Improving California's Public Education System

By Elaine White Alquist

Funding for California's public schools has declined from 5th in the nation in per-pupil spending to 37th. That's a disgrace!

No single magic bullet will fix our education problems overnight, but I believe we should do everything we can and invest every available resource we have into strengthening our schools. Over the last three decades, funding for California's public schools has declined from 5th in the nation in per-pupil spending to 37th. That's a disgrace! We must do better. And, working together, I know we can do better. Our children deserve no less, and the future of Santa Clara County and the state of California depend on it.

During my current term of office, I have backed my position with my actions. I have authored or supported:

• Class Size Reduction Expansion, fully funding class size reduction at $800 per student so school districts no longer have to divert dollars from higher grades.
• California Mathematics Initiative for Teaching, increasing the number of teachers who are competent to teach mathematics in public schools.
• Santa Clara County Summer Mathematics Institute, putting at-risk children into an intensive, high-tech learning environment that prepares them for the demands of high school level mathematics.
• Teacher Training for the 21st Century Initiative, significantly increasing in-service training in math instruction for California's teachers.
• Safe Schools Disaster Preparedness Act, requiring that school disaster preparedness plans are updated and incorporate the Standard Emergency Management System.
• School Bus Safety Act of 1998, providing California's schools with the resources necessary to replace unsafe pre-1977 school buses with safer models.
• Early Child Development Awareness Act, providing parents of pre-school age children with vital information on child development and school readiness.
• Parent-School Communication Act, strengthening parental involvement in schools by providing training to parents serving on school site councils.
• Bilingual Education Reform Act, giving school districts the flexibility to help children learn English more quickly.
• Hughes School Safety Act, providing school districts the authority to develop comprehensive school safety plans with school-based crime assessments and safety strategies.

• Golden State Scholarshare Trust Act, allowing parents to invest tax-free in an account dedicated to their child's college education.
• Graduate Studies Opportunity Act, allowing workers to pursue an employer-paid, high-skill graduate education without an accompanying tax penalty.
• A bill freezing student fees at UC, CSU and community colleges for two years.
• A bill reducing student fees at UC and CSU campuses by 5 percent and at community colleges by $1 per unit.