California's Education System

Growing up here in the 1960’s and 70’s, California’s K-12 education system was the envy of the earth.

But we have gone from first - to close to worst – in math scores, reading scores, and drop-out rates.

Our kids deserve better.

Kudos to the Obama Administration for their reform efforts centered around a competitive program called “Race to the Top.” Dangling a carrot of several billion dollars, states have pushed forward reforms in the hopes of securing additional federal funds.

In the first round, California didn’t get a dime, but we did get some key accountability reforms through the California Legislature.

Now it's time for “Race to the Top” - Round Two - and California was selected as a finalist. As our application moves forward, we hope our state leaders will put kids first by emphasizing the following:

• Requiring both teacher and principal evaluations to be based, in part, on student performance
• ensuring effective teachers and principals are placed in low-performing and high-poverty schools and
• using robust data to turn around low-performing schools.

We can improve California’s schools – our kids deserve the best.

Attend Plug-in Public Night

For years, automakers in America and abroad eschewed the idea that car-buyers would be interested in electric vehicles. Now, they are embracing it.

Just here in Silicon Valley, we have electric vehicle automakers like Tesla, and infrastructure suppliers like Better Place and Coulumb Technologies making strong advances in the market. Traditional automobile manufacturers like Chevrolet, Ford, Mitsubishi, Nissan and Toyota are embracing the electric vehicle and plug-in hybrid electric vehicle space, with major brands rolling off of assembly lines as early as 2010, 2011 and 2012.

Whether its for environmental or economic reasons - car makers and customers alike - are embracing the electric vehicle market.

Here’s your opportunity. Join the Silicon Valley Leadership Group and our partners at EPRI on Tuesday night, July 27 at the San Jose Convention Center for our “Plug-In Public Night” to see these cars for yourself.

For more information, go to our web site at svlg.org. Here’s your chance to get charged up about the cars of the future – today.

Rev. Paul Locatelli

On Monday, Silicon Valley lost a giant. Father Paul Locatelli, former President of Santa Clara University, passed away from pancreatic cancer. He was 71 years old.

Paul turned an inward-focused institution into a community-focused University that taught students to be both educated and ethical. In a Valley filled with smart people, Father Locatelli was both smart – and wise.

Paul was a giant – not because he towered over others, but because he lowered himself to lift others up.

He served on my Board of Directors at the Silicon Valley Leadership Group for nearly a decade, joining 27 of Silicon Valley’s top tech CEOs. When Paul spoke, we all listened. He served as our champion for the BART Extension, and several education initiatives. He was a dear friend and cherished mentor.

He lived his life based on the shortest of scriptures, from the Old Testament book called Micah – “And what does your God require of you? To act justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Today, Father Paul Locatelli walks humbly with his God, and we are all the better for having known him.

BART on track

They say “good things often come in threes,” and that has certainly been true for the long-desired BART extension to Silicon Valley – with three pieces of great news in the past few weeks.

First, on June 24, the federal government announced that the first segment of the 16 mile BART extension met environmental clearance. This 10-mile segment will take the line from Fremont to Milpitas and Berryessa in North San Jose and serve more than 46,000 daily riders by 2030. It will also create thousands of private sector jobs to engineer, design and build the extension.

Second, on June 30, the California Transportation Commission – on which I serve – approved an additional $40 million in state funds towards the extension. Even in tough economic times, the BART extension is viewed as a critical transportation link for Silicon Valley and the Bay Area.

Third, the BART extension remains extremely popular with the voters and taxpayers who will pay for it. In the most recent independent poll, conducted a few weeks ago, 75 percent of Santa Clara County taxpayers support the project, with only 20 percent in opposition.

Thanks to the visionary voters of Santa Clara County, BART to Silicon Valley remains – on track.

e-Impersonation

I recently sent an email to a well-respected journalist cursing and belittling her story. A friend of mine is a top publisher of a newspaper, who recently emailed his entire newsroom berating their efforts. A school teacher I know recently sent an email attacking a student.

What do we all have in common? We were victims of e-Impersonation. Yes, e-Impersonation. That is where someone creates a fake email account, using your name and email address, and pretends to be you. It’s damaging. It’s ugly. But sadly, currently in California, it’s not necessarily illegal.

As a recent San Jose Mercury News editorial pointed out – “Impersonating someone with the intent to harm, intimidate, threaten or defraud is illegal in California – except when it’s done online.” That’s because existing state law, written in 1872, didn’t anticipate the existence of Facebook, MySpace or other internet sites.

Thanks to the determined leadership of Silicon Valley’s own State Senator Joe Simitian, this online abuse through e-Impersonation may soon be against the law. His bill, SB 1411, passed the State Senate by a near unanimous vote and is now moving through the Assembly. If you have been a victim of e-Impersonation, let me or Senator Simitian know. If you have participated in such inappropriate behavior – stop. Your actions will soon be against the law.

Plug-in Hybrid Prius helps drive innovation

With the Gulf oil spill continuing to poison America’s coastline, I took my first spin in Toyota’s new demonstration model Plug-In Hybrid Prius. This week, the Silicon Valley Leadership Group and Toyota announced an 18-month partnership that allows the Leadership Group to drive the first three Plug-In Hybrid Prius’ in all of North America during the next 18 months. These innovative new cars will be released in the marketplace in 2012.

Thanks to Coulomb Technologies, we have charging stations sprouting up across America to make this transportation transition possible.

The choice was simple – with 41 percent of the Bay Area’s greenhouse gases generated by our daily transportation decisions, I literally hold the key to our green economy future in my hands. But it means tossing away the key to an economy based on fossil fuels and high gas prices. So, Tuesday, in fine Silicon Valley tradition, I placed my old car on Craig’s List and drove away in my new plug-in Prius.

A clean environment and a green economy. Let’s drive solutions that offer both. Learn more at our Silicon Valley Leadership Group web site at svlg.org.

November 2

In 150 days, Jerry Brown or Meg Whitman will be elected Governor of California, the eighth largest economy in the world.

With California in crisis, and our great state at a crossroads, we need straight talk and solid solutions from each of these intelligent and articulate candidates. From the perspective of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, we will be asking each candidate the following questions:

· Mr. Brown and Ms. Whitman, how will you solve our State’s perennial budget deficit?

· How will you ensure that California is “Open for Business” to attract and retain employers so that we shrink California’s 12.6 percent unemployment rate?

· How will you grow the Innovation, Clean & Green Tech sectors to both strengthen our economy and enhance our environment?

· How will you adequately fund our schools: Pre-K, K-12 and Higher Ed, while also insisting on results worthy of our kids?

· How will you re-build a teetering transportation system?

Congratulations to both Meg Whitman and Jerry Brown for their success in the primary election. Now to the real task; tell us how you will lead the Golden State back to greatness. In Silicon Valley, we don’t care about attacks about who is too far left or too far right. We want solid solutions that move California forward.