A test for politicians
Editorial
HERE'S a multiple-choice quiz for Californians concerned about public schools: Test scores of immigrant and low-income children in public schools in the Golden State, where one student out of four lacks fluency in English, rank dead last in comparison with the other 49 states. Of the responses reported in The Examiner's editions last week, which is the only one to get a passing grade? (1) Gray Davis, governor: "I am pleased that as we raise expectations in California schools, all students are benefiting from our efforts . . . " (2) Delaine Eastin, superintendent of public instruction: "The good news is that results for our English learners increased in almost all subjects and all grade levels." (3) Ron Unz, Silicon Valley mogul who in 1997 wrote and promoted Proposition 227 (banning bilingual instruction): "Last year, 1.4 million scores (of children classified as non-fluent in English) increased by 20 percent." (4) Kenji Hakuta, professor of education at Stanford University: "None of these results should make anyone very happy . . . California is only beginning to address the issue of how to educate limited-English kids - and to understand that this is as much an economic and resources crisis as anything else." The answer is too obvious for comment. We'll leave it to the shrinks to attempt to explain why two politicians and a self-styled reformer could issue congratulatory statements about the devastating results of this year's statewide achievement exams. Give them grades of H (for hypocrisy). This is a time of unprecedented prosperity and booming tax revenues. But our public schools - ranked among the best in the nation when the baby boomers were babies - have been allowed to sink to the bottom in what the professor correctly terms "an economic and resources crisis." Gray Davis launched his gubernatorial campaign two years ago at Buena Vista Elementary School in the Mission District, where he made many a promise about his dedication to public education. It's time for him - and Eastin and Unz - to take off the rose-colored glasses. They must mobilize their immense political skills to confront a crisis of enormous importance to the future of California and today's children, the citizens of tomorrow. A State Official and Ron Unz Challenge a Test-Score Editorial
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