Funding: Accountability's Companion Piece

1
Funding Accountability's Companion Piece
Ted Mitchell, Chairman Governors Advisory
Committee on Education Excellence EdSource Annual
Forum March 16 17, 2006
2
Governors Advisory Committee

• The context
• Convened by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on
  April 8, 2005
• Nonpartisan and independent
• Reflects a recent movement towards defining and
  seeking adequacy in the nations schools
• Public/private partnership in collaboration with
  Foundation Consortium (The Bill and Melinda Gates
  Foundation, The William and Flora Hewlett
  Foundation, The James Irvine Foundation, and the
  Stuart Foundation)

3
Our Charge

• The Governors Advisory Committee is charged with
  making recommendations on the following four
  issues
• The distribution and adequacy of education
  funding (the old QEC charge)
• The functioning and effectiveness of governance
  structures
• Teacher recruitment and training and
• The preparation and retention of school
  administrators.

4
Focus on Finance

• We seek to answer the following three
  interrelated questions
• First, how should the state best use the
  resources already at hand to achieve the best
  academic results for students?
• Second, are additional resources necessary to
  achieve adequacy for all students against the
  States high standards?
• Third, if additional resources are necessary, how
  should those additional resources be deployed?

5
Our Members

• Our committee is comprised of a diverse group of
  experts on education in California. Members
  include
• District superintendents
• University presidents
• Researchers
• School principals
• Nonprofit representatives
• School board members and
• Experts in law and public policy.

6
Our Work

• Engage the public and solicit feedback
• Examine studies and findings to develop
  recommendations
• Give recommendations to the Governor and the
  State to inform education policy