Reform Education

By Rosemarie "Rosie" Avila

As an elected Santa Ana School Board Member I have succeeded in ending Bilingual Education, exposing the failure of whole language reading and fuzzy Math. Now with English instruction, a new phonics-based reading program, and a basic math emphasis, our test scores are going up. I also established a required United States Constitution Test for all eighth graders. As your congresswoman, I will work to protect local control, and advocate that our schools stay focused on academic achievement.

In Santa Ana where I have served as an elected school board member for 14 years, I have provided bold leadership in Education and worked to refocus our educational system on academic achievement.

The Santa Ana Unified School District is 93% Hispanic. My signature issue has been ending the failed Bilingual educational methods, which had children learn in Spanish for the first four years and then transition into English instruction.

It was a battle. First, I exposed the failure of bilingual education in a 1992 editorial in the Orange County Register newspaper. Then, I was a spokesperson for Prop. 227, "English for the Children," debating Steven Krashen, the architect of Bilingual Education. We also had to recall Latino Activist School Board Member Nativo Lopez of Hermandad Mexicana National for preventing the children from learning in English. Finally, we had to call for a Grand Jury investigation to ensure the Santa Ana schools were implementing English instruction.

Now with English instruction and a new phonics-based reading program, our test scores are going up! I also advocated and succeeded in establishing a required United States Constitution Test for all eighth graders. After Nativo Lopez was recalled, the school district passed my ethics resolution in the form of a new Ethics Policy.

Often state and federal educational laws are products of social scientists and legislators, not parents and teachers. One fellow board member asked me, "How can you be right and all of these educational experts be wrong?" And I answered, "...because the people know what the schools are doing is not working. And I represent the people."

As your Congresswoman, I will work to return our schools to local control. Due to so many state and federal education laws, our local districts have become processors rather than educational leaders.

Education is the responsibility of the family. Children are a gift to parents, and parents are responsible for the instruction of their children. Parents and the community must insist on local control for education, and hold their elected school board members accountable for the quality of education. Parents need to take the instruction of their children seriously and make sure the schools teach our national values and our common language, English. Public Schools should not be allowed to undermine the personal values of the family.