MJ: The State says that if more than 20% of a school’s faculty does not have a teaching credential, it is a serious problem. Yet this is true of all of our schools in South Gate and Lynwood. Will you comment about this?

MF: There is a direct correlation between underachievement at public schools and the preparation of school teachers. We know that kids who do not have a fully-credentialed, fully-prepared teacher are effectively robbed of a quality education. A number of us have taken important steps to resolve this problem, but we have much more work to do. Last year, we approved a funding program for low-performing schools and one of the targets of that money was to recruit and retain teachers. We need to help current teachers become fully-credentialed and then make sure they stay as teachers after they begin teaching.

MJ: So you believe that this is a crisis in California?

MF: Absolutely. The inequity in the quality of public education in California is at crisis proportions. The fact is that urban kids, kids of color, do not get the same educational opportunities as kids from more affluent communities. The responsibility rests with us to make sure the resources are available to give every child a good education.

MJ: How would you address this issue further?

MF: We need to make the teaching profession a much more enticing, inviting professional career. We have to inspire young people who are public minded and believe that public service is a natural and fundamental part of their lives to enter the teaching profession. We then have to give them the tools to be great teachers. We have to make sure that teachers can give every kid a textbook, that classrooms are safe and accessible, that the teachers have the time to prepare their lessons, that they have mentorship and supportive colleagues at their school sites. Then we have to ensure that as they grow older, that there are fruits to their work—that they can buy a house and live in their community, and earn a decent living. It really takes all of these things. It is a shared responsibility. It isn’t something that just universities or administrators have to do. All community-minded people have to ensure that teachers feel a stake in our neighborhood, community and our kids.

We should be working everyday to resolve this problem and if we do that, we may save the next generation of kids.

MJ: What is the state doing to make sure that school districts carry out their responsibilities?

MF: We have created several accountability mechanisms. Some of them have been somewhat punitive, admittedly, and I haven’t agreed with all of them. I am less enthusiastic about the sanctions on schools that don’t succeed, but I do think that if accountability is done correctly, it can have good and important results.

MJ: What program exists or could be created to help para-professionals to become teachers?

MF: We have to do a better job. Los Angeles Unified School District has a para-professionals training program that seeks the transition from teacher aids into the teaching profession. The resources available for that program are limited, but the program has had great success. We have to resource it better and make it more available to para-professionals.

MJ: Is there money for teacher recruitment that the district may not be aware of?

MF: The district should know about it. The interesting thing is that we are a wealthy society. Individually our communities may not be terribly wealthy, but as a society we really are wealthy and there are pots of money and resources available. I think that if districts were diligent, they could find resources in untapped places.

MJ: When should we expect this problem to be solved?

MF: We should demand it to be solved immediately. We should not take "we’ll do it later" as an answer. We should demand that there be incorporated law and in practice the processes that will get us out of this crisis. So we should be working everyday to resolve this problem and if we do that, we may save the next generation of kids.

MJ: President George Bush in his school reform stated that a teacher with an emergency credential could only teach for four years. Do you think that that is possible?

MF: The emergency credential in California permits a teacher to teach for five years and may be renewed for another five years. Theoretically, an emergency-credentialed teacher may teach in California for ten years before obtaining a credential. That is too long for someone to be in the classroom and not have the requisite skills and training. Four years seems like a credible time period.

MJ: What do you plan to do on Education Policy?

MF: I have been focused on school facilities and I am privileged to serve on the State Allocation Board that distributes money to construct and modernize public schools. We have over-crowded, dilapidated schools all across the state and communities are in need of new schools. When I was growing up schools were in much better shape than they are today. I did not grow up in a wealthy community. I grew up in a working class neighborhood, but it gave me the opportunity to go onto the best universities in the world and today serve the state of California. I think that our kids that follow me deserve no less.

MJ: How can the community help you on this agenda?

MF: The greatest support that a community can give to an elected official is to engage them in the dialogue about their shared future. I am only as strong as the community that sends me here, and if folks back home are engaged in the policy dialogue about our priorities, then that makes me stronger. If I had my way, every parent, every kid, would be engaged in some civic effort that builds community and makes us strong enough to get things done.

MJ: Do you make regular visits to the schools in you area?

MF: Absolutely. I have been to every school in my district--every one of them. Every chance I get, I come out. It is inspiring to see young kids because I see myself in them.

MJ: Will you join us in monthly walk-throughs at local schools?

MF: I am absolutely willing to come out regularly--whether I can do it once a month I am not sure because I don't always handle that agenda. But, absolutely, I too encourage you to come out with me at my regular visits. I was just out at San Miguel about three weeks ago where I met with a group of parents. We talked about some legislation that I am working on here in Sacramento. I am scheduled to go to a local school in two weeks, and I would be happy if you would join me.

MJ: Will you get involved with South Gate and Lynwood community parents to educate the parents, so they can become a teacher at home?

MF: Yes, I will. I don't know that I am particularly an expert in that area, but I will certainly lend my moral and political support for that endeavor.

MJ: Do you have one teacher who stands out above others who helped you along the way?

MF: I have had so many fabulous teachers in my life that it would be hard to talk about any one of them. But I can tell you that I came to California as a Spanish-speaking monolingual kid and I am the product of public schools. It has been school teachers who have inspired, challenged, and given me the skills and the opportunity to succeed. I have undying gratitude for school teachers. My third grade was just fabulous because that was when I first really transitioned into reading and speaking English really well. They put me in the Gifted Student Program and took a lot of inspiration because I wasn't the best at it but it really helped me enormously. In sixth grade, my teacher gave me lessons about being a young man and the responsibilities that accrue with being a young man that I have never forgotten. When I was at the community college, one of my teachers inspired me to go into writing and journalism and my life has been changed ever since. Public school teachers--kindergarten through Law School-- have influenced my life in enormously positive ways.

MJ: I would like to thank you Assemblyman Marco Firebaugh for your time and it was a great pleasure to interview you and as a person from South Gate, I do say that you are doing a good job Sir.