Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's seven appointees to the 11-member state school board reflect his nonpartisan commitment to education.

The four Democrats, two Republicans and one independent are strong believers in charter schools, greater local control and after-school programs that help keep kids out of trouble. With the exception of the school board president, Reed Hastings, all members are newcomers.

Several of them have solid education credentials, most notably Johnathan Williams, a former teacher who, 10 years ago, co-founded the Accelerated School, a charter in South-Central Los Angeles that was cited as the top elementary school of 2001 by Time magazine.

Schwarzenegger's choice of Bonnie Reiss, a longtime friend of the governor, his wife and a senior adviser in the administration, is very interesting.

Reiss is expected to be an emissary of Education Secretary Richard Riordan, the former Los Angeles mayor, who had recently expressed an interest in serving as state board president in addition to his current post.

All seven appointees, who are subject to Senate confirmation, will begin serving their terms in the near future. As unpaid board members, they are responsible for carrying out policies, most of which are set by the Legislature. The panel does, however, have a say on setting standards for teacher preparation and classroom instruction. Last summer, for example, the board made a major mistake in delaying the requirement that high school students pass an exit exam before being granted diplomas.

The newly reconstituted board should rectify that mistake.