No Issue Will Be More Important Than Education

As the Legislature begins its first full session in the new millennium, there is little of the hyperbole that greeted 2000. Rather, as legislators met for the first time, there was a strong desire to start work on the same challenges faced last session and to build on the successes that marked it. Namely, increased investment and accountability in education, increased expenditures in our physical and technological infrastructure and increased focus on maintaining a sound economic foundation for California.

With the exception of a couple of thorny issues, I believe education improvement will continue to garner the most attention and positive action. Of the two issues that might ignite fervor and perhaps rancor, electricity deregulation and its aftereffects will continue to consume attention in Sacramento as we grapple with how to address massive external factors and self-generated miscues that threaten to double and triple electricity bills. A lack of generating capacity, evolving and changing market rules and federal intervention make this a very tough issue.

Much less public but no less important is the decennial redrawing of congressional and legislative district lines. This is an issue that affects every lawmaker and every community, and it will be hotly debated in anticipation of the 2002 elections. An interesting dynamic is that many current legislators are prevented by term limits from running again, no matter what their districts look like.

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Overall, no issue is more important to people than education. California has leaped forward in putting more resources into the hands of our teachers and in expecting more from them and their charges. We have shrunk class sizes, increased comprehensive standards and instituted strong accountability. More than these tangible investments, Californians have renewed a social and community investment in schools that I hope will continue forever. Our teachers, students and parents are clearly up to the challenge, as proven by increased student achievement and scores. But we continue to have a critical shortage of qualified teachers in virtually all school districts.

Also critically scarce are up-to-date classrooms. Fortunately, voters proved their commitment to excellence in education by passing Proposition 39 in November. This will allow local school districts to build the classrooms they so desperately need to help teach this generation of children to be the next generation of thoughtful, contributing, prosperous citizens and parents.

In education, the 2001-02 session will build upon those of years past. As the chairman of the budget subcommittee that writes the Senate’s education spending plan, I look forward to continuing frank and thoughtful dialogue with the governor and my colleagues about how best to improve schools.

Another budget surplus is anticipated for the 2001-02 fiscal year, so many of us, from both parties, want a good share of that increase (after securing prudent reserves) to be devoted to maintaining the outstanding momentum we’ve created.

My own plans for the new session mirror my long-term goals for education and reflect many of the same issues I have worked on for nearly two decades as a representative. On the first day of session, I introduced a bill that seeks to expand California’s successful effort to shrink class sizes in all high school courses required for graduation, not just core math and English. Then I want to shrink the size of English and math classes in eighth grade. As has always been my goal, working from both ends of the K-12 spectrum toward the middle, I hope eventually to see every teacher standing before only 20 students, giving each child more of the personalized instruction we know works wonders.

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Testing is another important issue. So much of our accountability system rides on evaluations of student success, and rightly so. As the author of the high school exit exam law and the father of a daughter who will take that exam and others, I am intimately familiar with the increased pressure this places on students and teachers and families. Some serious thought will be put into comprehensive testing and its interplay with invaluable instruction time.

How we pay for education in California is extraordinarily complicated, and one of my goals through the budget process and legislation is to simplify and demystify school finance. Clearly, it will be a long-term effort.

Our area benefits from able representation in Sacramento on both sides of the aisle. Members are strong, vocal and committed. I expect Ventura County’s legislative delegation to continue our capable service to local communities, and to obtain our fair share of state resources.