Spin Heavy but Light on Real Reform

If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be.

--Thomas Jefferson

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Two recent incidents have reminded me of my great disappointment with the governor’s media-heavy but substance-light special legislative session on education.

Among the first acts of the Republican caucus in the 1999-2000 state Assembly session was to set up an education reform task force. Its goal was to put together a comprehensive, common-sense plan to reform California’s too-often-failing education system. Its purpose was to participate in the governor’s much-lauded reform of education.

The result was a sweeping package of 25 proposals that would have provided greater opportunity for students while ensuring that parents, teachers and districts had the tools to give them a quality education. Our program was based on successful reform efforts and was centered on three pillars: accountability of schools, teachers and students; ensuring teacher competency; and enhancing school safety.

Unfortunately, the “reform” program that passed contained more publicity than substance. Only the bills to create a high school exit exam and expand reading programs met the mark. Otherwise, the strongest proposals were ignored while special-interest groups watered down or eliminated the key provisions of the remainder. Sadly, the great pronouncements made about these largely empty proposals threaten to derail real education reform by creating the illusion that comprehensive reform has been completed. However, nothing could be further from the truth and the gaps are glaring.

The first reminder occurred with the recent tragedy at Columbine High School in Colorado. With my colleagues across the aisle declaring the need to focus on school safety, I recalled with bitter irony the cold shoulder given by the governor and Democrats to numerous school safety proposals. I fundamentally believe that if students do not feel safe in the classroom or going to school, then we cannot expect them to learn. As long as assaults on teachers, and drugs and shootings on campus continue, then school safety must be a centerpiece of any education reform plan. Yet proposals such as instituting a zero-tolerance drug policy or providing grants for the training of school security personnel were ignored, not even allowed to be discussed. So much for bipartisanship. So much for “the children.”

I was again reminded of the special session when a number of local school board members recently came to Sacramento asking for increased funding for education. Significantly, they want funding not earmarked for any particular program. Fundamentally, I agree and believe that a sizable portion of this year’s huge budget surplus should be spent on education. Districts and communities should have control over their schools and funds. In fact, this was the primary reason why I so strongly supported the tough school accountability program created by the Republican task force. “Strings” have been attached by the state to funds to ensure that some key programs get done locally because we have had no real way to check results. However, if we provide a clear annual public disclosure of how districts are doing, as our proposal would have, then the need for those mandates would be greatly reduced. Sadly, an empty shell alternative was what the governor signed. If it does not empower local communities, and I suspect it will not, the public will continue to push for specific reform initiatives from the state level. So much for empowerment and local control.

The biggest tragedy will be if the public’s appetite for real education reform was sated by the governor’s public relations campaign. As anticipated, the governor signed his education bills with great fanfare and media attention. Children, parents and teachers were on hand as he affixed his signature and announced that he had fulfilled his campaign pledge to fix our schools. My hopes for substantive reform will be dashed if those folks all go home until the next election.

Education is a bipartisan issue that affects all kids in California. It should be a policy realm in which the best proposals--and not the strongest proposers--win.

Optimistically, there is one last chance to have a positive impact on education this year. The state Legislature and governor can still to do the right thing as a part of the annual budget process. We can empower local communities, ensure teacher competency and enhance school safety. I hope that we take this chance and don’t squander it the way we did the last one. For some reason, I think that the governor could get a good story out of that accomplishment as well.