Squaring Off Over Schools

The underfunded campaign in support of Proposition 174, the school voucher initiative, is airing its first television commercial less than three weeks before the Nov. 2 election.

* THE AD: The 30-second spot opens with snippets of several commercials aired by the foes of Proposition 174. It switches to a woman who says: “All those millions being spent by the education unions and bureaucrats makes you wonder--what are they so afraid of,” followed by the words “$10.7 million. So far.” The narrator resumes: “With our public schools scoring worse than Mississippi’s, we’ve got to do something,” a reference to SAT scores. The spot concludes: “Yes on 174 gives parents the power to pick schools, and choice makes public schools better. I want the best for my kids. Why don’t they?”

* THE ANALYSIS: Although opponents have raised more than $10 million this year, the most recent campaign statements on file with the state show they had spent about $7 million through mid-September. Mississippi’s SAT scores were indeed higher in 1993. But a far higher percentage of California’s high school students take the SAT--47% versus 4% in Mississippi. The percentage of students taking the test in California is higher than in 29 other states. California’s average score on the math portion of the SAT exceeds the national average. Opponents of Proposition 174 point out that private schools decide which students they will admit, and that parents will not have final power to choose private schools.

The anti-voucher group, Citizens Against 174, is sponsoring a series of television and radio commercials. Here is one:

* THE AD: The 30-second television commercial features a bare light bulb, swinging on its cord. The bulb clicks on as a man’s voice says, “Here’s a bright idea. Let’s allow anyone who can round up 25 kids to open up a voucher school. We’ll pass out a billion dollars to pay for it. We’ll let them hire anyone as a teacher, no credentials or experience required. We won’t ask what courses they teach or require any tests. . . . Sound like a bright idea? Or a turnoff?” The light bulb clicks off. A voice intones: “Proposition 174. It’s a risk we can’t afford.”

* THE ANALYSIS: The commercial focuses on the lack of regulations governing private schools and what initiative opponents say is the potential for abuse. Analysts agree with the ad’s claim that Proposition 174 could cost the state more than a billion dollars initially, but that cost could be offset over time by wholesale transfers of students to private schools. It is true that private schools are free to hire uncredentialed teachers and are not required to test students, but they are required by the state Education Code to teach real courses in subjects including English, mathematics, social science, science and fine arts.