Sen. Jon Corzine speaks about education

You should turn it off. It's your call. I can turn it off. Yeah, turn off. You could. Just kill it. Bill, thank you. No way, but I'll have that black line. Alrighty, Adrian. I think we're finally good to go here. Okay, Bill. In your... In your... In your... In your... In your... In your... In your... In your... In your... In your... A must- Award for your study at my day from nothing's path, not campaign or banna, and name the University of Chicago. And, of course, the most important degree of all, the honorary degree from the College of на Jersey. Good, good, good. So, the first kind has become a passionate specimen for K-12 in higher education as synbilirant established for why 27 ing just世 that the state of New Jersey, including of course funds for recovery after the development initiatives. Because of his distinguished career at Goldman Sachs, he became one of the most knowledgeable voices

in D.C. on corporate ethics reform. At the foundation of these issues, however, Senator Korzai acknowledges is a world-class educational system. While in the Senate, he introduced the Youth Financial Literacy Act and consistently supported investment in federal higher education financial aid programs. In his campaign for governor, the Senator has turned his attention on the state level to these very sane issues. For the higher education community, I want to express our appreciation for Senator Korzai's understanding of the importance of New Jersey's investment in higher education. He knows that the institutions of higher education can be important engines for economic development, for individual citizens, and for the state as a whole. The pipeline to the promise of a baccalaureate education is, of course, an excellent K-12 system. We were pleased to be asked to serve as the venue for the public's hearing more from the Senator about his plans for enriching and enhancing

the K-12 system in New Jersey. Ladies and gentlemen, Senator Korzai. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Good morning, everyone. It's great to be with you. Let me just say that while I am extraordinarily proud of that honorary doctorate degree, I haven't been trying to practice medicine since I got it. I've been very stable individual just trying to be a politician. I very much appreciate the opportunity to be here. Let me just say that President Goodenstein is one of the premier leaders of higher education in this country. College of New Jersey has welcomed me to this campus a number of times, including graduation last year, which was tremendous amount of fun on a beautiful day, not unlike today. But I am most proud to be here because you are setting the standard for excellence. This college is getting the recognition

nationalist for the excellence that all of you bring to it as students, as faculty, and others. And it is one of the great institutions of higher learning in our country. And I only look for that reputation to grow. I just walk through your incredibly marvelous library. I want to come back to school, go to work there, and hook up to the computer and see all of that. But it is, I think, testimony to the great work of the leadership of the university. It's bored and all the others. And I'm very grateful that you're here. Let me also acknowledge another friend or two of mine or here, Joyce Powell, who's the president of the New Jersey Educational Association, who represents, what, is it, 190,000 teachers? I mean, 1.92, and professional support personnel in our schools across the state of New Jersey, and is a special education teacher herself,

and a just a terrific individual. We also have Ralph Eddleback, who's the president of the AFT local here, and others who are involved. And I just want to say thank you for what you do for our children every day. You know, great schools are only a function of great teachers. And I think we all know that. We know that in our colleges and universities across the country. But we also know it from K through 12 and on. And I also, I'd be remiss if I didn't begin by saying, I joined with all New Jerseyans in expressing sympathy and solidarity with the families and the students and all of the people of Louisiana and Mississippi and Alabama that have lost so much in recent days, captures our hearts, homes, businesses, and schools have been destroyed. And so much of life has actually been destroyed or at least

threatened by individuals. And it's only when we as a nation actually come together and recognize that we're one community, and we work together. To pull together, like we're doing in our schools, that we can recover as best we can, can help people get back on track on life for those displaced. And I compliment the university, or the college, excuse me, on what slipped into the university. And once in a while, but the college, for welcoming students here, displaced students, it's an important testimony, I think, to the community spirit that exists. We learned this after 9-11, and it is important that we carry forward with it. I think there's an important lesson that's water here, is that there is a real role for government in our society. It has a responsibility, both to invest in the future, but also to respond to the needs of our community. We know it in its compassionate response.

It's sometimes disciplined, sometimes effective, sometimes challenged responses to crisis and tragedy. But we also need to have a long-term view about where we are. And education is the most important role, save our responsibility to protect the health and security of individuals. And I think government is at its best when it's working to build the lives of our children and providing quality educational experience. And that's why I'm here today. I want to talk about that. To really focus on the next generation that follows you, when subsequent generations about how we can build better schools, one more in those schools, earn more in the economy of the future because we have the ability and the perspective to embrace the complexities of a much more complex life that we live in, in the 21st century. And the interconnectedness that we have with the world at large, this is really an important time,

as it always is, with regard to education, but never anymore than it is today. I think, Joyce, we have 1.4 million students. Give her to take a little bit in New Jersey to 2,400 and 13 schools, public schools. I can't think of a better place to talk about public education. The College of New Jersey is an institution born, as most of you know, as a teacher's college, going well, well beyond that. I heard about the biology of the day when I was coming over with the president. And to reinforce a commitment that I have made when I ran for the United States Senate, and I believe in, they're ensuring that all New Jersey children get a high-quality public education, and that we have to do those things that make sure that that occurs. And I'd like to speak about that agenda. We, one-year-old, a succeed, our schools must be devoted to giving all of our children the skills to excel at institutions like College of New Jersey,

and ultimately, out in the workplace of America. Let me get a little perspective for my own life, and I must say, it has been an unfortunate life based on a quality education. Clearly, the support of my family and community through life, but only because I had great public education. I actually didn't go to kindergarten, but one through 12. And then to a great public university, University of Illinois, $225 a semester back in those days. And somebody from Champaign or a band, we're not too popular after that record's lost this week, so I understand. But the fact is that public education has been fundamental to building the platform for opportunity, whether it is in the private sector of the United States center, or I hope this governor of the state. Terrific public schools open the door for everyone to have that greater opportunity. And we have to nurture it.

We have to breathe. I've lived the American dream. I think the public school system is about providing access to that ladder of opportunity to that dream. And that's why I entered public life. And that's why I'd like to be the governor, because I want to make sure that I'm the most important priorities that we have. We're actually doing everything we can to make sure every child has those experiences that allow them to achieve success. Many of the highest performers on our SAT scores across the country come out of New Jersey. And our high school graduation rate is the highest in the country. We have great strengths. That doesn't mean we don't have challenges, because life is full of both assets and liabilities, and we do have many. It's particularly true, Tom Friedman, Flat Earth world that we are now entering. It is a very competitive world. It is a flat and competitive environment. Many of you will not be for jobs going to Illinois or California, or places where we compete,

but it will be India, Korea, and Chile, where competition is really global. Latest report from program for international student assessment should be a call to arms for all of us. At a 29 countries survey, it's certain that full-day kindergarten is available to every child in New Jersey. I'll expand ask that. I'll expand ask that. Here, kindergarten is pretty unbelievable for the wealthiest state in the nation for us to be in a situation where that isn't now the case. I'll expand access to high-quality preschool and double funding for after-school programs. And I'll enhance the rigor of our students' preparation in mathematics, technology, and financial literacy. And I will dramatically improve career training. I'll align the curriculum for every school, from preschool to high school, with the preparation needed for success in college and life. Let me go through some of the details. You know, I've tried to talk in this campaign about a need

to adopt a strategy of invest, grow, and prosper. To safeguard our earned dollars while investing more in the prosperous economic future of our state. Building on this effort, I've unveiled a plan to reduce the poverty tax burden, which is very closely tied to our needs and education, our middle-class families and seniors, moderate property tax relief so that we can have the resources to do other things as we go forward. But property tax relief can't come. And I believe this passionate. It can't come at the expense of our long-term investment in our future, our kids, high-quality public education. You need to get that balance right. It's with public policy, elections, and choices that we make are all about. No investment, no state investment, no governmental investment, does more to promote long-term economic growth and prosperity than public schools. That is the number one plan in the economic development

program. Guarantee those home values, increases community earning power, those straight revenues, gives the governor and those that go out to try to recruit businesses to come here, a reason to be. A reason to go see all those biotech centers. See those people that want to provide access at embryonic stem cell research. What? Got a hat. A great public education system, because they want their kids to go to school too. Same places where they want to work. According to the National Institute for Early Education Research at Rutgers, for every dollar spent on early childhood education, we saved $7 down the road and reduced welfare, criminal justice, and special education costs. The flip side is also true. When we underinvest in public education, we hold our children back, our economy back, and we end up costing ourselves tremendous amounts of resources.

And this is one of those things that comes easy from a politician, but you got to think about it. Cost nearly $30,000 a year to incarcerate a criminal. But only $15,000 to educate a kid. I know somebody else say it's 18 here, 12 there. The trade-off is incredible. $30,000 to put somebody in prison. And I keep them there a year versus $15,000 to educate them. Think about it. After school program, $1,500, $3 to $6, keeps children off the streets and learning in an excellent afterwards school program. Think about the return on that $1,500. I think the economic trade-off, I came from a business world you do a lot across the benefit analysis. I think this is a good trade-off. It's pretty clear. I'd rather have people with the skills to go out and earn, produce, and this economy, and not have to invest in our prisons and other things that are good.

As the demands of the global economy change, by the way, though, we have to make sure our schools change as well. High school diploma and willingness to work hard are no longer a guarantee, good job for everyone. I think there's something like $2 million incremental by getting a college degree from graduating in high school. It's like a big deal. You all know it. You wouldn't be there. It's a reality I acknowledge in July when I unveiled a whole series of proposals to make college education more accessible for all of New Jersey kids, 10,000 aid grants, and one element. 30 fastest-growing job sectors, 70% require an education beyond high school. So we need to move beyond the old paradigm of just K through 2012. But we have to have students that are ready to go to college. One in three Rutgers students takes remedial English or math, often adding a fifth or six year of tuition for families that are having trouble

getting through with four. More than two out of every three students at our community colleges, finding themselves in the same position I talk about, the Rutgers, paying for learning, they were supposed to have mastered in high school. That's a problem. It's not a very smart, economic use. It's not good. We need to really close the skills deficit. The short changes the dreams of too many kids. Seeds for future success, independence, a level warming, cooperative spirit, a sense of community, a planet, and a child's early years. Today's preschoolers are tomorrow's electricians, CEOs, teachers, and some of us have even liked to thank governors. Federal education studies stress the value of full-day kindergarten for improving reading and mass skills. A state provides full-day kindergarten to all children in the Abbott districts. Those are those that are supported on an equalized basis. They're on an efficient basis. More than half of New Jersey's children and non-abbott districts go without it.

It's troubling. It leaves many New Jersey children without the reinforcement need to succeed in nearly grades. Leaves teachers with less time to tailor their approach to developmental needs of individual students, and at least parents, particularly women, scrambling to find childcare options, and other sources of support for family life. So I'm elected. I will enhance funding for full-day kindergarten rewarding districts that offer it now and encourage in other districts to convert. What that means is we're not going to mandate it. We're going to give incentives for people to address this issue. We need to get to an answer. My goal is that full-day kindergarten will be available to every child in the state by 2009. Suburban in urban school districts alike. And that no child would be forced to spend first grade catching up with those that have had better advantages that we go forward. Whether their child gets enrichment even earlier in preschool, all children shouldn't depend on zip code.

I am planned to increase New Jersey's commitment to early childhood education for all communities and offer an additional 14,000 children access to high-quality preschool. We have a requirement in our most poor, needy districts that we provide preschool. We don't do that everywhere else. We need to make sure every child gets to school prepared. Early childhood education is one of those things that's been studied and most convincing that it can be underpinning a great long-run performance. And we're seeing it in those fourth grade schools. Here in New Jersey where we've really been at this for a while. We need to finish the job. I also know that research and practical common sense tells you that keeping kids engaged after normal school hours has a tremendous educational of hourly while allowing parents to balance work and family life. After school programs help kids with homework,

keep them off the streets, physically active, and out of trouble. It's no surprise that juvenile crimes bites between school dismissal at 6 p.m. and many of our neighborhoods. It's an unfortunate thing. It's no surprise that a child without a supervised environment after the dismissal belt falls behind academically. I'm elected a double-of-the-funding for state-sponsored after-school programs. So they're 10,000 New Jersey children and I have a safe place to learn and play. We really need to work at this. This is one of those things that really matches common sense. Latch-key kids have a lot of trouble integrating and making sure that they're performing. When our preschoolers and kindergarten grow in the middle and high school students, we must keep up the high expectations. Should not tolerate social promotion that let students graduate. He'll prepare for college or today's job market. We need a special assessment of the special review assessment to make sure that everyone

has the skills when they graduate from high school. I think every child who lead a college-regid curriculum that includes rigorous sequences of science, math, and English. I want to work with the teachers to make sure that we get that curriculum right. It's not something that we mandate. But we can do that. The Jersey's made admirable progress in improving its science courses for all students. We're getting great results in some of our tests. Now we need to improve the rigor and math. This world is very, very mathematically oriented. I could promise you after getting to be as old as I am that the challenges of making sure that you stay current. Statistics and all the other things are absolutely essential. And I believe all students who complete ninth grade need to have completed algebra. And by graduation, taking four years of high school math. And high achievers in every school, whether you live in city and suburbs is another problem. Also, the power to take on greater academic challenges,

including advanced placement classes in all fields of study. We have a very uneven ability for our kids to get to advanced placement in New Jersey. And I intend on making sure that we get a more level playing field. We need to prepare our students. We need to give them the opportunity to be successful in a high-tech, complex world that we live in today. We got to have a pre-engineering elective made available in high schools across the state. And here, I think it's really important. We need to make sure that we encourage women to get into that field of study. Equal pay for equal work is something I believe in passionately. But we need to make sure that we have equal access at those places where equal pay comes about in the workplace. And you know, it's more than just social justice. Let's think about it. We produce about one-fourth of the scientists and engineers that China produces, part of its population.

But part of it is just the reality that that's the focus of that community life. And we only have about 10% of our women with about 52% of people who go to college, majoring in engineering and sciences. We need to change that. There's no reason to believe that that imbalance, but alone injustice in some ways, continues. And it impacts the future earning potential of families everywhere, men and women. So I think there is a real need to give a different emphasis to where we come. We also need to make sure that children are prepared for the workplace. If I'm elected, I will make career preparation for those college bound and for those are not a central focus of what we need to do. Our vocational and technical education schools in New Jersey are incredible. Seven out of the top 12 schools, with the best-acid tea scores, are vocational educational schools. Sort of runs against what people think.

But they have discipline programs. They bring out incredible results. And we have to turn away thousands every year. And we need to work together with a business community and higher education institutions to put all this together so that we actually get kids focused into places where skill sets will actually end up resulting in better opportunities for them. That is going to be a central piece. We want to learn from where we're doing things very well. And then I have another thing that I want to speak about that's truly important in a global economy. We're falling behind in languages. Not so much because people are willing to participate. We have 18 schools in New Jersey that teach Chinese. 18 schools. What are we living in a world where many people call the 21st century of the century of Asia? It's certainly the Pacific century. We have fewer teach Arabic.

It is absolutely essential that we begin to have our brightest and our best have access at being able to speak the languages that will impact the world. We all know we need to expand our ability to speak Spanish. It's so important to our cultural diversity to the reality of what our society is about. But we need to also improve our ability to be interconnected with the rest of the world. We need to be interconnected if you don't have the ability to speak the languages. I want to double the commitment, resource commitment to teaching these highly challenging but important foreign languages and make sure that it is one of the most important elements of our high school education as we go forward. Frankly, actually, it should be starting even earlier. It's a lot easier to pick up foreign languages, younger ages than it is. Lastly, I want to say I have a personal passion about financial literacy. I did work on Wall Street for 25 years,

so I sort of gained a little bit of sense about it. But my real passion is because we believe in capitalism in this society, we ought to make sure people have these skills to actually operate in a capitalistic system. We cannot say we've prepared our children to succeed in the American economy. They don't understand how the economy works, how their personal financials work. What's the power of compound interest? How do we apply for a mortgage? What's the framework of how you look at credit scoring in your own life? What makes a good investment, a good investment portfolio on where the strategies people should follow? Unfortunately, few schools in New Jersey or any other else in the country, for that matter, really give this emphasis. And in the complexity of the economy that we deal in, I think we need to integrate financial education. I know I can't mandate it, but I want to work with folks. Jumpstart Coalition says they're only about 65%. They actually found 65% of all high school graduates

fail simple, ten-question test on financial literacy issues. And then we turn folks loose with credit cards and wonder why there's such a high bankruptcy rate among college and early $9. We need to work on it. I've been working on it in the Senate. I believe it ought to fit right in there with reading, writing, and arithmetic. Now, let me repeat. In every area I just talked about, teachers are at the heart of the success. Joyce knows that. It's been true public education forever. I plan to listen to our teachers. I also plan to listen to other educational professionals, parents, along every step of the way. This actually has to be a community effort to get to these answers. But teachers are actually the ones that practice it. So I think you have to give them much of an ear. But we need to work on mentoring programs. We need to have additional emphasis on certification and math and science if you're going to do the kinds of things

I talk about. We need to get tax credits and loan forgiveness for a lot of you all who would be teachers. I think the governor has to work on making sure that we're doing those things that bring the best and the brightest into the teaching field. And we have to get the income levels and benefits into a way that it works. The only achievement gap that we can tolerate in this state, in my view, is between the school bus and the school house door, shouldn't be from urban to suburban to rural. We need to make sure that every place has smaller working environments, state-of-the-art facilities, strong curriculums. Have to be consistent. We need a level playing field. And I think we have to reach out and help underachieving special education kids have a number of ideas on special education. So we have a crisis with regard to autism in this state. I will review the regionalization strategies for high spectrum autistic children.

They're neat to be real addressing, even though we believe in mainstreaming there are also opportunities to try to find incentives to keep kids into a best environment. Now, all of this costs a lot of money if you haven't figured this out. Matter of fact, you'll hear more about that in this campaign than you'll hear about the quality of education. I think we need to be focusing on both. Our schools account for one-third of the state budget, about $9.4 billion, and drive 60% of local property taxes, just close to the highest in the nation, about $10.2 billion. So about $20 billion, give it a take a little bit. And I bet we could find a few other dollars that are invested in the support structure around it. It's like a big deal, how we use that. You should expect I should require and be held accountable if I'm your next governor to make sure we're spending it. Appropriately, in a disciplined manner, and people are getting banged for their buck,

every dollar is spent well. If I'm elected, I'm going to ask the voters to elect a new state controller. Take some of the power away from the governor so that we're auditing serious audits at all levels of the room, student school areas, to make sure that we have good management, and a minimum of waste, and absolutely no corruption. We've raised the penalties for scam artists and target seniors. I think we need to do that for contractors and people who are in government who take advantage of the polka dole. This has got to stop in a broad context in the state, but the cost overruns and the mismanagement of the school construction fund are disgrace. I don't know whether many of you follow this, but we have an $8.6 billion program. And to say it has been anything other than a real tragedy with regard to our children, really stealing from our schools and the dreams of our school children,

I think, is a gross, gross understanding. It's the worst kind of failure to over-promise, under-deliver, and under-cut New Jersey's basic obligation to our kids, and forcing students to live and dilapidated 100-year-old schools across the state, maybe not always in that state, it's just a failure. And it is going to be a fix that I put at the heart of my priority, a higher and independent outside order to work with the Inspector General to come in and look at this school construction program and hold people criminally, if necessary, accountable for their misdeeds. Second, with some well-suppositive steps have been taken by alcovy and others to reform the leadership of the school construction fund. I'll put a management and governance structure in second to none to assure every dollar that we use to construct our schools for our kids is responsibly spent and directed

to its most urgent priorities. And finally, and this is a little more controversial, I will ask voters to approve a new bonding to honor our state's responsibility to provide quality school facilities for every child. We have to have the public believe that we can actually spend the dollars appropriately to be able to accomplish what everyone, I think, agrees in concept. We have a strong quality educational system for every kid. Those reforms in place, I think we should go forward. We should work to reduce the burden on municipalities and the whole host of ways of controlling spending. But at the end of the day, we have excellence in our public schools. Can get every child in this state a chance to get ahead and achieve the American dream. Have to believe that. And after protecting the safety of our families, homeland and hometown security, educating our kids, educating our children, providing that opportunity

is the state's highest priority it will be as my governor, if I am your governor. In the 19th century, New Jersey committed itself to public education and trying a right to high quality public education for every child in our state constitution. Now it's the 21st century. You need to honor that enduring commitment and ensure that our schools give all the children an honest chance to follow their dreams. Thank you very much. I appreciate all of you coming. Thank you very much. We're going to work on it. Come back and talk to the press. You can only leave any of the other questions outside. Come on, one.