Education

California's children must have access to a free, individually appropriate, high-quality public education from preschool through grade 12. Education must provide a well-rounded curriculum including the arts, music and physical education. Teachers as the stewards of our future, should be well paid and work in safe learning environments with up-to-date equipment and learning tools.

To help educate California's leaders of tomorrow, Democrats will fight to:

• Provide linguistically and culturally sensitive educational opportunities;
• Ensure equal and affordable access to vocational, technical, community college, or university-level educational opportunities of the highest caliber at minimal personal expense, including opportunities for lifetime learning and career retraining that enables Californians to participate successfully in the global economy;
• Fund California's public education institutions to meet these requirements so that no person is denied opportunity due to an inability to pay;
• Vest curricular decision-making responsibility in education professionals in conjunction with content experts, including the means and methods of assessment and the decisions regarding the appropriateness of educational placement;
• Ensure that California schools get full funding for any federally mandated programs; 
• Assure the provision of sex education for youth at ages that make sense for communities
• Set per-student public education funding at a minimum of $1,000 per student above the national average to keep California competitive in the global economy.
• Close all American-based schools or facilities that engage in mental, physical, or sexual abuse of our children, and hold accountable all responsible parties.