Even though California voters approved $7.3 billion in new bonds in November to repair schools and build new classrooms, that funding won鈥檛 begin to meet the state鈥檚 continuing need for more classroom space, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said last week during his State of the State address.
Laying out just a few of his education priorities for the first year of his second term, the Republican said he would ask the legislature to approve $11.6 billion in additional bonds to build another 15,000 classrooms and to renovate 40,000 more. That would be on top of the 10,000 new classrooms and the 38,000 that will be renovated thanks to the bond measure approved last fall.
鈥淲e must invest in education,鈥� said Gov. Schwarzenegger, who approached the podium on crutches because of a broken leg from a skiing accident. 鈥淚 have seen the need with my own eyes as I鈥檝e toured schools throughout the state. I went to a school with bedsheets on the windows rather than blinds. I went to a school that was so overcrowded, the gym locker room was used for teaching space.鈥�
In addition to building and renovating school facilities, the governor said he wants to add public accountability to the state education system, giving parents easy access to such information as whether a school offers preschool, art, or music and data on a school鈥檚 dropout and graduation rates.
鈥淚f you can get information about a car online, why can鈥檛 you get information about your local school online?鈥� he said in his Jan. 9 speech to a joint session of the legislature.
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O鈥機onnell, a former Democratic state lawmaker who also won re-election last year to his job, which is officially nonpartisan, praised the governor鈥檚 plan to make information on local schools more transparent.
鈥淪chool accountability depends on openness about school progress,鈥� Mr. O鈥機onnell said in a press release.
The superintendent also said he welcomes a continuing emphasis by the governor on career and technical education.
鈥淲ith our world-class content standards for career-technical education, students can benefit from a rigorous academic experience at the same time they are gaining relevant experience that will prepare them for success in the increasingly competitive global economy,鈥� Mr. O鈥機onnell said.
Being Bipartisan
Gov. Schwarzenegger has started the new year with a strong effort to find common ground with Democrats鈥攁 theme that was evident in his speech.
鈥淭his year I want to talk about 鈥榦ur vision,鈥� 鈥� he said, 鈥渂ecause I think we all want the same thing for Californians.鈥�
Barbara Kerr, the president of the California Teachers Association, an affiliate of the National Education Association, said that, for now, the union鈥檚 relationship with the governor has improved.
鈥淚t鈥檚 better than 2005,鈥� she said, referring to the year the CTA and Mr. O鈥機onnell launched a legal challenge against the governor over funds the state borrowed from the education funding formula to help balance the budget. The matter since has been settled.
While building classrooms is important, Ms. Kerr added, 鈥渆qually or perhaps more important鈥� is having enough qualified teachers in those classrooms.
In his budget, released Jan. 10, the governor calls for a $10 million initiative called the EnCorps Teachers Program, a public-private partnership with business and industry to attract 2,000 experienced retirees into teaching, with training to take place through the state鈥檚 existing intern program.
Mr. Schwarzenegger already has scored points among Democrats鈥攚ho control both houses of the legislature鈥攚ith a plan for almost universal health-care coverage of the state鈥檚 more than 6.5 million uninsured residents, including about 750,000 children.
Under his plan, all uninsured children whose families are below 300 percent of the federal poverty guidelines鈥攐r about $60,000 for a family of four鈥攚ould be eligible for the coverage, even if they were not legal residents.
Children above that threshold would be required to be covered by private insurance. Employers that don鈥檛 provide insurance, as well as doctors and hospitals, also would be required to help pay for the program, which is expected to cost about $12 billion a year.
