Serrano: A Victory of Sorts for Ethics, Not Necessarily for Education

Abstract

Coons, Clune and Sugarman uncovered Proposition I -"the quality of public education may not be a function of wealth other than the wealth of the state as a whole"l-and artfully spread the word, much like any suitor who had experienced paradise and wanted all to share in the bounty. With the help of numerous commentators, various political allies, and capable trial attorneys-midwives all -the California Supreme Court despite a few ramblings overcame earlier miscarriages elsewhere and gave judicial birth to Proposition I in Serrano v. Priest. Serrano's first step-child, Van Dusartz v. Hatfield, even improved on the original proposition: the level of spending for a child's education may not be a function of wealth other than the wealth of the state as a whole.