Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger Issues Statement Regarding Release of Committee on Education Excellence Report

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today issued the following statement regarding the release of the report from the Governor’s Advisory Committee on Education Excellence, called Students First, Renewing Hope for California’s Future. Commissioned by Governor Schwarzenegger, the committee is a non-partisan, privately-funded group charged with examining K-12 education in California and recommending steps to improve the performance of public schools.

“I asked 18 of California’s top minds in education to examine our system see what we’re doing right, what we’re doing wrong and to make recommendations for the future. The Committee’s report serves as an outstanding blueprint on how to make big, bold improvements to our education system. The report shines a spotlight on a number of issues – from streamlining bureaucracy, to the need for more local control and having clear governance and real transparency, so there is accountability from top to bottom.

“I have directed Secretary Long to work with committee members to hold meetings and town halls across the state to build consensus for reform.

“I realize that providing a first-rate education system means having adequate resources. The report recommends additional funding spread out over the next decade and when our budget picture is brighter, as it surely will be, I will strongly consider that. However, I also agree that more money must be tied to tangible reforms, because more money without reform would be a waste.

“Today with our formula-driven, feast-or-famine budget cycle, we spend every dime we get in the good years and have to make deep cuts when revenues go flat like right now. All of this anxiety and all this uncertainty could be a thing of the past if our budget system were more dependable, predictable and stable. That’s why I am working so hard right now on true budget reform.

“To have healthy schools, you need real reforms and a healthy budget. Let’s demand that we fix our budget, fix our schools and give our kids the future they deserve.”