Wilson on Education

* In her remarks during her announcement of candidacy for governor, Kathleen Brown stated, “ . . . Wilson was more than 1,000 days into his term before he hired a consultant to reform education. . . .” Perhaps Ms. Brown was out of California on Jan. 8, 1991. On that day--the second day of his term--Gov. Pete Wilson created the Cabinet-level Office for Child Development and Education, and appointed me as secretary of child development and education. This historic event brought the status of children and education to the highest level of the governor’s office for the first time in California history.

Since that time, my office has been instrumental in creating the Healthy Start Program, the model California Learning Assessment System, the Early Mental Health Program, and the California Academic Volunteer and Mentor Services Act. We have also expanded the state preschool program by more than 200%, and increased funding to K-12 education by more than $4 billion. All of this occurred during the worst recession since the Great Depression and during a time when Wilson has had to declare 55 of the 58 counties in California a disaster area.

MAUREEN DiMARCO

Sacramento