CTA opposes recall of Gov. Davis, recommends Bustamante as successor

Describing the effort to recall Gov. Gray Davis as "bad precedent and bad government," CTA leaders are urging members to vote no on the Oct. 7 ballot. CTA is also recommending that members vote for Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante as his successor in case the recall passes.

"The recall is not about fixing California," says CTA President Barbara E. Kerr. "It doesn't fix anything. Instead, it creates chaos and gridlock, hurts the economy and wastes millions of dollars that could be put to better use."

The recall isn't about Gov. Davis either, she says. "Davis may not be colorful. He may not be popular. But he has done nothing wrong. He hasn't broken any laws."

CTA's contention is that recalls should only be used in proven cases of criminal conduct. Recalling a democratically elected governor who has not been accused of any crime sets a dangerous precedent.

"Voting no on the recall is what's good for California," says Kerr. "What's good for California is not creating chaos and instability just when we need the opposite."

CTA's Board of Directors voted Aug. 21 to adopt a plan for opposing the recall. CTA's State Council of Education had taken a position against the recall at its June meeting. Support for keeping that position was strong, says Kerr. The only real matter of debate was whether to recommend a successor and, if so, who should get the nod.

Internal polls indicated that members wanted to know how the candidates to replace the governor stand on public education issues. "It's important that any successor know about public education," says Kerr. "We can't leave it up to chance."

In advance of the Board meeting, several of the most viable candidates were sent questionnaires and given the opportunity to be interviewed by a team of teachers representing CTA. Six candidates went through the process.

Because Bustamante has a strong history of supporting students, teachers and public schools, the team recommended him to the Board of Directors, which accepted the recommendation. "He will fight to provide our schools with the resources they need," says Kerr. "He's a strong supporter of public education. He worked to reduce class size. He thinks kids shouldn't have to spend so much time on testing, and that tests are one-size-fits-all."

Bustamante believes that teachers are the true experts in education and should have more authority over what they teach and how they teach it. He also believes it's time to take a break from the barrage of school reform measures put in place over the past few years. And, unlike the people leading the recall effort, he opposes school vouchers.

Trudy Stephenson Willis