Photograph by Robert Scheer
Sixth-graders Julie Ramirez (right) and Kirby Miguel, members of the Columbia Middle School pep squad, wait to perform during lunch at the Dare to Care conference on March 30.
By LESTER CHANG
California residents aren't happy with public schools, and they may be ready to pay more to improve them, a Stanford University professor told a group of Sunnyvale educators and parents gathered at Bishop Elementary School on Saturday.
Residents also want the state Legislature to become less involved in education, and they'd like to see increases in teacher training, discipline in schools and the use of technology, said Michael Kirst, who teaches education and business administration at Stanford.
Kirst cited these and other findings during the second annual Dare to Care conference sponsored by the Sunnyvale Elementary School District Board of Education. The board held the meeting to encourage more public support of education and to inform the public about the direction of the district as it heads into the next century.
School board members praised the findings, taken from a statewide poll conducted in February by Peter D. Hart Research Associates. The research firm, based in Washington D.C., took the poll for Policy Analysis for California Education, of which Kirst is a director.
Board president Linda S. Kilian said a plan adopted by the school district last year already addresses many of the concerns. The district's plan seeks more parental and community support and funding, higher performance standards for students and more use of technology.
"We are not saying our four goals will resolve all our problems, but they have helped a lot," said board member Jessica Lee. "Of course, we plan to look at the PACE report, as we do with other reports. And we will see what can be done to improve our district."
The Sunnyvale school district has nearly 6,000 students attending two middle schools and seven elementary schools. It has focused its attention on renovating buildings that are more than 40 years old and that leak or have obsolete heat and air-conditioning units and electrical wiring inadequate for computer use.
In June, Sunnyvale voters will be asked to approve a $34 million bond measure to modernize and refurbish the schools. The last school bond measure was approved in the early 1950s.
Speaking to about 150 educators from throughout Santa Clara Valley, Kirst cited among his findings the notion that the state school system needs a major overhaul.
The passage of Proposition 203 last month suggests that the public, in spite of a slow economy, is willing to pay more for education, he said. The bond measure will provide $3 billion to build new schools and repair old ones and provide funds for college projects.
Yet state funds are tight, and if a school district wants funds for improvements, it should look to local bond measures and parcel-tax programs, Kirst suggested.
"They are really the two best options, considering you have a statewide electorate that is older [people] who don't have children in school and may want state funds used elsewhere," he said.
Kirst said Californians believe education is the third-most important concern, behind crime and violence. Nationally, education is the top priority, Kirst said.
At the same time, residents think the Legislature shouldn't be involved in setting student discipline policies, deciding what books to use and determining competency standards for teachers, he said.
Rather than state interference, Kirst said those polled wanted more parental involvement in children's education. This is already happening in Sunnyvale, but more is needed, said board member Nancy Newkirk.
"We need the involvement of the entire community, not just parents with children in our schools, but parents who have had children go through. Their insight can benefit our students," Newkirk said. "Ten percent of our population are children, but they are 100 percent of our future.
The poll also called for:
* Improved tests to measure achievement and knowledge of students. The Legislature, however, wants new tests to be developed, according to PACE.
* Smaller classes. California currently has the largest ratio of pupils to teachers in the nation, about 24 to 1.
* Public support for learning in small groups instead of students working individually.
* Greater use of interactive television, the Internet and electronic communication equipment in classrooms and less use of calculators in schools.
* New approaches to student discipline.
* Giving parents the ability to choose between public schools for their children. Many people, however, oppose programs that would use state funds to send students to private schools.
* Public schools as a focal point for services for parents and children.
This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, April 3, 1996.
©1996 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.