Who Will Answer the Education Question?

A glum reality of California public schools is that children who are Latino or black generally learn less than Asians and whites.

There has been some narrowing of this learning gap, based on scores reported last week from the latest statewide testing. But the narrowing has been slight, says state Supt. of Public Instruction Delaine Eastin.

Children of all races and ethnicities have shown improvement since the state launched its testing in 1999. But Latinos and blacks still are scoring much lower than Asians and whites.

For example: In last year’s exams, 70% of white third-graders ranked at or above the national average in reading. So did 60% of Asian kids. But only 27% of Latinos did.

The blame cannot be laid entirely on English language difficulties because African Americans fared little better. Only 37% met the national average.

Clearly, the main factors are background and income. More Latinos and blacks tend to be poor.

“Poor whites do almost as badly as poor anybody,” says Assembly Education Committee Chairwoman Jackie Goldberg (D-Los Angeles), a former teacher and L.A. school board president.

“Poor kids are less likely to be read to at home. Their parents are less educated, but even if they’re not, they don’t have time because they’re working at more than one job.

“Middle-class blacks do as well as middle-class whites.”

Schools do not control socio-economics. But they do control classrooms. When Latinos, in particular, lag in class, it does not bode well for California’s future. By 2020, Latinos will comprise 39% of the state’s population.

L.A. is a recent bright spot, especially the elementary schools. Under Supt. Roy Romer, L.A. Unified has focused on reading, writing and math, assigned coaches to subpar teachers and given students periodic diagnostic exams.

It shows: 72% of L.A. schools met their testing targets, compared with 53% of California schools overall.

Preparing the next generation to succeed in a fast-paced, highly competitive world is one of California’s most urgent needs. But you haven’t heard much about the racial/ethnic learning gap from the candidates for governor.

At their only debate, I asked Republican Bill Simon Jr. and Gov. Gray Davis what they’d do specifically to narrow the gap. Simon gave the generic response he does to practically every education question.

He said the state’s new accountability system -- with its possible punishments -- should be mandatory for every school district rather than optional. And he’d impose “a rule that all children shall read by the third grade.” Both worthy ideas.

But, in a seeming contradiction, Simon also said he’d “reduce the rules and regulations coming out of Sacramento.”

Davis, given less time to answer, touched on some past actions rather than offer what many wanted to hear: a second-term agenda. “We’ve made a lot of efforts to help English-language learners.... We also have a lot of remedial and after-school and before-school programs.”

Later, I queried the candidates for superintendent of public instruction.

Sen. Jack O’Connell (D-San Luis Obispo) mentioned something Davis could have, but probably forgot: Sacramento, despite a budget crisis, this year appropriated $217 million to help low-performing schools.

O’Connell noted that many low-performing urban schools, because they’re considered undesirable workplaces, are run by rookie administrators and inexperienced teachers with “emergency” credentials. About 12% of California’s teachers are emergency hires.

Candidate Katherine Smith, president of the Anaheim high school district board, talked vaguely of “going back to teaching basics.”

I kept calling around.

Eastin, the termed-out superintendent, said “the No. 1” solution is universal preschool. Also, pay big bonuses to good teachers willing to work in bad schools.

All that would cost billions.

Says Senate Education Committee Chairman John Vasconcellos (D-Santa Clara): “We’re talking money. Lots of it. And a lot more of it if we don’t do it.” For welfare, health care, prisons.

A new poll by the Public Policy Institute of California shows that 63% of likely voters feel more money should be spent on their local schools. Also, 63% support Proposition 47, a $13-billion state school bond issue. And 64% back Prop. 49, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s plan for after-school programs.

Education tops the list of issues voters want to hear Davis and Simon talk about. That’s especially true of Latinos.

Latinos are being targeted for votes. But they’re not being talked to about their chief concern, the glum reality.