Dan Lungren

Re “Davis, Lungren Differ on School Funds, Vouchers,” Sept. 20:

Both Gray Davis and Dan Lungren support stiffer credentialing requirements, but Lungren also supports vouchers for private schools. Would these credentialing requirements also apply to teachers at private schools that receive state funds?

The media have lately been reporting on the “crisis” of uncredentialed teachers in the public schools. Yet the private schools have not been subjected to the same scrutiny. What percentage of their teachers are properly credentialed?

Mr. Lungren, please be consistent. If you want give state funds to private schools to promote competition, then extend the same requirements. Private school teachers should follow the same guidelines as public schools for teacher credentialing, accreditation and testing.

BILL BOEHLERT

Huntington Beach

*

Davis would, as an educational reform, require parents to sign a contract committing them to help students with homework. He does acknowledge that such contracts would be unenforceable as a matter of law, but they would help motivate parents to get involved with school. In other words, they would be misled to believe that they are bound by an otherwise sham document. And how can parents be required to even sign such a purported contract? What is the penalty if they don’t--imprisonment, monetary fine, denying their children admittance to school?

Davis asserts that he would hold parents “accountable.” But how would he do that? Needless to say, parents should take an interest in their children’s education, but Davis is misleading the voters in recommending such unenforceable proposals. In fact, his suggestion that government be granted such intrusive, overreaching powers is rather disturbing.

JOHN HAGGERTY

Woodland Hills