Response from the Governor

Thank you for your email about our public schools. I appreciate
hearing from my fellow Californians on the quality of education
we’re
providing for our children.
I have visited schools all over our state, and I’ve been able to see
firsthand the terrific work being done by our students and teachers.
To support those efforts, my proposed 2007-08 May Revision budget
fully
funds Proposition 98 at $57.6 billion, an increase of $2.6 billion
over
last year. This money will bring per pupil spending up to $11,562 –
an all-time high for the state.
As Governor, I remain committed to ensuring that all students have
access to the resources they need to succeed in California’s public
schools. To achieve that goal, my budget includes a number of
education
initiatives, including $12 million to create the EnCorps Teachers
Program
to add 2,000 experienced retirees to California’s teaching corps.
It
also includes $50 million to continue the Low-Performing School
Enrichment Block Grant for a third year. To support Career Technical
Education (CTE), my revised budget includes $125 million to expand and
improve
CTE throughout the state.
In this budget and through state initiatives, we are hard at work
addressing some particularly pressing needs that include teacher
shortages,
access to information about particular schools, Career Technical
Education, low-performing schools, school safety, preparing students
to
graduate from high school and improving student health.
Again, thank you for taking the time to write. I value the comments of
people who appreciate the important role education plays in
California.
Sincerely,
Arnold Schwarzenegger