BILL NUMBER:  SB 1097
  VETOED	DATE: 09/28/2008




To the Members of the California State Senate:

I am returning Senate Bill 1097 without my signature.

The original academic content standards were adopted through a public
and inclusive process involving teachers, educators and content
experts from around the state.  The authorizing statute provided that
the Governor retain a majority of appointments to the Standards
Commission, followed by the Superintendent and leadership in the
legislature and correctly held the Governor ultimately accountable to
ensure a balance of expertise and stakeholders participated in such
a critical endeavor.  This bill proposes to dilute the role of the
Governor.

SB 1097 also deletes a provision codified by the original statute
that explicitly authorized the State Board of Education (Board) to
modify any proposed content standards prior to adoption.   Instead,
it only allows the Board to accept or reject proposed changes.  The
Board would not have authority to make even minor corrections to the
panel's recommended changes.

I see no compelling reason to alter the balance established by the
original statute in determining the composition of the commission
that reviewed the academic content, or the process that provided for
recommendations to the Board for consideration, modification, and
approval.

Furthermore, while I would welcome participation by teachers, the
measure does not define "recent public classroom experience" and
thereby raises the possibility of controversy regarding whether or
not certain members of the panel are duly authorized to participate.


I cannot support the dilution of the authority of the Governor or the
State Board of Education.  California's content standards are too
important to allow for unnecessary ambiguity that could call into
question the very process of a historic review and possible
modification.

For these reasons, I am unable to sign this bill.

Sincerely,



Arnold Schwarzenegger