The Daily Bruin endorses state Senator Jack O’Connell for
state superintendent of public instruction because his primary goal
is to reduce class sizes.
He will be responsible for overseeing the state’s K-12
school system and will sit on the University of California Board of
Regents for the next four years.
O’Connell’s ambitions are realistic: he wants to
reduce class sizes in as many grades as he can but realizes this
may not be possible until the state’s economy recovers.
He rightly believes students’ ability to analyze is
essential to their education. O’Connell also receives strong
support from teachers’ union and current Superintendent
Delaine Eastin.
With the experience O’Connell acquired in the state
legislature ““ including working in the Assembly and Senate
education committees ““ he is aware of current problems and
trends in California’s education system. He was responsible
for authoring the popular bill that reduced class size up to third
grade to 20 students.
Katherine Smith doesn’t have a lot of experience with the
public sector or a grasp of what it will take to hold a state
office responsible for thousands of schools.
A commitment to lower class sizes and vast public experience
make O’Connell the clear choice for superintendent.