Budget / Healthcare / Education and the Future of California

Note: With this article from Assemblymember Marty Block, San Diego Physician publishes the first of a series of occasional articles from our local, state, and national legislators.

We all know how easy it is to tune out when news reporters talk about California’s budget problems. It’s probably even easier to tune out when that talk comes from politicians. But as unglamorous as the budget may be, its impact on all Californians can’t be understated. Cuts in education aren’t just something on paper. They have real, tangible effects on students today and on the state’s health and economy in the future.

How many aspiring physicians will be budget cut out of higher education? Will we have fewer nurses, physician assistants, technicians, and physical therapists to address the coming healthcare tidal wave because they were unable to find an open space in a college freshman class? The implications for our healthcare future are clear. There may be, however, legislative tools that will help us avoid what is truly becoming an imminent crisis.

For nearly 50 years, California’s higher education system has been the envy of the world. The University of California (UC) campuses have produced groundbreaking research in everything from agriculture to biotechnology. The California State University (CSU) system has produced millions of professionals that teach in our schools and are leaders in our communities. And yet, as impressive as these systems have been and continue to be, perhaps the most overlooked and underappreciated system of higher education is California’s community colleges.

With 110 campuses and an enrollment of more than 2.9 million students, the California Community Colleges award associate degrees, prepare students for transfer, and run the critical career technical-educations programs that our state relies so heavily upon. Yet, with enrollment that dwarfs both UC and CSU several times over, why are we not doing more to use our community colleges to address job shortages in California’s most vital areas?

Throughout the state, UC and CSU campuses are turning away record numbers of applicants as classroom space becomes more and more of a premium. In fact, some campuses (San Diego State University in particular) are turning away local students in favor of bringing in additional revenue. It’s clear something needs to be done, and the time to do it is now. This year, I intend to introduce legislation that will allow a small number of California Community Colleges to begin offering bachelor’s degrees in high-need professions.

While there is some opposition to this idea, most of that opposition comes from entrenched bureaucrats who seem more concerned about maintaining the status quo than attempting to divert a very calamitous future. And make no mistake: The situation in California is dire. According to the Public Policy Institute of California, our state needs to produce 1 million more bachelor’s degrees than we do currently to remain economically competitive in the coming decades. The legislature can help us attain this necessary endeavor by following the path of 17 other states and allowing our community colleges to offer bachelor’s degrees.

That’s right, this idea isn’t a new one, but it can be a successful one.

States such as Florida, Washington, and most recently Hawaii are among those already offering bachelor’s degrees in limited fields at their community colleges. Most often these programs are in nursing, allied health professions, and information technology — areas that desperately need qualified people to meet a growing demand.

California needs to prepare for the future, and the best way to do that is by addressing problem issues today. If we work together we can demonstrate that 40,000 students being turned away from a CSU campus doesn’t mean we have to forfeit 40,000 potential nurses, physician assistants, technicians, and physical therapists.

Yes, the budget problems are overwhelming, but we have a golden opportunity to help students, provide for a more secure future, and guarantee that we will continue to lead the nation and the world in innovation and leadership by addressing some of those budget issues now. And I am committed to making certain that we give every opportunity to those students who want to learn, want to lead and ultimately want to keep California the most productive state in the nation.