School Index Draws Divergent Reactions

A critical test of public reaction to this week’s dismal school rankings results could come as early as March 7, when voters will decide on a measure making it easier to pass school bonds--one backed by the governor and teachers unions.

Will people express their anger at the state of the state’s public schools by voting down Proposition 26, or pass it as a critical step toward fixing the problem?

Anti-tax groups seized on the poor showing on the Academic Performance Index to predict defeat. “It certainly poisons the water for people asking for more money for a failed product,” said Jon Coupal, president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Assn. “Voters may very well view Proposition 26 and other measures which would give public schools more money as nothing more than rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.”

Campaign consultant Gale Kaufman, managing the Yes on 26 campaign, said that although parents expect to see progress, the disappointing index figures can be used to make her case.

“There is a direct correlation between those scores and the shape of the schools,” Kaufman said. “Every poll I’ve seen [shows] that people are willing to invest in schools.”

In Sacramento, political leaders faced with the daunting results struggled for solutions. Gov. Gray Davis’ fellow Democrats may be less inclined to follow him in lock-step this year on education reforms than they were last year.

On Thursday, several lawmakers held a news conference calling for more money to attract credentialed teachers to low-performing schools. State Sen. Kevin Murray (D-Culver City) said the lack of qualified teachers at some urban campuses may amount to a civil rights violation against the students.

“Some of the children don’t have time to wait for our brilliant ideas,” Murray said, adding that the state must move quickly to ensure that schools have qualified, experienced teachers.

The Los Angeles Unified School District dominated the bottom rungs in the rankings. More than a third of its schools received the lowest rank--1 on a scale of 10. Statewide, 88% fell below the state’s target for academic performance.

As Californians pored over test results, legislators, who are responsible for allocating the $28 billion that the state will probably spend on public schools next year, struggled to find bright spots. Some made plans for new school-related legislation. Some expressed despair.

“Once again,” said Assemblyman Tony Cardenas (D-Sylmar), “we are reminded that children of color and economically disadvantaged children aren’t being educated.”

“Disastrous,” said state Sen. Martha Escutia (D-Whittier), whose oldest child will enter kindergarten next fall--probably not in a public school, at least not the one in Escutia’s Whittier neighborhood. It received a ranking of 3 on a scale of 10.

Some legislators and other public school advocates are getting more pointed in their criticism of Davis’ education package in next year’s proposed budget.

Heftier teacher pay raises are needed, some say. Many Democrats also are urging that the governor take steps toward raising per-pupil spending in California to the national average.

“The elephant in the room is teacher salaries,” state Supt. of Public Instruction Delaine Eastin said earlier in the week. “. . . No one can make a case to me why we’re below the national average.”

In an interview, state Sen. Jack O’Connell (D-San Luis Obispo) said the solution does not entail “just throwing money at the problem.” However, O’Connell, a likely candidate in 2002 for state superintendent of schools, proposed a series of steps: class size reduction in high school and for fourth-graders; hiring more qualified teachers; and rebuilding schools.

On Tuesday, the day the results were released, O’Connell floated a possible ballot initiative. It would raise the sales tax by half a cent--bringing more than $2 billion to the state--to pay for such steps.

“This provides us with an opportunity,” O’Connell said of the index scores.

Davis, meanwhile, took his education plan on the road Thursday, traveling to San Francisco’s George Washington High School, which received a rank of 8.

There he also urged that parents write letters supporting his proposals, noting that some lawmakers, particularly in San Francisco, have criticized his approach of merit-based incentives for high-performing students.

Davis believes that performance can be improved by offering students, teachers and schools financial incentives and that stagnation will be discouraged by the threat of sanctions that include state takeover of failing schools.

High-performing students “deserve more than a gold star and a pat on the head,” Davis said.

He has proposed offering $1,000 to students who score the highest in statewide tests to be given this spring that will provide the basis for next year’s rankings.

As he told the gatherings at the San Francisco campus, teachers and schools also will have a financial stake in improved test scores, if his latest education proposals are approved.

Schools that show improvement in their rankings of more than 5% will receive up to $150 per student.

Davis has pledged that he won’t run for reelection unless California’s schools improve.