State Education Secretary Resigns

California Education Secretary Gary K. Hart, who played a pivotal role in shaping Gov. Gray Davis’ education agenda, has resigned after little more than one year on the job, the administration announced Friday.

Hart’s departure, scheduled for next month, could strike a blow at Davis’ ability to win legislative approval for proposals the governor hopes will serve as the hallmark of his administration.

The former legislator is widely respected for his knowledge of schools, and served as Davis’ point person on educational matters in the Legislature.

Hart, 56, shaped and helped push through the Legislature four major education reform bills during Davis’ first weeks in office.

The bills mandated the creation of a high school exit exam, required schools to set up a “peer review” system to evaluate teachers, created an accountability system for judging school performance, and established summer teacher-training institutes.

Hart also is credited with helping to craft and shepherd last year’s education budget, which included increases in education funding.

“Gary was a very important and dynamic force for education reform,” said Michael Bustamante, spokesman for Davis. “He had an extraordinary relationship with the governor, which enabled them to put together some important reforms.”

Hart was Davis’ first appointment, in November 1998, a signal that education would take top priority in the new administration.

But even as he was appointed, Hart told Davis that he would commit to serving only one year.

In a letter to the governor, the one-time high school teacher said he wanted to spend more time with his family and return to the classroom.

Hart already has begun teaching a public policy course at Cal State Sacramento.

“I believe we accomplished a great deal this past year and that California is moving ahead to strengthen our public schools and improve student achievement,” Hart said in his letter.

Selecting Hart’s successor will be important for a governor who has declared education his “first, second and third priority.”

“It’s an enormous challenge now for him to fill this hole,” said Barry Munitz, president of the J. Paul Getty Trust, who led Davis’ transition team to pick a cabinet.

“The governor has said: Judge my first term on this issue. The question now is: Who’s going to be his partner?”

This year’s legislative session is shaping up to be somewhat rockier than last year’s for Davis and his education proposals.

Liberals in the Legislature are opposed to Davis’ idea of handing out scholarships on the basis of students’ test scores, which would disproportionately reward the more affluent.

In addition, there is grumbling in the education establishment that, despite unprecedented surpluses, Davis is proposing to dole out to public schools little more than what is required under the state’s constitution.

Meanwhile, Hart has been handling problems associated with creation of the state’s high school exit examination.

That effort fell behind schedule last fall, and many education experts were advising Davis to delay implementation. Davis has been unwilling to budge on the issue.

Hart’s departure had been the topic of speculation in Sacramento education circles for several months.

Lawmakers greeted the news with uniform praise for Hart.

“Gary has been a wonderful advocate for education and for the reforms the governor has been passionate about,” said Assemblywoman Kerry Mazzoni (D-San Rafael), chairwoman of the Assembly Education Committee.

John Hein, governmental relations director for the California Teachers Assn., said: “He’s the only person in the administration who understands how the public schools work and I imagine the administration will miss him greatly.”

Hart devoted most of his 20 years as an assemblyman and senator to improving the public schools. He sponsored key legislation during the 1980s and 1990s that established basic skills testing for teachers, raised graduation requirements and opened the door to the creation of “charter” schools, which operate free of most state regulation.

Hart has a standing invitation to return to his old job as director of California State University’s Institute for Education Reform, a think tank on the campus of Cal State Sacramento.

“I would welcome Gary to be part of our team to help improve the public schools at any time,” said Cal State Chancellor Charles B. Reed.

The directorship doesn’t become available until after the end of the academic year, and Hart has not informed Reed what he will do next.

“I don’t think he knows,” Reed said. “He’s going to take some time off this summer and decide what to do. He wants some down time, to re-energize and read some books and think a little bit. He’s a very reflective person.”

*

Times staff writers Richard Lee Colvin and Ken Weiss contributed to this report.