My name is Arthur Purves. Tonight I address you as president of the Fairfax County Taxpayers Alliance. My wife and I are parents of two children who attended Fairfax County Public Schools from grades K through 12, and I serve on the school system's Professional/Technical Studies Advisory Committee.

Fairfax County Public Schools forecasts a budget deficit averaging $45 million per year over the next four years.

To solve this, the Fairfax County School Board has voted to ask the state legislature for independent taxing authority and a menu of new tax options, including a piggy-back county income tax and a higher sales tax.

The Fairfax County Taxpayers Alliance opposes, and asks you to oppose, new taxes and the independent taxing authority for school boards.

Over the past two decades, while inflation increased 200%, Fairfax County per capita taxes increased 300% and per student spending in Fairfax County Public Schools increased 400%.

Two decades of tax increases have not made our schools better. Despite a 100% increase in counselors, psychologists, and social workers, student behavior is worse. Many buildings are overcrowded and deteriorating. Standardized test scores increased zero percent and SAT scores increased only 6%. The county's average SAT score of 1096 is only at the 65th percentile. The county's average score on college board achievement tests is only at the 50th percentile. On the county's own standardized math tests, sixth graders get only 70% of questions right, which by Fairfax County grading standards is a D+. There has been no improvement in the minority student achievement gap. One wonders if the small increase in SAT scores is due to SAT prep classes rather than higher standards in the classroom.

School administrators say that even with increased spending they cannot raise academic achievement because there are more low-income students. Because of this false belief there is no accountability, especially at the state level, since school accreditation does not consider test results. The reason is that school administrators believe that schools with minority students cannot be held to the same standard as affluent schools. Therefore, rather than have two standards, we have no standards.

This is wrong. You will not need to raise taxes, if you implement curricula that are effective for all students. First, promote phonics-based reading instruction. Second use proven math curricula that provide adequate worksheets and drill instead of reliance on hand calculators. Two such curricula are the Direct Instruction courses designed by Siegfried Engelmann at the University of Oregon and which have been tested extensively in the federally funded Project Follow Through. The courses are "Reading Mastery" and "Connecting Math Concepts", both of which are marketed by SRA/McGraw Hill. Other promising courses are Open Court reading and Saxon math.

Third, promote E. D. Hirsch's Core Knowledge curriculum, which he has popularized in his series, What Your Kindergartner, 1st Grader, . . ., 6th Grader Needs to Know. There is increasing evidence that Dr. Hirsch's plan to teach geography, American history, and world history every year in elementary school, starting in kindergarten, dramatically increases student interest and achievement.

Fourth, require divisionwide course syllabi for all middle and high school courses, so parents, students, and teachers know what is to be taught. Divisionwide couse syllabi do not exist in Fairfax County. Fifth, provide regents-like exams for major middle and high school courses so that we may have an objective measure of how much our students have learned in the major academic disciplines.

These steps will raise student achievement, whereas higher taxes will not.