Rival History Lessons in Orange Trustee Race : Elections: Challengers for two posts contend their opponents have pushed the district too far right, too fast. Incumbents take credit for bringing relief from turmoil and for backing charter schools.

ORANGE —  Whether they’re rehashing financial nightmares or public relations disasters, candidates for seats on the Orange Unified School District Board of Education are tossing around blame for the district’s troubled history.

Campaigns for the two contested seats on the seven-member board are building steam as the Nov. 7 election approaches. Voters have the power to dramatically alter the dynamics of the board, which frequently splits 4 to 3 on controversial issues.

Contenders have squared off over such issues as whether the board is shifting too far to the right, whether the unions exercise too much power and whether to expand a charter school program, which grants more autonomy to individual campuses.

There are three open seats, but only two incumbents, Board President Maureen Aschoff and Trustee Bill Lewis, face challengers. They tend to vote with the board’s conservative majority.

Trustee Robert H. Viviano, seeking a second term, will not appear on the ballot because he faces no challengers.

Challenging Aschoff is social worker Gloria Wildman. Lewis faces accountant David Gernak and school administrator Sue McCann.

No one disputes that the district has been through a string of disasters in the past few years: fiscal policies that almost led to a state takeover, labor strikes, a run of eight superintendents in two years, three costly sexual harassment cases, and a citizens’ request for a grand jury investigation of alleged bid-rigging.

The incumbents contend that they helped shepherd the district out of turmoil and started staff and students down the path of reform. “We’ve had some unfortunate situations come up but we’ve come through it,” Aschoff said.

But the challengers charge that the board is leading the district to the edge of a far-right cliff.

Aschoff, a 50-year-old librarian, is pinning her campaign on the issue of local campus control. She and Lewis have been quick to claim credit for supporting the county’s first charter school at Santiago Middle School. And Aschoff has joined those who want to go a step further and create a multi-campus charter that would allow more schools to operate in greater freedom from governmental regulations.

She also has joined the other majority members of the board in supporting efforts to privatize services. “If you look at the history of what governments have done with welfare and education, they have not been successful,” she said.

The biggest drag on reform, Aschoff said, has been the power of the unions, and she wants to put “some balance” back in the relationship.

She describes the race as “a community versus a union candidate.”

The teachers union has openly derided Aschoff. Six months ago it took out a “wanted” ad in local papers seeking a challenger to Aschoff who will “be able to put children’s needs ahead of political beliefs and aspirations.” And Aschoff has not withheld counterattacks.

Even without the union’s backing, Aschoff has some powerful endorsements of her own. Rep. Robert K. Dornan (R-Garden Grove), state Sen. John R. Lewis (R-Orange), Assemblyman Mickey Conroy (R-Orange) and other conservative figures have pledged their support.

Wildman, 57, counters that these big-name politicians have little to do with the community and everything to do with helping Aschoff push a conservative agenda.

“My issue is that this is not a political campaign, this is a nonpartisan position,” Wildman said. “One of my issues in terms of trust is, ‘What is the agenda here?’ Are these people using this as a step to go somewhere else or are they interested in this position?”

Most of her supporters are neighbors and other residents, but she did not turn away the teachers union when it called. “I told them I would put kids first,” she said. “There seems to be an assumption that teachers don’t have best interests of the kids at heart--but that’s why they go into teaching.”

Bill Lewis, a 42-year-old business administrator who is facing two challengers in his race, said that he is proud of his record. “Four years ago we were the laughingstock of the county,” he said. “But as far as taxpayers and residents are concerned, we have turned these things around.”

Lewis supports studying privatization and acting on the charter concept, but he too advocates a cautious approach. He also seeks a more amiable relationship with the unions but has promised to “take his licks at them” in the coming weeks. But, he added, “They have a perspective that needs to be looked at.”

His central campaign theme is activism. “We are not just discussing, but moving on the areas of privatization and charter schools,” he said. “We’re not just sitting there talking about it.”

Lewis also carries the endorsements of Dornan, Lewis and Conroy, politicians with more respect among voters than leaders of the teachers union, he said.

“What’s strange is that every board member has approached the unions for support and only turned and attacked [them] when they didn’t get it,” said opponent David Gernak, who carries the union endorsements.

Gernak, 44, promises voters he would bring more than 20 years of experience as a certified public accountant to the board. The “ultra-conservative” mentality of the current trustees, he said, has hindered the district with overly frugal spending. He cited the district’s aged bus system.

“A lot of the same talents that are useful in business are very much needed in school districts,” he said. “I certainly agree we don’t need more taxes, just more efficient spending.”

Like other challengers, Gernak contends the board is moving too fast on privatization and charter schools without doing adequate analysis of the pros and cons.

Gernak and Lewis both face another formidable opponent in Sue McCann. A business administrator in the Garden Grove Unified School District, McCann, 42, recently completed work toward a doctorate in educational administration.

She said she is concerned about the direction of the board. “We’ve got to make sure we provide a quality education by focusing on goals rather than making it a political arena for a couple of candidates,” she said. “I have no political aspirations.”

Privatizing services can also mean giving up control over those services, McCann said. She wants a go-slow approach on enlarging the charter school concept until Santiago has proved itself. “It’s in its infancy stages and you have to proceed with caution,” she said.

McCann tells voters that she will represent them as parents and bring her work experience to the board. But, generally, she is pleased with the district’s teachers.

“The instructional program is very important and in order for that to take place you first need fiscal responsibility so you can fund those programs.”

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Trustee Area 2

Candidate: Maureen Aschoff

Status: School Board President

Age: 50

Occupation: Librarian

Issues: Wants to devolve more power over individual schools to parents and study the idea of a multi-campus charter school. Promotes reform of curriculum to emphasize the basics and wants to privatize school services.

Trustee Area 2

Candidate: Gloria Wildman

Status: Challenger

Age: 57

Occupation: Social worker

Issues: Believes the current trustees are too political. Wants to slow down the push to privatize and to create more charter schools. Promotes teaching basic skills and wants more emphasis on the arts in the classroom.

Trustee Area 3

Candidate: Bill Lewis

Status: Trustee

Age: 42

Occupation: Business administrator

Issues: Promotes his record for helping stabilize fiscal stability of district. Wants to improve relations with the unions and study privatization and charter issues.

Trustee Area 3

Candidate: David Gernak

Status: Challenger

Age: 44

Occupation: CPA and chief financial officer

Issues: Wants to apply business experience to district finances and negotiations with unions. Advises caution on privatization and charter schools.

Trustee Area 3

Candidate: Sue McCann

Status: Challenger

Age: 42

Occupation: School business administrator

Issues: Believes the board should more strongly respect the views of parents and other community members. Would apply experience as school district administrator to issues. Urges caution on privatization and charter schools.