Education Battle Cry

Gov. Gray Davis, for a second year, rightly has put improving public education first on his agenda by proposing an ambitious plan to recruit, train, retain, strengthen and reward good teachers, especially those who are willing to work in the bottom half of the state’s schools. The rewards and incentives, if passed into law and made into policy, should make a significant difference for a profession that does not get the respect it deserves. But his goal--a qualified teacher in every classroom--will not be met without the cooperation of his political allies at the California Teachers Assn. and the local teachers unions.

Many of the details of Davis’ plan will not be known until he releases his 2000-01 state budget on Monday. The budget is expected to total roughly $85 billion, of which some $40 billion would go to public education from kindergarten through community college. What’s unclear right now is whether Davis’ schools budget will exceed K-14 spending now mandated under Proposition 98. The Proposition 98 guarantee is roughly 40% of the state’s general fund. Additional education money comes from a variety of special funds. But, percentages aside, the governor’s continuing and demanding emphasis on public education is clear.

In his State of the State address Wednesday night, Davis recognized the importance of smart, well-trained, creative and highly motivated teachers. Because of a statewide teacher shortage, nearly one in 10 of California’s 284,000 teachers does not meet minimum certification requirements, according to a recent report by the nonprofit Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning. The least qualified and most inexperienced teachers are often concentrated in schools attended by poor and minority students. Though many teachers with emergency credentials are dedicated, enthusiastic and effective, too many are floundering. At some inner-city campuses, where the challenges are the greatest, only one in three teachers is fully trained. The result is fewer children able to read and learn. Reversing that trend and raising teacher quality throughout California will require the kind of incentives and bonuses proposed by the governor.

To aid teacher recruitment, the Davis plan would forgive up to $11,000 in student loans for those who agree to teach for four years in the bottom half of California schools. College graduates who return to school for a teaching credential would be eligible for a $20,000 graduate fellowship.

To reward teachers who are already in the classroom, the governor proposes a $20,000 lump-sum bonus for those who pass a rigorous national board certification, on top of the state’s existing $10,000 bonus. Teachers also would qualify for $10,000 toward a home loan in exchange for teaching at low-performing schools. These proposals put a greater priority on the schools most in need of the best teachers.

Davis’ plan also calls for more teachers to attend summer reading institutes and for creation of similar summer programs to train math and algebra teachers and those who teach limited-English children. During the previous legislative session, Davis persuaded union leaders to agree to a peer review and assistance program that would pair exemplary teachers with failing teachers. The law will reward school districts that implement these programs by June 30. It’s a start, but Davis needs to pressure the unions to stop protecting bad teachers.

After all the talk of the importance of what goes on in the classroom, it was a battle metaphor that provided the most striking moment of Davis’ speech. As he put it: “The war for the future will . . . be fought school to school, classroom to classroom, desk to desk, one qualified teacher at a time.” That’s a cry that would rally almost any Californian. Davis’ tough task in his second year is to get a large part of his troops--the teachers unions--squarely behind him.