Tuesday of the convention, there were a small group of what are considered "Young Democrats" that were invited to a sit-down conversation with California Lt. Governor John Garamendi. I remember one person who was not from the state of California asking me how a democrat (John Garamendi) was elected with a republican (Arnold Schwarzenegger). I clarified that in California, the Lt. Governor and the Governor are elected as separate individuals; they do not run as a ticket as they do in some other states.
I was invited to this meeting because according to the "Young Democrats" charter, those who are 36 years of age or less are considered "young." Thus, I just made the cut (whew).
Garmendi's Chief of Staff had emailed me regarding what I hoped to discuss. I shared with him that I wasn't interested in grilling the Lt. Governor, but if given the opportunity, I would ask about school funding models in California and where he sees additional sources of revenue being found in order to make up for the billions of dollars that have left California schools since the passing of Proposition 13 nearly two decades ago.
When Tuesday arrived, I was given that opportunity. There were about 20 of us who were able to sit with Garamendi. His wife was also in attendance. They spoke for about 15 minutes about who they were and how they got into politics. This meeting was even more important because Lt. Governor John Garamendi is a candidate for Governor of California.
I was one of the first people to ask a question. I shared with the Lt. Governor that I was a school principal and asked my question regarding school funding. Garamendi was gracious and acknowledged the challenge that we have. He also acknowledged the challenge that Proposition 13 created for schools and their funding base. Without providing specifics, the Lt. Governor acknowledged that schools are in a bind; more is expected of them, yet less is offered to them to meet those growing needs. The Lt. Governor stopped short of providing me and the audience with any specifics regarding his plan. I appreciate his acknowledgement, but look forward to hearing specifics.
I didn't want to ask more questions as there were many hands in the room, but several others asked questions regarding education. One participant asked about the increase in the number of standardized tests students were having to take in schools and what Garamendi hoped to do about it. The Lt. Governor, then turned to me, who he referred to as "the principal," to answer the question. I shared that much of the challenge is determined by NCLB which we need to pressure our congressmen and women about, but that the state could start by releasing the money being held up in the legislature to help the 91 districts who are in their 5th year of Program Improvement. This answer caused Garamendi to elaborate on the necessity to support schools that are under performing by not taking away their money once they have achieved their goals. We both agreed that doing so is counter-intuitive and counter-productive.
I was able to check in with the Lt. Governor later Tuesday night on the floor of the convention where he and I took the attached picture.
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