First, talk about a teacher/educator who inspired you as a child.In those days, got out about an hour and a half earlier than three through six. And so at the end of my school day in kindergarten, I would go sit in the back of the room and watch her teach. And I fell in love with teaching. She was a wonderful teacher. … For a long time, I thought I was going to do elementary just like her, but then I realized I’m a history teacher.
One big problem is general funding. California is still 33rd in what it spends on its kids’ K-12. OK, that’s ridiculous. We’re the fourth-richest economy in the world — not in the country — in the world. And yet we’re 33rd? Really? Why is that? I’m thinking that unless there is some initiative, a campaign again, to separate from Prop. 13 tax savings for senior citizens and homeowners, to finally get rid of the exemption for the wealthiest property and corporate owners in the state … all that is profit off the backs of the children and youth of California.
We’re in a very good spot. I don’t think there’s a certain person on the board that wants to back away from our commitment to that, to those groups of communities. And I said, well, what would make you feel more comfortable? What if they had a full-time person there who made sure that none of our children accidentally wandered over into the area or other people accidentally did? I took them on a bus to another housing in Silver Lake that we had done for this same community and asked them which of the housing on that street was the housing. They couldn’t pick it out, which made them feel a lot safer.
When I was on City Council, I hired a high school kid as an aide … and she stayed with me all the way through that and through the Assembly. But she was in debt for 15 years because of credit cards that were sent to her when she was unemployed and had no income. It ought to be illegal to give a credit card to someone with no income, particularly if they’re under 25.