Arnold Schwarzenegger on Education Republican CA Governor

2005: slow the rate of increase of education spending

However, Proposition 74--increasing the amount of time it takes for teachers to gain tenure from two to five years--and Proposition 75--requiring unions to obtain their members' permission to use any portion of union dues for political donations--were initially very popular, earing 61% and 57% approval, respectively.

These two measures threatened the power of unions and would have substantially weakened the Sacramento political machine. So the machine responded with total war. It was the most expensive special election in history. The result: the ballot initiatives were defeated.

Until now, children were trapped in low-performing schools

For too many years, too many children were trapped in low-performing schools. The exit doors may as well have been chained. Now, for the first time, parents--without the principal's permission--have the right to free their children from these destructive schools. That is great freedom.

Also in the past, parents had no power to bring about change in their children's schools but that will now change too. Parents will now have the means to get rid of incompetent principals and take other necessary steps to improve their children's education.

And to increase accountability, we finally broke down that firewall so that teachers' performance can be linked to students' performance.

Maintain foster care past 18 if finishing high school

California Youth Connection analysis: This new law reinforces the need for everyone working with foster youth to educate youth about their education rights and available resources so that youth receive the help they need to graduate and are able to advocate for themselves.

Legislative Outcome: Passed Senate 29-11-0 on Aug/23/05; Passed Assembly 53-25-1 on Aug/29/05; Signed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on Oct/7/05

Inner city schools need more attention and funding

Prop 49 was the responsible way to get after school programs

SCHWARZENEGGER: Our after school programs are providing after school programs for 200,000 kids. Proposition 49 was the responsible way of going about it to get after school programs. Because what the initiative says is, there’s a trigger mechanism, only when the state makes an additional $1.5 billion in revenue, then the program can get funded. Right now we have a financial crisis, that’s why it’s not getting funded.

Measure student progress and school progress

Our children are not where they can be. The academic achievement for California students must improve. We have an achievement gap that leaves behind too many of our state’s children. This is unacceptable. I will take aggressive measures to improve our public schools. I guarantee to every Californian:
• Schools that are safe and clean
• Classroom instruction based on proven research
• Quality textbooks for every student
• Tests that measure student and school progress

Supports school prayer

Prop 49: afterschool programs for all children

Afterschool programs for all kids by the year 2010

Supports public school choice and community control

I will take aggressive measures to improve our public schools. I guarantee to every Californian:
• After-school tutoring and public school choice when schools fail to make progress
• Increased local control
• My goal is to shift more power to local communities and give them more say over their budgets and get more money into the classroom.

Supports limited school vouchers

Participate in federal program Race to the Top.

Our states need more time to properly evaluate the changes needed to resubmit our applications, as well as to engage in meaningful and collaborative discussions with our legislatures, our schools, our unions, and our communities. We need to make informed changes to our applications, whether in the area of evaluations, turnarounds, standards, or data collection. These changes will be stronger if they are informed by the comments of those who reviewed our initial application.

Therefore, we request that you considerably accelerate the timeline for release of peer reviewers' comments and scores from Phase One or extend the deadline to submit our Phase 2 application until July 1, 2010; so our states can continue the necessary hard work, without losing momentum, to reform education and apply for Race to the Top Phase Two. As Governors -- Republicans and Democrats alike -- we were proud to stand with President Obama, and with you, to bring about real systemic change in education through the Race to the Top competition. Under the first phase of competition, you saw forty states and the District of Columbia respond to your call. While only fifteen states and the District of Columbia were selected as finalists for Phase One, we all remain committed to pursuing necessary reforms to help ensure that our states' applications are competitive for the second phase of funding.

The finalists were announced on March 4, with applications for next round due less than 90 days later on June 1. You also announced that our comments and feedback on our applications would not be available until sometime in April, which would further reduce that already short timeline for meaningful course correction to fewer than 60 days.