SACRAMENTO, CA - The California Teacher's Association (CTA) recently slapped a $60 dues increase on each of their members in order to raise $50 million to fight Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's ballot initiatives in the November special election. Among the CTA's targets is the initiative to challenge teacher tenure, a measure that brings few changes.

The proposal would extend the probationary period from two to five years. It also allows school boards to fire teachers with two consecutive years of unsatisfactory performance. The measure has become a battle between teachers seeking job security and districts seeking flexibility to govern. The flexibility to hire and fire teachers is a key ingredient to success, according to principals at high-performing charter schools.

At Oakland Charter Academy, a charter school with low-income minority kids, principal Jorge Lopez says he has been able to improve dramatically student achievement with his ability to hire and fire "at will.'' This allows him to run the school like a business.

"I look at it as a business - my mom-and-pop store. If anyone is stealing from these kids, I'm going to fire them,'' he says. The school succeeds because there is a bottom line - education.

Of course, more flexibility needs more accountability. And the governor's initiative is only a small piece of the
equation. The state also need accountability from districts in management. More than 500 school districts in California overspent more than $600 million in 2003-2004, according to the state Controller. More than half of them had done so for at least two years. The issue is not a lack of money.

The current budget includes a $3-billion increase in education spending. At the cost of more than $10,000 per
pupil, the state will pour nearly $50 billion into our schools with very little to show for it. Exorbitant union
contracts that outgrow state revenue and limit districts from contracting out for cheaper services in facilities and
maintenance all contribute to the unnecessarily high costs.

Californians have always been generous when it comes to education spending but it's time that they got results.
According to a Public Policy Institute of California poll taken earlier this year, voters are open to reforms such as
merit pay, school choice, and improved student testing. A full 64 percent say it would be a good idea to increase
teacher pay based on merit instead of seniority, and 61 percent supported allowing students to attend the public
school of their choice. More than 70 percent support statewide testing before students are promoted to the next
grade.

It's time to demand more accountability from everyone involved - teachers, schools, and districts. It is
unfortunate that the much heralded "Year of Reform'' has been watered down to a mere initiative extending the probationary period for a teacher seeking to become a permanent employee. Yet even this tiny step in the right direction will face fierce opposition.

The governor swept into office two years ago because he demonstrated that he was willing to think boldly. It is time for him to follow through. The opposition will just as vitriolic whether the reform is a tiny step or a bold leap.

Xiaochin Claire Yan is a Public Policy Fellow in Education Studies at the Pacific Research Institute. She can be reached via email at xyan@pacificresearch.org.