Gray Davis

The Times (editorial, Jan. 7) and Gov. Gray Davis have it wrong on California public education. Instead of $150 million for performance bonuses and bonuses for a Governor’s Reading Awards Program for only 400 schools, the governor should enact real reform:

Longer instructional day, with year-round school in all California districts; on-site day care, sports and recreation programs for students of working parents, provided by private entities, e.g. the YMCA.

Elimination of local school boards, local superintendents and the establishment of regional elected governance.

Establishment of school choice--voucher programs--for inner-city urban areas that are performing poorly.

Incentive pay for teachers; longer on-site workday for teachers; on-site school support for teacher continuing education and remediation.

These are a few real reforms that the governor and Legislature should consider. It looks like Davis, beholden to the teachers unions for campaign support, is not serious about real reform.

GREG COLE

Thousand Oaks

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So Davis proposes to take the bold and visionary step of dismissing teachers if students don’t perform academically. Please! As if we need to reinforce parents’ attitude that it’s the schools’ fault when their students don’t study. Governor, how about taking the bold and visionary step of holding parents responsible for their children?

ROBERT HABERER

Ventura

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Cheers for Gov. Davis and his unequivocal statement [in his Jan. 4 inaugural address] on admitting the top 4% of graduates from every California high school to the University of California system. Critics argue that this will diminish the “quality” of students admitted to the UC system and will not increase the ethnic diversity of the system, but they miss the point. It is not about political posturing, it is about fairness and opportunity for our youth.

In the past, students who earned “only” a 3.9 or a 4.0 GPA rather than a 4.3 or 4.4, because their school didn’t offer Advanced Placement classes, were penalized by the UC system for circumstances beyond their control. This new policy will reward students for achieving at the highest level in the high school to which they are assigned by the location of their residence.

The questions as to whether all high schools should offer AP classes or how to achieve better education for the bulk of California’s 6 million K-12 students are important, but the future of graduates of “weaker” high schools shouldn’t be used as leverage in the process. Let’s hope this example of putting students’ success before political maneuvering will be followed by all those who sit in Sacramento.

LAURIE FATHE, Director

L.A. Collaborative for Teacher

Excellence, Occidental College

Los Angeles

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Wake up! “Davis’ Challenges on Courts” (editorial, Jan. 5) states that Davis’ No. 1 priority should be to secure permanent funding for the state bar. Hasn’t anyone told you the good news? The bar did not discipline.

SYDELL DUBLIN

Hollywood