Lungren Joins Call for More Charter Schools

If state Atty. Gen. Dan Lungren gets his way, California will have more charter schools. Parents will be able to use vouchers to send their children to the campus of their choice--public or private.

Students’ skills should be tested every year, Lungren says, and “educational fads” such as new math and teaching reading using the “whole language” method instead of phonics should disappear from the curriculum.

“We need to fundamentally rethink how we deliver education in California and discard some reforms in K-12 that have not and will not work,” the Republican candidate for governor said Thursday, adding his voice to the growing chorus of office-seekers taking aim at public education.

Speaking at a computer manufacturing company here in the high-tech heartland, Lungren decried what he views as the twin threats to technological enterprise: expanding government intervention and failing public schools.

The former is bad enough, he said, because it stifles creativity. Instead, government should create laws to protect intellectual property and “prevent parasite-like lawsuits.”

The latter “is a clear and present danger” to the economic engine that drives the biggest and most prosperous state in the nation, he said.

“Silicon Valley rises and falls on the ability of its educated work force,” Lungren said. “Well-trained immigrants are remarkably valuable assets, but they’ll never furnish more than a fraction of your growing personnel needs.”

Lungren used his education address to endorse a nascent effort to put a charter schools initiative on the November ballot. Just this week, backers have begun to collect signatures in an effort to qualify the Charter Public Schools Initiative for a public vote.

If passed, the initiative would loosen legal restrictions on the number of charters the state can issue. It would also guarantee equitable funding for charter schools, encourage schools in low-performing districts to reorganize under charters and set standards for revoking charters that fail to work.

“I believe this initiative offers a literal lifeline to parents whose children are trapped in bad schools,” Lungren said. “If there’s anybody out there who believes we don’t have bad schools, join me on a trip around the 58 counties of California.”

Charter schools have been championed by politicians of both major parties, including President Clinton, as an answer to voters who demand school improvement. Such schools enjoy a degree of autonomy from school districts but are funded by tax dollars and subject to some state education laws. California has granted more than 100 charters.

Critics argue that charter schools lack accountability and can hamper efforts to improve all public schools.

The proposed initiative is being promoted by Reed Hastings, 37, a wealthy Silicon Valley businessman, who says he wants to give parents and educators more freedom to create schools unfettered by bureaucracy.

Hastings said Thursday that he was “thrilled--absolutely” but not surprised by Lungren’s announcement. He said he had briefed the candidate about a month ago on his plan.

“Those early endorsements help build credibility that this is going to be a major campaign,” said Hastings, who hopes to raise $15 million to promote his initiative.

In addition to pushing charter schools and vouchers, Lungren--a product of private Catholic institutions from the primary grades through law school--said he opposes bilingual education.

But he also said that he has grave concerns about Proposition 227 on the June ballot. The so-called Unz initiative would require all-English teaching in public schools for children who are not fluent in the language--with certain exceptions.

Lungren said that he believes the Unz initiative--named for its author Ron K. Unz, himself a 1994 candidate for governor--would diminish local control of schools.

After his education speech, Lungren was asked by reporters about his stand on prayer in the schools, which the candidate said he supports.

Then he was asked his views on sex education. A brief pause, a quick smile, and an answer: “I think kids ought to be allowed to say a prayer before putting a condom on.”

Meanwhile in Los Angeles on Thursday, Democratic rival Al Checchi unveiled a pair of proposals dealing with two consumer-related concerns: auto insurance and health care.

At a breakfast meeting with political writers, Checchi called for a 10% cut in auto insurance rates, saying the reduction would be fairer to consumers while still allowing the industry to reap a generous return on its risk.

On health care, Checchi called for a broadly defined “patient bill of rights” that would include provisions allowing consumers to sue their HMO for malpractice and ensuring patients the right to choose their own doctor.

Checchi conceded that both proposals would require approval from the state Legislature and that the governor’s primary role, until given a bill to sign, would be to lobby for their passage.

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Times staff writer Mark Z. Barabak contributed to this story.