Eighteen months ago, State Auditor Elaine Howle called the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing one of the “worst-run” agencies she had investigated in a comment to theSacramento Bee.
Howle had conducted a review at the Legislature’s request after reports surfaced that the Commission had been slow in investigating thousands of reports of arrest and prosecution against teachers – some involving criminal charges requiring automatic revocation of teaching credentials. There were also complaints of nepotism and employee intimidation. Several key administrators, including the executive director and chief counsel of the Commission, retired soon after.
Mary Sandy, executive director, Commission on Teacher Credentialing responds to the audit’s findings at a Commission meeting Thursday in Sacramento.
On Thursday, returning to the Commission to close the books on her audit, Howle praised the Commission and staff, singling out Executive Director Mary Sandy and Teri Clark, director of the criticized Professional Services Division, for the corrective actions they have taken in response to the audit. “Overall, I am here to commend you as commissioners and the staff. You have worked diligently.”
Howle’s office has released three updates since her scathing audit in April 2011 found that
New chancellor has strong support, tough job - by Kathryn Baron
The California Community Colleges Board of Governors unanimously named Dr. Brice Harris*, a longtime community college leader, as the 15th chancellor of the statewide higher education system. Just hours later he received an unexpected gift from Gov. Jerry Brown, who signed SB 1456, the Student Success Act of 2012, into law. The bill, by Senator Alan Lowenthal (D-Long Beach), seeks to improve..
State Board gets authority to pare back 8th grade math standards - by John Fensterwald
Gov. Jerry Brown evidently agrees that California’s math standards should align more closely with the national Common Core standards. On Thursday, he signed SB 1200, which will allow the State Board to weed out the dozens of California state Algebra standards that were inserted two years ago with the adoption of Common Core as part of an ongoing, unresolved debate over what students should learn...
