Responses of Bobby Shriver

Signed CEPS "Excellent Public School Pledge"

1. What is the significance for our community of ensuring adequate funding for our school district, its programs, early childhood education and after school programs? Please elaborate.
   
   The State of California spends about $6,900 per pupil, compared to $11,500 (40% more) in New York, New Jersey, and other populous states. California needs a statewide grassroots political movement like CEPS to pressure the State to fund public education properly. Until that happens, cities like Santa Monica, which have the resources to ease their school district’s financial crisis, must do so. We must support our schools for the benefit of our young people and for everyone, because it’s the American thing to do.
   
   For our young people: It is an American responsibility to provide each child with the opportunity to reach his or her potential in life. A strong public education system is the only way to make sure this happens for all children, regardless of their families’ education or income level. This is a fundamental principle of a just society.
   
   For everyone: The entire city benefits from excellent public schools. People mention increased property values, but I see more important benefits: The community becomes more intelligent and rational; people are more sensitive to others’ viewpoints and needs. Public schools contribute to other City goals: programs inspire at-risk youth away from gang activity, school nurses help control infectious diseases, after-school programs provide a safe place for youth who might otherwise be unsupervised for hours each day. Our District’s strong music, drama, and visual arts programs contribute to our community’s artistic life. The preschool programs, by preparing children for kindergarten, raise the academic level for all students. The preschool through high school parent education programs create more functional and humane families.
   
   
2. What priority would you attach to ensuring adequate funding for our schools, after-school programs, and early childhood development in the city budget?
   
   A very high priority. I have been studying the current City budget, and there is money in it to support our public schools, including the early childhood development and after-school programs the City currently funds. I would look for additional ways the City could cooperate with the District, perhaps through expanded library, recreation, or cultural arts programs.
   
   
3. Are you familiar with and do you fully support the agreement negotiated for the City to provide funding to the School District?
   
   Yes and yes. I’m looking forward to seeing the proposed contract to implement the agreement.
   
   
4. Do you fully support providing the maximum level of funding for our schools under the City-School District agreement? Under what circumstances would you not be willing to do so?
   
   Yes. If the City itself were in a financial crisis where public health and safety were endangered.
   
   
5. If the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District faced a budget crisis brought on by circumstances outside the District's control, such as by funding cuts from the State of California, would you be willing to support crisis funding to the District even beyond the City-School District funding agreement?
   
   Yes, with the same condition stated in the answer to the previous question.
   
   
6. Please provide specific examples of how you have supported the district and the education of our youth. How have you shown leadership to ensure adequate city funding for our schools? As a council member, what kind of leadership will you show to address school funding?
   
   I have supported youth by spending fifteen years of my life producing eight Very Special Christmas albums, which raised $60 million to fund the Special Olympics. I have not been active in school issues in Santa Monica, but now that I’ve met education leaders and see the caliber of the advocacy programs in this community, I am eager to become active. My background in fund-raising for nonprofits will be useful in the Santa Monica-Malibu Education Foundation’s For The Arts endowment campaign.
   
   As a council member I will be an effective leader to forge stronger partnerships to support our schools. I will bring together the School District, the City, charitable foundations, businesses, and private citizens. I have done this type of work throughout my life to address other urgent human needs.