Superintendent O'Connell's Opening Statements

October 15, 2008

Re-Visioning School Facility Planning and Design for the 21st Century
Creating Optimal Learning Environments

Opening Remarks

Jack O'Connell, State Superintendent of Public Instruction
California Department of Education

I would like to thank all of our participants who have come from both near and far to be here for their generous donation of time and expertise.

Improving school facilities goes hand-in-hand with improving student achievement, because the environment in which our children learn matters. That is why I am pleased to serve on the State Allocation Board which provides state funding for school facilities. And as a state senator, I led the charge to pass Proposition 39, which reduced the vote threshold needed to pass local school bond proposals from two-thirds to 55 percent. Since 2000, when the measure passed, voters in California have approved $29 billion in state general obligation bonds for the construction or modernization of school facilities.

Today's roundtable gives us the opportunity to examine where we have been and what our vision is for the future, as well as to consider the best way to achieve that vision. The California Department of Education's core purpose is to lead and support the continuous improvement of student achievement, with a specific focus on closing the achievement gap. In this process, it is absolutely vital that our efforts in the classroom match our efforts to identify ways school design can aid student achievement. And when we achieve success, it is important for all of us to share our successes and challenge each other that there is still more to do, and let me be clear: your input can help create a better future for all California students.

The achievement gap has taught us that all students learn in different ways and that makes it imperative for us to reach all students and understand their varied learning styles. A key component in doing this is gaining an understanding of how facility decisions affect student performance and supports teachers. This includes creating and maintaining clean, safe, and healthy school facilities; and it also calls for ensuring that schools are not overcrowded, food services is of the highest order, and that there is an emphasis on the need for physical fitness.

While proven strategies like small schools, charters, and alternative schools are all needed to increase high school graduation, these are not the only solutions to rely on. We must also evaluate the benefit of pre-school facilities, before and after school programs, and career technical education.

Schools must also foster strong positive relationships among students, among school staff and between the school and home, as well as the community. In this light the importance of the link between high quality school facilities and community viability cannot be overlooked.

The issue of equity also plays heavily into this discussion, but equity is not a measure of equal input but of equal opportunity. We know that students have different needs, and with these different needs, some students will require additional or different facilities to improve outcomes - and there is no question that we must accommodate these students and fulfill their needs.

And as we move further into the 21st century, and the demands of the hyper-competitive global economy continue to grow, it is essential that we transition beyond industrial models of our high schools and to the information age...an age in which our students live today and are able to access the global community instantly. Our schools must be adaptable to our changing world, technology rich, learner-centered, personalized, sustainable, and integrated into the community.

California has always been a trendsetter for the nation and the world, so let's continue to blaze a trail of innovation by creating the best learning environments possible...our success in the 21st century depends on it.