SACRAMENTO, CA -- Two months ago, the Los Angeles Times published an op-ed by yours truly that contended that poor teaching methodologies rather than lack of government funding was responsible for poor student performance.

Heresy? Yes, according to the California School Boards Association (CSBA). In a three-page response letter, CSBA spokesman Brian Lewis actually states that the public education system is doing well and that to do even better we just have to spend more. (If you're going to practice the art of the Big Lie, you might as well go for the gusto.)

Mr. Lewis claims that "California's high school students are staying in school longer, taking tougher classes . . . and boosting their scores on advanced placement and college entrance exams." Oh really?

As opposed to the California Department of Education's misleading figures, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) notes that California's dropout rate has stayed constant, with one-third of the state's high school students dropping out every year. This jibes with studies showing California's high school graduation rate at a low 65 percent.

Also, according to the Council of Chief State School Officers, California ranks near the bottom of states in the percentage of students taking intermediate algebra, geometry, trigonometry, first-year chemistry, first-year biology, and first-year physics.

From 1987 to 1995, average verbal SAT scores of public high school students dropped from 421 to 412 (math scores stayed constant at 485). Last year, state SAT scores appeared to rise, but only because the SAT had been dumbed down (difficult sections were eliminated, etc.) and the scoring was "recentered" (i.e., points were added onto scores).

In addition, the CSBA looks only at spending figures over a short time period (e.g., the first half of the 1990s) to show that education spending hasn't gone up much. However, if one looks at the historical trend in government education spending, one finds that according to the NCES, using constant 1992-93 dollars, California spent $4,780 per pupil in 1992-93 versus $2,057 in 1959-60 (a real increase of 132%).

Mr. Lewis further complains that PRI blames "administrative bloat" for public education's troubles. That's untrue. We say that public education suffers from overcentralization of decisionmaking, a conclusion supported by the Education Week report touted by Mr. Lewis.

Finally, Mr. Lewis says that poor decisions by government education officials regarding teaching methodologies "are not the driving force behind poor student performance." Where has Mr. Lewis been? Former state schools chief Bill Honig admits he goofed by de-emphasizing phonics. Last year, the state Board of Education issued new policies favoring phonics and math computation because of the disastrous failure of "whole language" reading instruction and "new, new math."

Virginia Gov. George Allen recently said, "Our children cannot wait for the satiated education establishment to admit that our schools need major improvement in the way they operate -- not just more dollars thrown at them." The CSBA's pathetic response shows just how true this is.

-By Lance T. Izumi