European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 18, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wild lasday May 18, 1988 the stars and stripes Page 7 unions not blocking school Reform new study at Odds with Secretary Bennett Washington api teacher unions have not been a major obstacle to school Reform according to study commissioned by Llie education department that contradicts frequent charges made by education Secretary William j. Bennett. The Rand corp. Study released this week said rank and file teachers do not wan their unions to for Sake such traditional bread and butter items As class size and the length of the school Day in negotiating new contracts. But it said they generally Are willing 10 accommodate efforts to make teachers More professional and to improve the Quality of their instruction such As career ladders and other forms of performance based pay Ai Long As they Are not at the expense of the bread and butter improvements. If past experience is any indicator rank and Floc teachers Wilt not support such Trade offs according tothe study teacher unions and educational Reform which was financed by inc department of education office for educational research and improvement. Bennett has charged repeatedly that obstructionist unions Are the major obstacle to improving America schools. Last month in his own report american education making it work Bennett said sounded cation reforms arc threatened by the determined opposition they elicit from those who claim that fixing the schools will first require a Fortune in new fund  almost without fail wherever a worthwhile school proposal or legislative initiative is under consideration those with a vested interest in the educational status quo will use political Muscles to Block Reform Bennett said. Hit spokesman Loye Milter said Bennett had not yet seen he Rand report and had no immediate re action. The Rand researchers Lorraine m. Medonne and Anthony Pascal did not mention Bennett by  but said despite charges to inc contrary teacher unions have not been a major obstacle to educational  instead they have tried to accommodate demands for Reform even in those instances where a specific Reform initiative has run counter to their organizational interests or hat been at Odds with the profession Al judgment of their  in some cases accommodation occurred by default because slate and local organizations lacked the re sources to oppose Reform policies the study said. It said the unions accommodation and acceptance was critical to smooth implementation of school re forms. If teacher unions had wanted to Block Reform policies they could probably have done so quite successfully in Many local  researchers at Rand a Santa Monica calif., think tank Analysed Isi teacher contracts reached Between 1970 and 1985, and studied the reforms enacted in six slates Arizona California Florida Georgia. Minnesota and  none of the sin states were teacher organizations a major obstacle to the enactment of Reform legis lation it said. The organizations had limited influence particularly in the face of Strong countervailing pressure from key politicians and members of the Busi Ness  most of the Stales the teacher organizations made a conscious decision to mule their opposition and to accommodate the policies espoused by others. They did not want to be viewed As intransigent or anti Reform " the report  Florida and Pennsylvania the National Educa Tion association and american federation of teachers affiliates look divergent positions on some issues. But there were also differences within the same Union across slate  Rand report said policymakers must acc Ogunc not Only that teachers Are unwilling to give up bread and butter improvements As a Price for reforms but also that not All teachers want to assume the new rotes envisioned in an environment of greater professional  31 Hurt As . Cable car crashes into truck san Francisco a a crowded Cable car heading Down one of the cily s steepest Hills in Light rain rammed inc rear of a truck at a Slop Light near Fisherman s wharf monday injuring at least 31 people. "1 was Silling inside when the Brake Man said hold on hold on i held on then we hit. We were going very fast Down the Hill said Esther  St. Charles mo., favouring a bruised leg. Municipal railway spokesman Alan Sicgel said ambulances and Fin trucks were summoned to the intersection of Hyde and Bay streets a few Block from the popular tourist attractions on Fisher Man s wharf. Al least 29 people were taken to City hospitals and two were treated at the scene. Five people were admitted to the Hospital with fractures but no one was seriously injured said san Francisco Genera Hospital spokeswoman Gloria Rodriguez. Witnesses told police that the Cable car which normally moves at a fixed top Speed of about 9 Mph seemed to accelerate As it moved Down one of the steepest Hills on the los year old system in a drizzle. It struck the rear of a Kingston contracting co. Cherry picker repair truck hurling the car s inside passengers Forward and tossing those Riding outside in the pavement. On dec. A 1967, at the Samc intersection a Cable car careened into several Auto one injured passenger lies on the Street and another is pinned under Cable car. Appt Keld mobiles killing two people and injuring 43."by the time we got to inc Bottom of the Hill we were going 10 or 40 Miles per hour when we hit said Jed Porter of Kansas City but Muni spokesman George new Kirk said All systems on the car seemed to be operating  that was supposed to work worked but we weren t Able to  he said. Thai could be caused bythe weather or some other things hat we Are going to be checking for the next Cou ple of Days to Sec exactly what happened whether it was mechanical failure or just a Freak  also said it was unlikely that the car was Irav clings fast As witnesses reported there was no answer at Kingston s san Francisco offices. The truck Driver declined to give his  or to com ment except to say "1 Don t feel  the scene the front of Cable car no. I was ripped from the car and the rear of the truck was  cars one of the City s greatest treasures and a extremely popular tour 1st attraction operate by a my a mechanical grip to grab a moving Cable. Theca is slapped by using a friction Brake in the Cable Slot. An emergency Brake con sisting of n Metal Spike jammed into the Slot was welded into the Slot by the heat created by the moving car. Although it had to be Cut Loose with a Torch it failed to halt the car. Guccione refills suit against Hustler Flynt Columbus Ohio a Robert c. Guccione publisher of Penthouse Magazine has re Fitch an Iso million civil suit contending that Hustler mag Azine inc. And its publisher Larry e. Flynt. Published a doctored photo graph of our conc. The suit filed monday in Franklin county common pleas court alleges that Hustler s june 1979 edition published a fabricated photograph depict ing Guccione As having sea with a Man. The suit said the photograph was lewd indecent and embarrassing the suit which seeks $40 million in punitive damages and $40 million in compensatory damages was first filed Here in 1980. The jury awarded Guc Cione j39 million but the judge reduced the award to 14 million. Flynt appealed to the 10th Ohio District court of appeals which or dered a new trial. The Case then was brought before judge Frank a Rcd but transferred to judge James Brit who dismissed the Case in Early i9s7. Guccione appealed to the Ohio supreme court which ruled Early this year thai he could refile the suit. Texas town s Celebration just Ducky for Competition Taylor Texas a to a Lexi con already crowded with such phrase Sas Lucky Duck sitting Duck lame Duck and even dead Duck a group of Taylor residents wants to add another speeding Duck. Duck fast. A Day  activities May 21, will include a race for humans called the Duck Waddle a Duck egg relay and other activities befitting a town where the High school sports teams Are the fighting ducks. But Duck racing is the event that has captured imaginations. The racing ducks will ii Down wire enclosed 16-fool runways. While the Birds Tun handlers Are allowed 10 encourage them by crawling along a ramp above inc runway and making any kind of noise they figure will motivate their racers. But if inc verbal encouragement Rolls off their Birds Bact. Handlers arc stuck. The rules say hat once started a Duck can t be touched. The Taylor Competition is being pal Lemed after the great american Duck race held each year in denting n.m., where hundreds of racing ducks and up to 10,000 spectators have gathered. Rules require that each racing Duck be named. Among a Long list of suggestions the intimidating Moniker win Ner or