction was first proposed by California’s Supt. of Public Instruction Delaine Eastin and the education establishment. The governor came late to it, then bulled this through without allowing time for school districts to do adequate planning, including: 1) Where do we get extra teachers, and 2) how do we house the children adequately? This resulted in hundreds of emergency-credentialed teachers being hired, and classes being held in auditoriums, libraries and every available nook and cranny.
All Gov. Pete Wilson was interested in was latching onto a popular issue to improve his abysmal approval rating. Hopefully we will elect a governor in 1998 who understands the problems and issues faced by educators and education policymakers.
VALERIE FIELDS
Los Angeles Board of Education
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