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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. I
11 TT n
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