Johnson to lead two national education panels
Mayor Kevin Johnson will have the attention of U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan on a regular basis.
Johnson told reporters at a Monday press conference that Duncan selected him to co-chair a mayoral advisory council that will focus on federal education issues. The Duncan panel is one of two education panels to which Johnson was recently appointed: He will also lead a U.S. Conference of Mayors task force on K-12 public schools.
Johnson described education as a key “civil rights issue” and said the majority of Sacramento schools are not keeping up with state standards.
“The simplest thing I can do is make sure we do a better job of aligning our city programs and services with the school district,” he said, adding that the services would include public safety, facilities, and out-of-school programs.
He noted that he wants to pursue education advocacy efforts more aggressively.
Johnson said he will discuss with Duncan education developments at the