Speak Up: Success and our schools 

Editor’s note: Gov. Schwarzenegger submitted this column in lieu of a question-and-answer format because he has a policy not to respond to written questions.

Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger, 59, became the 38th governor of California following the special election of 2003. An Austrian immigrant and naturalized American citizen, he gained fame as a bodybuilder and movie actor and graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Superior with degrees in international marketing and business administration. He chaired the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports under President George H. W. Bush and the California Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports under Gov. Pete Wilson. He sponsored Proposition 49, the After School Education and Safety Program Act, approved by voters in 2002.

Schwarzenegger is married to television journalist Maria Shriver, They have four school-age children: daughters Katherine and Christina and sons Patrick and Christopher.

Whether you are a school board member, parent or the governor, we all have a common bond—our children. Our priority should be to ensure that the children of California get the best possible education. Schools are not just places to educate children, but should also be places where parents can have an opportunity to access computer and job training classes or family literacy programs. This is why I announced my commitment to expand school-based health centers around the state during my Summit on Health Care Affordability. These health centers are another way to enable schools to function as community centers in the areas that they serve.

Of course, we know that before- and after-school programs, school-based health centers and basic education programs cannot exist without adequate funding. As governor, I am pleased that our state’s economic recovery has allowed us to fully fund education in California at $55.1 billion, bringing the total funding from all sources to $67.1 billion, the highest level ever. This will allow our youngest children who are most at risk the chance to attend preschool, provide additional opportunities for children to take part in art, music and physical education classes, open up greater access to counselors for our middle and high school students, and give the chance for all our children to attend quality after-school programs.

However, we also know that funding alone is not the answer. Success depends not only on the funds provided but how those funds are used. Quality leadership from teachers, principals, parents, administrators and school boards is essential for our schools and students to thrive. While some local control with flexibility is important, we must balance this with the state’s role to maintain standards. Assessments that are set forward in our tests, books and curriculum are key to the success of our children.

If we are to be successful in closing the achievement gap, we need to recruit quality teachers to hard-to-staff, low-performing schools. This is why I pushed to settle the Williams lawsuit during my first year as governor. The Williams lawsuit, a landmark deal, recognizes the importance of kids getting to the starting line at the same time as well as their right to be taught by qualified teachers, having access to updated textbooks all in a place where teachers, students and parents feel safe.

We have accomplished much over the past three years, but as we look to the future, there is so much more to be done. That is why I formed the Governor’s Advisory Committee on Education Excellence, a bipartisan group tasked with taking an honest look at the issues critical to public education in California. They will look at adequacy of funding, how that money is spent, the governance structure, and how to attract and retain qualified teachers and principals. The goal is to ensure that California is the leader in education excellence.

There is no reason the California pubic education system cannot be a leader in our nation and the world, and as governor, I will continue to make this a priority for our state.