Governor: Fixing state schools would be a real legacy
Fresno Bee 1/7/07
But California's chief executive began tackling some of the state's toughest issues, first as a combative reformer and then as a bipartisan dealmaker. The latter strategy was much more effective. It helped get him easily re-elected in November.
Now Schwarzenegger thinks he has the formula to change the course of California by working with Democrats and Republicans in the Legislature to push an agenda to improve the quality of life in the Golden State.
As Schwarzenegger begins his second term, his handlers are touting ambitious plans: offering health insurance to every Californian, reforming the public employee pension system, fixing a transportation system that's approaching gridlock in the most populous parts of the state and building on his environmental initiatives.
Children's needs unmet
But while the governor is trying to establish a legacy for this final term, a report card on California's children shows that the state has a long way to go before this truly will be a state that meets the needs of its youngest residents.
"If significant children's policy changes are not made in health care and education, current and future generations will be far worse off than previous ones and pay costs, directly and indirectly, for many years to come," says a news release from Children Now, which offered the report card last week.
This could be the state motto: "California is a great place to raise children — but not if they're poor."
Too many California children lack basic health care, do poorly in school and end up dropping out. Many will head for the unemployment lines, public assistance and prison. They'll soon have children they can't afford and those children will be locked in the same poverty cycle of their parents and grandparents.
Schwarzenegger's insurance program should help improve the health of California's children. But he is doing little to make the state's public schools figure out how to serve children growing up in poor neighborhoods.
California's public schools continue to teach children in the same way with the same poor results. The only answer being suggested is to throw more money into a system that's not working. Our public schools may need more money, but they also need fundamental reform.
But that would mean Schwarzenegger taking on a powerful special interest — the California Teachers Association — that beat him unmercifully in the 2005 special election. He doesn't want another piece of the CTA.
The Children's Now report card says that about 60% of students in the second through 11th grades didn't meet state goals for math and reading proficiency in 2006. But you only get shrugs from most in the public education establishment when you ask why they haven't been able to do a better job of teaching disadvantaged children.
Education should top list
Fixing public education should be at the top of the governor's list if he really wants to leave a significant legacy.
Schwarzenegger has launched an initiative to improve career technical education, but he is not pushing significant reform of the state's public schools. That's where most poor children are failing to get the education they deserve.
This isn't to put the entire problem on the backs of the schools. The parents must take responsibility for their children's education. Unfortunately, too many of them won't.
If we created more jobs in this state and offered more economic opportunity, there would be fewer children growing up in poverty.
Test scores follow the poverty line. But that can't be used as an excuse. Our schools must find ways to teach children who don't have all the opportunities of children growing up in affluent households.
Schwarzenegger has an opportunity to lead a major reform of the public schools. Instead of being threatened by the CTA, he should put union leaders on a blue ribbon commission, along with others, to come up with a plan to make our schools more relevant to the state's diverse population.
The commission needs to represent every part of the state, and it should hold hearings throughout California to find the best methods of teaching our children. Hold hearings. Take testimony. Write a report. Then pass legislation to implement the findings. It all could be done this year.
If the governor wants to leave a real legacy, then fix the public schools.
That would be doing something.