Laurie Taylor Mitchell's criticisms of former Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.'s educational funding ("Ehrlich lacks vision on schools," Readers Respond, July 14) conveniently ignores the fiscal realities he was forced to confront upon assuming office: a looming multi-billion dollar structural deficit inherited from a profligate Glendening administration; and a $1 billion to $2 billion Thornton unfunded education mandate already approved and enacted into law by the overwhelmingly Democratic General Assembly.

Under these circumstances and the legislature's subsequent obstinate resistance to using slots revenue to assist in funding education, it's remarkable that cuts in the rate of growth could be kept as low as they were while restoring fiscal sanity and that Mr. Ehrlich's initiatives to jump-start Maryland's woefully inadequate charter school program actually moved forward in spite of vociferous teacher union resistance to upsetting the status quo.

On balance, Maryland's schools progressed well during Mr. Ehrlich's tenure and helped form a sound basis for future ongoing reforms.

Dick Fairbanks