Go back to News pageSAN FRANCISCO -- California voters have chosen a new state superintendent of schools who is likely to restore the visible, bully pulpit style that was abandoned when Bill Honig was forced to step down as head of the nation's largest public school system.
As chairwoman of the Assembly Education Committee, Delaine Eastin became known for a sometimes confrontational approach reminiscent of Honig, who was superintendent for 10 years before being forced out by conflict-of-interest charges in 1993. And like Honig, Eastin is widely regarded by educators as a champion of children who will fight for- not delicately request - more money for schools.
"Eastin has been quite outspoken about her differences with Gov. Wilson. This is really going to be quite interesting to watch, because I think they'll clash quite a bit," said Michael Kirst, co-director of policy analysis for California Education, a research group at Stanford University.
Eastin shares Honig's interest in broad-based school reforms and in introducing California's strong academic goals into the classroom by way of an achievement test such as the California Learning Assessment System, the funding for which Wilson vetoed in September.
Yet Honig's reform efforts, which brought national praise from educators, also drew the wrath of many in the religious right who influence state education policy. They rejoiced when Honig was forced from office. And Wednesday, their frustration was palpable at Eastin's victory over Wilson's appointed education secretary, Maureen DiMarco.
"I'm disappointed, because I believe this will hurt California education," said Bob Simonds, president of Citizens for Excellence in Education, a national coalition of Christian parents based in Costa Mesa. "Christian groups will have to step up their activities like they did against Bill Honig for what he did."
But even before all the returns were in Tuesday, Eastin had vowed to take a conciliatory approach to her new job.
"I'm outnumbered," she admitted, noting that Republican gains may have eroded her support. "I'm not in a position to fight, but to build coalitions."
Yet Eastin also made clear that she would not shy from controversy, saying she would defy Proposition 187, which would bar the children of undocumented immigrants from public schools.
"I'll try to educate those children," Eastin said. "I will go to court to refute (the new law), and I will be joined by the teachers, the PTA, the school administrators and the clergy. I will not be alone."
Among California's 5.3 million public school students, 300,000 are estimated to be in the country as undocumented aliens. U.S. Secretary of Education Richard Riley has said that he will withhold the entire $2.3 billion in federal education money to California if Prop. 187 is implemented.
California's total education budget is about $29 billion. Eastin said she had scheduled meetings with acting Superintendent William Dawson, who has led the state school system since Honig's departure.
She said she would also try to meet with Wilson on Wednesday. Eastin's opponent for the job of state superintendent was Wilson's appointed education secretary, Maureen DiMarco.
Although the two debated 11 times across the state, the back-and-forth rarely degenerated into bickering. It usually focused on school talk concerning such issues as bilingual education, statewide testing, parent involvement and how to bring more technology into the classroom -- and, of course, reducing campus violence.
The candidates' geniality appeared only to confuse voters, who had trouble deciding just how the two differed. The confusion created the largest bloc of undecided voters in any of the statewide voters, with about 60 percent just days before the vote.
Ultimately, Eastin's well-financed campaign worked in her favor, as did the strong support she received from most of California's public education groups. These included the two large state teachers' unions, the school administrators and the PTA, as well as numerous labor organizations and the state Democratic Party.
The Eastin campaign outspent the DiMarco campaign by a ratio of 3 to 1, or about $1.3 million to about $430,000, according to the secretary of state.
As California's first female state schools chief, Eastin might be expected to bring a new perspective to the job. In general, female politicians at the state and federal level have focused attention on overlooked issues from domestic abuse to pay parity.
Several observers said that the gender of the schools chief isn't as important in this case, because the state's top school job naturally focuses on issues of concern to women and their families. They noted the irony that Honig is a parent but that Eastin is not.
"I don't think it's a male-female thing when you get into this type of field," said Florence McCauley, president of the Educational Congress of California, a coalition of 20 statewide education organizations. "People who are involved in education are already more people-oriented. We need a fighter."
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