Best quote on California education system (LA Times): "Dead last in reading . . . is nothing to write home about," added another official, noting that California's fourth-graders tied with Louisiana's as the worst in reading on the 1994 National Assessment of Education Progress test.

Stupidest Pete Wilson idea on how to pay for a longer school year: stop paying teachers for the 5 minutes between classes.

Civil rights story of the week:

Hunkering down in parkas and blankets under skies that threatened rain, several gardeners began a hunger strike Saturday evening on the steps of Los Angeles City Hall to protest the city's imminent ban on gasoline-powered leaf blowers.