"I have become an expert in special education. I have become an expert in after-school programs. But I want to become an expert in all education," --California Governor-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger, September 10, 2003

MEMO

To: Gov. Schwarzenegger

From: NCTQ

We can't promise to make you an expert, but we at the National Council on Teacher Quality are always ready to lend a little advice to an incoming governor.

First, listen to the people. According to a survey conducted by the Center for Teaching and Learning, 42% of Californians say that poor teaching is a problem in the state of California. Many of the problems could be solved with a little more money, but we understand that you're working under a budget that's $38 billion in the red. Nevertheless, many solutions involve spending smarter rather than spending more. According to CTL, over two-thirds of Californians support differential pay for hard-to-staff subjects like math and science, and incentives like loan forgiveness and tax deductions for teachers who are willing to teach in disadvantaged schools.

Second, re-order spending priorities. According to a thorough report by the Public Policy Institute of California, California schools spend nine percent less per pupil on average than other states even though local government spending was nine percent higher. At the state level, California spends 22% of its budget on education, as opposed to an average of 25% in other states. This would seem to reflect that Californians don't place a high emphasis on education. Since we know this isn't true, you should use your mandate to make sure that budgets--however small or large reflect California's commitment to education.

Finally, spending doesn't matter unless it's done right. A report from the Pacific Research Institutes lists ten reforms for education. Five of the items could significantly improve teaching in the Golden state. First, adopt value-added testing to figure out exactly how effective or ineffective each teacher is in promoting student achievement. Second, use merit pay to reward effective teachers. Third, develop an assessment to make sure that teachers know their stuff no student should have to learn from an unqualified teacher. Fourth, insist on a scientifically proven curriculum where possible (e.g., phonics-based reading instruction.) No teacher can do a good job with a lousy curriculum. Last, hold schools of education accountable. Use value-added data to evaluate schools of ed by the work of their graduates.

We wish you the best of luck. If you need us, we'll be back.