Keep the Ball Rolling

Gov. Pete Wilson, state Supt. of Public Instruction Delaine Eastin and the Democratic leaders of the California Legislature need to develop a comprehensive educational reform, a concrete and specific plan that will make progress beyond the small gains of 1996.

The governor has proposed expanding to the fourth-grade level the popular class size reduction program that currently rewards districts that limit classes to 20 students per teacher in grades one through three. The intent is excellent, though finding the space for additional classrooms will be a challenge on many campuses. Nevertheless the proposed expansion seems certain since the Legislature’s Democratic majority clearly favors smaller classes and the extra attention they afford to pupils. Funding for expansion seems likely with growing state revenues.

There is precedent for governors and legislatures working together on educational achievements. Money and a commitment to higher standards are the glue, and Mississippi and Kentucky have made that pay off in improved school achievement, with the fourth-grade students in both those states outranking California’s in last year’s federal assessment of reading skills.

Despite the better financial picture, California school districts face extraordinary challenges because of growing enrollment overall and, significantly, an increase in students needing bilingual education and others who pose special learning problems.

Public school enrollment has increased from 4.25 million in 1985 to 5.46 million today, and there’s no question that quantity has hurt quality. Many school districts need more campuses, classrooms, computers and other essentials. The surge has been fueled by immigration, migration and a higher than expected birthrate. The exodus of the middle class from poor urban districts also puts pressure on many suburban school districts that just a few years ago were shutting schools down. Sacramento should consider placing yet another school construction bond issue before voters. It’s expensive but mandatory for California to keep pace.

The unchecked growth in bilingual education from fewer than half a million students in 1985 to more than 1.26 million today is a tough test for school districts, which, by federal law, must educate every child regardless of language. That task is further complicated by an influx of older immigrant children, including some who have never attended school, and the growing number of children of illiterate parents who cannot help their children academically at home. Congress mandates bilingual education but has never allocated adequate funding. So the job rests with Sacramento.

A growing number of children from single-parent homes or with behavioral problems also taxes California school districts, each situation adding to the overall burden and responsibility. Sacramento needs to target help in the form of aides and additional training for teachers.

The place to start is the class size reduction program. Wilson and Eastin have got the ball rolling with this movement. Californians looking to the needs of our state, and the legislators who represent them, should not hesitate at this important moment to give full support to the campaign.