Bush Pushes His School Plan, Gets a Little Flak

Barbara Illowsky was nervous when she spoke, although her voice didn’t shake. Seated a few people down from Texas Gov. George W. Bush at a long table at De Anza College, the community college teacher made her point.

“I think a lot of education problems could be solved,” she said Tuesday, “if you raised enough money for education as you have for the Republican Party.”

The man who has raised more than $90 million for his presidential campaign bristled at the remark, saying spending money wasn’t the only solution to educational problems. “Part of it’s funding,” he said. “But part of it’s attitude.”

The exchange was an unscripted reminder that some voters remain skeptical, even as Bush was announcing a plan to spend $2.3 billion to kick-start math and science performance nationwide.

The new funding, available over five years, would provide $1 billion to help states form university partnerships similar to one in Texas that pushes aspiring teachers to get math and science training.

An additional $1 billion would increase the Pell grants awarded each year to about 200,000 students who have taken college-level math and science in high school. The average Pell grant is $3,000; Bush’s program would award students an extra $1,000.

The presumptive Republican presidential nominee was at the Silicon Valley school to tout what he calls the “culture of achievement” he wants for American education, a culture that he challenged the small crowd of educators, teacher and students to foster.

“This is America,” he said. “There’s no reason for us to be next to last in the world in math, no reason for us to be last in physics. We’re the greatest country in the world. We ought to be first. That ought to be the goal.”

But the challenges of holding on to good teachers, particularly in math and science, is well known to residents of this region where new technology money has led to inflated prices in everything from housing to a cup of sake at a local sushi bar.

The cost of living is so high that nearby San Francisco will become the first city in the country to offer teachers rent-subsidized public housing--an effort to stem an exodus of educators unable to live on teacher salaries in one of the most expensive regions in the nation.

For Illowsky, the problem hits very close to home. Her daughter’s teacher, a woman she holds in high regard, will not be back to teach next year.

“She moved home to San Diego. It was just too expensive,” she said, noting that math and science majors can make $40,000 after graduation, while starting teachers earn less than $30,000. “I’m not sure if she’ll even keep teaching.”

Illowsky said she wasn’t satisfied with Bush’s answer. With a roll of her head and a shrug of her shoulders, however, she said it was about the best she expected under the glare of television lights.

The $2.3-billion proposal Bush announced concentrates mostly on encouraging students from kindergarten to high school to focus on science and math.

Under the plan, some math and science teachers could qualify for additional student loan relief through $345 million earmarked over the five years. That money would increase to $17,500, the amount forgiven for math and science teachers who work for five years in low-income schools. Currently, all teachers with that tenure can have $5,000 of student loans canceled.

Bush, who is traveling with his wife, Laura, is scheduled to talk today at Puente Learning Center in Los Angeles. It is the last in a three-day West Coast swing that has raised nearly $7 million for campaign coffers.

Advisors to Bush pointed out earlier in the week that the governor raised more money in Silicon Valley on Monday night than Vice President Al Gore did on his last visit--nearly $4 million to Gore’s $2.6 million.

Brad Freeman, Bush’s chief California fund-raiser, said he was encouraged by the fund-raising efforts so far and believes Bush has a shot at winning the state.

Bush has trailed Gore in several polls here, but his advisors say he could take the state, especially if Green Party candidate Ralph Nader siphons away votes from Gore.

On the California trip, Bush has been dogged by questions about his strong support of the death penalty. Tuesday night at a Los Angeles event, where nearly $2 million was raised for his campaign, two protesters shouted “Don’t kill an innocent man!” and pulled protest signs from under their table. They were escorted out by security.

On Monday, at a chichi $1,000-a-plate wine and cheese reception, two well-dressed women also shouted “Don’t kill an innocent man!” and “Stop the execution of Gary Graham!” before being escorted from the room.

Graham is the Texas death row inmate whose fate the state appeals board is expected to decide Thursday. If Graham’s execution goes forward, he would be the 135th inmate to be put to death in Bush’s 5 1/2 years as governor.