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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (March 24, 1963)
t 6 A - f "' MAX RAFFEHTY Finding Change Not Easy Rafferty Change Br ROBERT FAIRBANKS Untied Preu International Sacramento, Calif. - (UPD - Dr. Max Rafferty, outspoken foe of so-called progressive education, rode into office as California superintendent of public instruction on a tide of votes that seemed a man date for change. Back to the 3-Rs, and all that. Now, like many another holder of political office, Raf ferty is finding change is eas ier to talk about than accom plish. Rafferty and his backers appeared to have irresistible force in November's election. But he has run into the state board of education, whose members are appointed by the governor. May Affect Future Outcome of Rafferty's col lisions with the board may af . feet the state's broad political future as well as its 4.5 mil lion students and 153,000 teachers. The board is convinced that it, and not Rafferty, is in charge of California's huge e d u c a tional establishment. Rafferty, who defeated his opponent by 220,000 votes, must sit as the board's non voting executive officer. Rafferty and the board have collided on three issues. The board took two decisions, but the third, and most funda mental, has gone to the state attorney general for settle ment. Likeliest Candidate The political significance In these disputes arose recently when California's Democratic chief, Jesse M. (Big Daddy) Unruh, named Rafferty as the Republicans' likeliest candi date for governor in 1986. Unruh, who has been men tioned as a Democratic nom inee, may have been giving the 45-year-old superintendent an early boost, the better to drop him down. But Rafferty is a Republican possibility, and whether he remains could depend upon the outcome of his dispute with the board most of whose members are Democrats. Another facet of the dis pute lies in Rafferty's popu. larity with California's vari ous ultra-conservative groups, some of whose members claim credit for his election to the officially non-partisan post of superintendent. Basis for Win Rafferty agrees he Is pop ular with the conservatives, but denies their work elected him. He won, ho said, be cause he advocated the teach' ing of fundamentals as op posed to progressive educa- lion. His politics? "Well, I've considered myself an Elsen hower Republican." ' While liking Rafferty, the ultra conservatives have great dislike for Board President Thomas Bradcn Democratic newspaper pub lisher from Oceanslrie who has consistently fought a 1 1 attempts toward censorship in schools accused of using "sub versive" or "communistic material. In a recent case, Bradcn drafted the board's letter of encouragement to a school su perintendent in southern Cali fornia. Not by Censorship. "Freedom," he said. "Is not promoted by censorship. To eliminate from our schools all discussion and materials with which any group or in dividual disagrees will result only in a weakening of our school system. Rafferty, in the same case, said the allegedly communist ic material was "negative in approach ' and that he did not like it. Although none of this fig ures directly in Rafferty s cur rent dispute with the board, it has created an aura of pas SUNDAY, MARCH 24, 1963 Finding Is Hard sion that threatens to eclipse the educational issues involv ed. The three-part dispute be gan shortly after Rafferty as sumed his $22,050-a-ycar job last Jan. 7. At that time, he was promising a survey bf the state department of edu cation to determine if it were organized efficiently. Plan Similar Survey However, it happened the lu-member board was plan ning a similar survey and it became a question of whose men would conduct it. In a glow1 of early amicability, the parties decided there would be two men chosen by t h e board and two men chosen by Rafferty. But the chairman of the group was to be a board member. - The second of the three is sues arose at a board meet ing in Los Angeles Feb. 14 when one board member pro duced a letter that Rafferty had written Jan. 21 to the institute of international edu cation In San Francisco, an organization used by the U. s. btate department as clearing house for foreign dig nitaries. Rafferty said in the letter: "You have been sending a lot or ioreign visitor....s to our department. We have neither the time nor the personnel to take care of them. Blow The Whistle I am afraid that we are going to have to simply blowj me wnisue on tills picture until the state of California or the (Federal) department of health, education and wel fare supplies us with suffi cient funds to set up the sep- raie position of official sreet- er in order that we may take care of your people." Board members described Rafferty's letter as "harsh" and suggested he reopen the visitors' program, perhaps with volunteers to serve as chauffeurs and guides. Raffer ty agreed, after explaining that he had only written the letter in an attempt to get sufficient money and man power for the project. Both Rafferty and the board went through moments of tcstincss during the letter writing dispute, but these were quickly forgotten when the third, and fundamental Issue arose at the same board meeting In Los Angeles. Roots In Conference This issue had its roots in a news conference Rafferty called Feb. 11 to announce his support of a bill currently be fore Ihe legislature.. The bill affects the distribution of ele mentary school textbooks. Rafferty committed not only nimseir to the measure but also the 2,400 civil servants In the stale department of ed ucation, which he heads. Board members agreed Raf ferty could speak for himself but at Ilic meeting challenged his right lo commit the de partment. They argued the constitution gave them Ihe right to set educational policy for the stale, thus giving them the right to determine which bills the department shall or shall not support. As the dispute grew hotter, llicy also noted Rafferty was their executive officer and suggested that even he, In that ; role at least, might not be le gally able to speak for him self. "That will be the day," Raf ferty answered. The exchange ended when board members adopted two resolutions. The first instruct ed the department of educa tion to oppose the textbook bill: the second Instructed Rafferly, as the board's exec-1 utive officer, to follow board 1 nslrucllons regarding the leg islation. I Both resolutions, with per tinent legal questions, have since gone to the state attor ney general for settlement. 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