Give Parents a Choice and Kids a Chance

The marathon that we call the California governor’s race is coming on to the halfway point, and this fall’s issues are beginning to take shape. With our economy humming along, citizens are turning their concerns to other matters--explaining why in virtually every poll, a quarter of our voters are rating education to be the state’s most serious problem.

Little wonder.

When the California state university system recently released statewide results of basic skills testing for incoming freshmen, there emerged a grim picture of ill-prepared high school seniors. Nearly half of entering Cal State freshmen flunked the basic English test and had to be placed in remedial classes, while more than half fell similarly short in math.

In a burst of understatement the new head of Cal State, Charles Reed, observed: “This ought to be a wake-up call for everybody in California. We are not doing a very good job of educating our youth.”

So, when gubernatorial candidate Al Checchi was asked if he would consider sending his children to our public schools, his refreshingly candid reply was: “Of course not. Why would I do that?”

Why indeed?

The lavishly affluent Checchi has the resources to exercise school choice--to settle only for the best by sending his children to superior private schools.

Checchi’s real hypocrisy is not in making this choice but in his undemocratic decision to deny it to others. But, then again, he’s like virtually every other lock-step liberal humming the party line mantra of the teachers unions.

Back in Washington, however, Congress showed it had the courage of Checchi’s convictions. On April 30, the House of Representatives passed the District of Columbia Opportunity Scholarship Act, providing in grades K-12 as much as $3,200 for up to 2,000 D.C. residents whose family incomes are below 185% of the poverty level. These scholarships can be used for tuition costs at public or private schools in D.C. or in adjacent Maryland and Virginia counties.

This measure responds to the district’s own official assessment that its schools have a “deplorable record” which has put its system in a “state of crisis, creating an emergency which can no longer be ignored or excused.” Who could possibly fault the commitment to respond to this crisis by--in Jesse Jackson’s words--”giving hope a chance”?

For starters, try Bill Clinton and Al Gore--along with virtually every other liberal who plays smooch-face with the puppeteers. President Clinton--just back from a visit to Chelsea’s private school--has threatened a veto of the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Bill. And Gore is his designated attack mutt in Congress--a busy role which may account for his having so little time last year to give more than $353 to charity on a $200,000 income.

In addition, Clinton has also threatened a veto of the Senate-approved education savings account that would allow tax breaks to average folks who save money for public or private elementary and secondary school expenses--and could be used to pay for such things as computers, tutoring and uniforms, as well as tuition. When it comes to giving the vast majority of Americans the same opportunities and chances at success that Clinton and Gore enjoyed through their private schooling--and have extended to their own children--there is clearly no extra room on that bridge crossing into the 21st century.

Well, you can thank America’s teachers unions who smugly bask in the comfort that the president they invested in pays off better than today’s bull market. If they can’t get the votes, they can get the vetoes.

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And what a tragedy this is for our nation. Whether in Washington or California, there will be no true change, no true opportunity and no true hope until kids being crushed in failing public schools have an even chance at breaking out. Blocking that hope is a union stonewall rivaling the White House’s scandal barriers.

The saddest fact is that every day hundreds of thousands of caring, sweet, nurturing and dedicated public school teachers work so hard and so long to do a great job and are unnecessarily sullied in the thrall of union hackdom.

When that majority of great teachers liberate themselves, we might at long last save our public schools.