When I was running for state assembly, I had to fill out a questionnaire for the Pleasanton Chamber of Commerce in order to receive their endorsement. One of the questions dealt with education; this was my answer:
Strong schools are essential to a vibrant community. In order to attract and retain the most productive citizens, our public schools must be top-notch. Pleasanton schools are known statewide and nationally as exemplary educational institutions, and that does not happen by accident. The partnerships between the schools, chamber, city government and the parent community are critical…and must be constantly nourished with vigilant work to keep all stakeholders in communication about what our schools need for the short term and the long term.
I would add this sentence to the Chamber’s Education Vision Statement: “Then, bring them home!”
It’s not just that I am a mother of three kids in Pleasanton schools who wants to see her kids come home from college and raise my grandkids in Pleasanton. I also believe that we need to “close the loop” and bring our students back to Pleasanton when they graduate from college. We invest so much into our schools, and the premier ROI (return on investment) we could hope to achieve with all our effort is that the products of our world class schools come back to Pleasanton to live, work and raise a family. I think we could do a better job of wooing those kids back, and planting the seeds of the “come home” mentality while they are in middle and high school. In order to accomplish that objective, there must be affordable housing near our work centers, adequate transportation infrastructure, and good paying jobs. This takes the entire community’s commitment, cooperation and foresight.
Similarly, the State of California is experiencing a brain drain. Studies just released shows that more college educated people are moving out of the State, than are moving in. By 2025, the State will need to import 160,000 college-educated workers to fill our need for high end workers and sustain our economy. Now is the time to ensure we don’t have a shortfall of well-educated people in the State. Our Governor is a forward-thinking leader on environmental issues, and a man who understands business and the economy. The majority of our tax base comes from highly educated, successful business people who in turn create economic opportunities for others. We need a comprehensive strategy to avoid the “brain drain” that includes Cal Chamber (who should be thinking about how to create good jobs with adequate salaries); CBIA (who should be projecteing where and how to build affordable-by-design vs. affordable-by-subsidy housing); and Ed Source (who should be pushing for a “close the loop” mentality to provide top-notch education that remains in the state).
We cannot afford to lose our most precious natural resource to other states: our children.