The tragic departure of Steve Jobs from his CEO position at Apple last week has prompted me to ask if he would please weigh in on how California should evaluate the effectiveness of their public schools. I think the direction we take today will answer the question of whether public schools can ever produce more thinkers and problem solvers like Mr. Jobs in the future.

Racial equality in our schools and communities is elusive, but a work in progress. The achievement gap is real and it has not budged significantly for the half century since Dr. King delivered his famous speech. On Sunday, the Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial will be dedicated to the American people in Washington D. C. The facts are stark and our work to “Build the Dream” must be re-energized. This new national monument to MLK is a great opportunity for us to do just that.

“It’s hard to improve public education—that’s clear,” Warren Buffet says. “If you’re picking stocks, you wouldn’t pick this one.” Even Bill and Melinda Gates must question whether their $5 billion multi-year investment in public school reform has been worth it.

As we begin a new school year in a week or so we should be very concerned about the absence of equity and social justice in our classrooms, schools, and cities. In addition, after this latest debt ceiling debacle it is evident that we have become a nation that has lost its moral compass.

America has resolved the raising of the national debt ceiling through bipartisan legislation and averted catastrophic economic consequences, or so we are told.  However, like No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top, is it once again government smoke and mirrors?

Rocketship’s Silicon Valley expansion is becoming more and more a compelling story. The Wall Street Journal’s Vauhini Vaha for the Bay Area edition wrote on July 14, “While the organization’s initial efforts are yielding strong test results among elementary students, the expansion plan is drawing opposition from the superintendent and teachers’ union in the county’s biggest district, who say the Palo Alto nonprofit is cutting out local officials who were elected by voters to oversee education. They also say the charter’s rapid growth might come at the expense of the region’s tradition public schools.” UPDATED: July 21, 1:20pm

Unfortunately, there is more evidence that the “audacity of hope” is a bust and “fierce urgency of now” is just rhetorical flourish without meaning. I say that as one of the millions who stood on the U.S. Capitol lawn proudly cheering with teary eyes at the inauguration of our 44th President. The Obama administration has proposed a 20 percent reduction in its fiscal 2012 budget for career and technical education. Just as we were beginning to make significant headway in raising the stature of vocation education for the 21st Century we cut the proverbial legs out from underneath the effort.

An analysis of the Santa Clara County Office of Education Bullying task force found a lack of awareness, lack of commitment, and lack of skills to respond, among a long list of local weaknesses. I fervently believe we can and must do better. A country that treasures its guiding documents called the Charters of Freedom must work to ensure every child is free to learn without harassment and intimidation.

Are locally elected school boards and their politics at the root of the inertia that has led to little reform of a system of public education? Is the new request for Rocketship Education’s 20 Charter Schools a means to get around the non-productive politics of school boards?

I am sure you remember the slogan during your challenger’s campaign, the “fierce urgency of now.” It has been exactly 30 months since the inauguration of President Obama, and we still have a public school system in chaos and shambles. In addition, we have not completed the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and test scores in math and English-Language Arts continue to be the major factor in judging effective schools.

The epicenter of public education is right here in Silicon Valley from this week to Aug. 10. The local and national spotlight will shine on this moment with unprecedented lumens, casting a potentially dark shadow or bright glow on the decision the County Board of Education and the Santa Clara County Office of Education will wrestle with for the next eight weeks. 

As the 2010-11 school year comes to its all too sudden end the California public and its government leaders have lots of very grave issues to ponder during this summer. In order to secure our social and economic future, significant action must be taken in the 2011-12 school year on several key educational issues.

What do Mark Zuckerberg, John Doerr and Reed Hastings have in common? They were all in Burlingame on May 18 headlining the NewSchools Venture Fund Summit. They each have access to billions of dollars to help transform public education. Entrepreneurs with billions of dollars are changing the educational landscape like this educator has never seen before, even if they are 27 years old and wear hooded sweatshirts.

There is nothing more satisfying than a grassroots effort to change the world for the better. Parents for Great Education hosted a 21st Century Education Summit at DeAnza College last Saturday afternoon. Even though the attendance was under the 250 that had been hoped for, all participants left with a renewed understanding on the importance of providing all students with 21st century skills while finding new ways to fund California’s schools adequately and consistently.

Santa Clara County is on the verge of the beginning of the end of public education as we have known it for the last 100 or so years. I am not intending to be hyperbolic; I’m simply stating the truth as I know it. Will each child’s educational opportunities be enhanced by the shake-up? Or will there be winners and losers?

There is a strong correlation between the effectiveness of the military and the K-12 pubic school system in America. We have the best-trained and equipped military on this planet. We have spent half-a- trillion dollars since 9/11 on our national security apparatus. Our investment and training has paid dividends. Tragically during the same 10 years we have disinvested in public education. This disinvestment is a national security crisis of epic proportions.