Orange County Register: Governor in Irvine, talks about schools

 

In Irvine visit, governor talks schools

Jerry Brown made a rare Orange County visit and outlined his priorities.

BY MARTIN WISCKOL / THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Published: Oct. 11, 2011 Updated: Oct. 12, 2011 7:22 a.m.

 

Gov. Jerry Brown addresses the Democratic Party of Orange County at their annual Truman Awards fundraising dinner in Irvine Tuesday night.

Photo by KEVIN SULLIVAN, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

IRVINE – Taking the podium in a rare Orange County appearance Tuesday evening, Gov. Jerry Brown portrayed the state's economic malaise as part of a global phenomenon with roots in the inadequate oversight of Wall Street bankers.

But Brown used the largest part of his extemporaneous, humor-filled speech at the Irvine Airport Hilton to discuss education, particularly the need to rein in standardized testing and encourage engagement between teachers and students.

"We have a testing system now that is more extensive for 2nd and 3rd graders than the bar exam that I took 40 years ago," Brown joked before more than 500 people gathered for the county Democratic Party's 17th annual Harry S Truman Awards dinner. "Yes, you need objective testing, but you also have to unleash the feelings and the creativity of the teacher. Otherwise, it's just a recipe. You standardize everybody like homogenized peanut butter."

The 73-year-old governor, elected in 2010 to his second stint at the helm of the state, made several references to his previous run as governor from 1975 to 1983. He listed four current priorities – education, criminal justice, alternative energy and water – and said they were the same issues he dealt with last time around.

"Part of my responsibility is to clear up the mistakes I made 35 years ago," he said toward the end of his 13-minute talk. "Instead of being this young, pretty, 36-year-old with a lot of abstract ideas and very little world experience, now I come back older, wiser, a little more skeptical. But just as enthusiastic, just as energized about making California the greatest place to live."

Despite the state's ongoing unemployment, budgetary and economic problems, Brown continues to win approval ratings from a plurality of Californians. A September survey by the Public Policy Institute of California showed 41 percent of adults approved of the job he was doing, while 28 percent disapproved.

President Barack Obama scored higher – 51 percent of Californians approved of the job he was doing – while the state Legislature won approval from just 26 percent of adults here.

Brown offered no promises or plans Tuesday to right the state's financial problems, instead saying California was suffering from the repercussions of Wall Street run amok. While schools could benefit from less meddling by Washington and Sacramento, Brown said the banks and the country would have benefited from more oversight.

"There were not the right kinds of controls on the whole banking system," he said.