SACRAMENTO — State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell issued the following statement after Governor Schwarzenegger vetoed a bill [http://gov.ca.gov/index.php?/press-release/3988/] (Outside Source), AB 2975, that would have lowered California's academic standards.

"California's high academic standards are recognized nationally for their quality and clarity," O'Connell said. "Young people need higher level skills than ever before to succeed in the competitive global economy. It does not serve students' best interests to ask less of them. Instead, we must continue to focus our efforts on helping every student reach their full potential and meet the challenge of higher expectations."