'This is a very well run city'

During a a community meet-and-greet at the Signal Hill City Hall Council Chamber on Saturday, April 14, 70th District Assemblymember Patrick O’Donnell explained to a group of residents that he flies out to Sacramento on Monday mornings and returns home midday Thursday, making it his goal to represent the district and its constituents during his four-day trek to the State Capitol.
In Sacramento, not only does O’Donnell discuss local matters stemming from the 70th District, he also works with other representatives on issues Californians face as a whole.
“We grow more than any other state, we make more, we have the most manufacturing than any other state,” O’Donnell said. “So, everything is more in California. Everything is really most in California.”
As for Signal Hill specifically, he complimented the way the city is run.
“I get to brag about Signal Hill all the time,” O’Donnell said. “It is the best-run city. I believe that. […] This is a very well run city, especially from a fiscal perspective. They are wise. They think about what they are doing. That’s good, because not every city in California is like that, quite frankly.”
O’Donnell then went on to explain how cautious he plans to be on spending and saving money at the state level.
“We need to be very careful with the dollar,” he said. “The state of your state is sound, but challenged. The budget— we are going to end up with probably seven to 10 million dollars in extra money this year. But, I wouldn’t say it is extra money given that we have a lot of debt. So, my perspective is, ‘Don’t take that money and start new programs that you are going to have to fund in the out years, but to take that money and pay down some long-term debt.'”
With money allocated for, O’Donnell’s two main areas of focus for his district are education and the ports.
In terms of education, he described the bill he has been working on with Christopher Steinhauser, superintendent for the Long Beach Unified School District.
“I partnered with Chris Steinhauser,” O’Donnell said. “He brought me an idea, and what he wants in the 11th-grade year, kids have to take these state-required tests— 3rd [grade] through 8th [grade] and then the 11th grade. Eleventh grade is a very busy year. You got [advanced-placement (AP)] tests, you got the [Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT)] and [American College Testing (ACT)], you got the [Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC)] test, you got kids applying for college and all this stuff going on in the 11th-grade year. [Steinhauser] thinks there is just too much going on in the 11th-grade year, so he says, ‘Pat, here’s what I want to do. I want to give the SAT or ACT test inside of the school day and prepare for it inside of the school day in lieu of that state-required SBAC test.'”
O’Donnell then explained three reasons as to why eliminating the SBAC test would not have a significant effect on students.
“That SBAC test, even to deliver it at the high-school level is going to take you like two weeks worth of time, for the logistics associated providing the test are significant. No. 1, it’s just a huge venture to give that test. No. 2, kids aren’t really invested, quite frankly, because it doesn’t mean anything. They are not accountable for it. No. 3, […] the SBAC is a test, not an assessment. The ACT and the SAT are assessments in that you can give it in the 8th-grade year, the 9th-grade year, 10th-grade year— before that eleventh grade year— and you can see, the data will show you where the gaps are. They can be better prepared, ultimately, in that 11th grade year.”
The bill O’Donnell and Steinhauser are proposing will allow local school districts to choose to have their students either take the SAT and ACT or the SBAC test.
“The governor is going to fight it,” O’Donnell said. “But, we are working with him, and we are trying to convince him, because he created the SBAC test. You know how when you create something, you’re in love with it or it’s the best thing that has ever been. We’re working with him to kind of change it, because, really, it is better for the kids. It is better for California.”
O’Donnell is also working on funding vocational education.
“To me,” he said. “That’s a no-brainer.”
He explained how he is a “big believer” in consistently funding education.
“Pre-school,” O’Donnell said. “We have a huge achievement gap in the state of California. As a matter of fact, you are probably not going to find it in my home, because my kids are well supported through the English language. Not every child in the state of California has that opportunity, and that’s where we find those achievement gaps. So, we are trying to address that. The California College Promise, you might have heard of the Long Beach College Promise, it’s just this is the California College Promise to incentivize other K-12, community college, CSU and sometimes UC systems to partner and build partnerships and pathways for kids. It’s smoother. It’s easier.”
The other issue O’Donnell focuses on is local ports.
“I represent the ports— both ports, L.A. and Long Beach,” he said. “Largest complexes almost in the world. I always say they need to go green, but they also need to make green, as they go green. They can’t just shut them down. So, I have a bill to further incentivize terminal operations on the port. […] So, the future of the port lies not only in volume, meaning the amount of containers going through there, but also, how fast we can get them through there. […] So, it is more efficient.”
As a final note, O’Donnell explained how appreciative he is to attend local gatherings and update the community.
“This helps me keep grounded too,” he said. “It’s not all about that big capitol up in Sacramento. It’s about what goes on out here.”