Report card

The Kindergarten Cop and other candidates in California's gubernatorial recall race were quizzed last week by the California Teachers Association (CTA) as the union weighs which candidate to endorse. This is one test the teachers union would rather not give; the group supported Gray Davis in both 1998 and 2002 and opposes the recall effort. Given Mr. Davis's dim prospects, however, CTA doesn't want to be left in the dark.... The federal government disproportionately funds teen "safe-sex" programs over abstinence programs by a ratio of almost 7 to 1, according to data presented by The Heritage Foundation. In 2002, total funding for contraception promotion to teens was at least $677 million, while abstinence funding was $102 million. Abstinence education receives support from three federal funding streams, while more than twice as many finance "safe-sex" programs.... Parents want to know how their local schools are serving all students, according to a Business Roundtable poll released in July. More than 80 percent of parents say they would be concerned if progress among some students were lagging while average student achievement was meeting standards. Fifty-six percent of parents and 59 percent of voters say a school should be identified as in need of improvement if one group of students is falling behind.