The Taxpayers' View

There were signs last week that the pother about U.S. schools was no longer exclusively the jousting ground of editors and educationists. In two cities parents and property holders were making up their own minds:

P:Taking a long, thoughtful look at Seattle's public schools, a citizens' committee issued a report giving them generally good marks in math and science, mixed reviews on a conglomerate English program called "language arts." After a startled glance at the history setup in the city's high schools, the committee observed: "We note with regret that World History is no longer required, however valuable the course in 'Contemporary Problems' may be. It is difficult to see how students can give mature consideration to contemporary problems without background in history apart from American History." Foreign-language teaching starts out well, ends badly: "The elective Spanish courses offered to the more able students beginning at the seventh-grade level seem to be well presented as a living language. The senior high school courses seem to be presented more mechanically with greater emphasis on meeting college-entrance requirements."

P:In Salt Lake City, teachers clamored for a "leeway" referendum to allow the school board to add 5 mills to property taxes, lost badly after a campaign that degenerated into a dogfight between pressure groups, with teachers opposing the Chamber of Commerce and citizens' committees. Observers felt that the recession weighed only lightly in the defeat. Out of several such leeway referendums in Utah this year, only one has succeeded; yet all bond issues for new school buildings have passed. The difference: much of the leeway money would go to across-the-board teachers' pay raises. A study on merit pay has poked along for four years, but teachers have been consistently cool to the idea of raises given according to ability. Said one disgusted citizen last week: "Sure a good career teacher is worth more money. And a science teacher is worth more than a gymnasium teacher. But the educators just won't look at it that way. Pay the good teacher more, but also pay the lousy teacher more? Nuts!"

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