SAN JOSE – Declaring "I want to become an expert in all education," Arnold Schwarzenegger convened an "education summit" Wednesday and emerged pledging support for children and schools but offering few specifics.

In his second policy summit since declaring his candidacy for governor one month ago, the Republican met with two dozen advisers, including mother-in-law Eunice Kennedy Shriver, who founded the Special Olympics, and East Los Angeles math teacher Jaime Escalante, the subject of the movie "Stand and Deliver."

Former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan, who championed education during his eight years as mayor, co-chaired the event along with Lisa Keegan, chief executive of Education Leaders Council, a Washington, D.C.-based reform group.

After the meeting Schwarzenegger discussed some principles he said would guide his approach to education, including working for local control, ensuring that inner-city schools get the most qualified teachers, giving children equal educational opportunities, eliminating waste and bureaucracy, increasing parental choice and involvement and establishing more and better charter schools. He did not offer specific plans.

Although test scores have improved under Democratic Gov. Gray Davis, Schwarzenegger said schools are failing and insisted, "I'm absolutely convinced that we can turn this around again."

Schwarzenegger is the leading Republican candidate to replace Davis if he is recalled Oct. 7. The actor has been stagnant in recent polls and the education summit came on a day when a new Field Poll showed the exit from the race Tuesday of Republican businessman Peter Ueberroth did not appear to be giving him a boost.

With the California Republican Party convention set for this weekend, Republican attention was increasingly focused on conservative state Sen. Tom McClintock, R-Northridge, who is running a solid third place behind Schwarzenegger and Democrat Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante. Some Republicans fear McClintock's presence in the race will split their votes and hand the election to Bustamante.

As Schwarzenegger seeks to burnish his credentials as a credible candidate well-versed on issues, the education summit follows a pattern he has established of inviting well-known experts to advise him. His first policy summit, on Aug. 20, focused on the economy and was attended by billionaire investor Warren Buffett and former Secretary of State George Shultz.

Schwarzenegger said he supported testing and opposed vouchers but supported parental choice like that offered in President Bush's No Child Left Behind act, which requires schools to transfer students from failing schools. He said he believes schools, which consume about 40 percent of the state budget, have enough money, but waste must be eliminated.

"I've been in the classroom. I've gone and visited hundreds of schools. I know the public school arena," he said.

Schwarzenegger worked last year to pass a state initiative ensuring funding for after-school programs - although no programs have received money yet because of the state's budget deficit.

Riordan was considering running for governor himself until Schwarzenegger entered the race and it was their first joint appearance since then. Riordan was reportedly taken by surprise when his friend announced he was running but he insisted he's strongly behind him.

"Arnold believes more than any human being I've ever met that every child deserves the tools ... of a quality education," he said.