Basketball Legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to Serve
as California's After School STEM Ambassador
SACRAMENTO—Basketball legend and New York Times best-selling author Kareem Abdul-Jabbar will help lead efforts to boost after school STEM learning opportunities for California's kids, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson announced today at the California STEM Summit in San Diego.
Education in STEM—Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math—is widely considered to be one of the keys to California's economic future. It is a major cornerstone of Torlakson's Blueprint for Great Schools and the focus of a task force he created in the spring.
Abdul-Jabbar—whose Skyhook Foundation aims in part to use STEM education "To Give Kids A Shot That Can't Be Blocked" by helping them aspire to higher educational goals—will serve as the California After School STEM Ambassador, speaking publicly and raising awareness of the importance of education in these subjects.
Torlakson and Abdul-Jabbar appeared together Monday at the California STEM Summit in San Diego to announce the appointment.
"Few things are more important to children's educations and to California's economy than the STEM subjects, and few people have more vision and commitment to making an impact in kids' lives than Kareem Abdul-Jabbar," Torlakson said. "I've long admired Kareem as an athlete, and I'm delighted now to count him as an ally in giving California's kids every chance to succeed, not just in the classroom, but after school as well."
Hall of Famer Abdul-Jabbar, 65, is the NBA's All-Time Leading Scorer, having amassed 38,387 points over a 20-year career. He has won six NBA championships, was league MVP a record six times, has been chosen for a record-setting 19 NBA All-Star teams, was a High School All American, and is the only college graduate in the 75-year history of the NCAA to be named Most Outstanding Player of the Tournament three years in a row.
Since retiring from the game, the man who perfected the "skyhook" has become a speaker, author, film-maker, educator, and Global Cultural Ambassador. His latest book, What Color is My World? The Lost History of African American Inventors, is being used to encourage children to master the STEM subjects in elementary schools all over the United States.
"If America is to maintain our high standard of living, we must continue to innovate," said Abdul-Jabbar. "We are competing with nations many times our size, and STEM learning represents the engines of innovation. With these engines we can lead the world, because knowledge is real power."
This is a one-year appointment. Abdul-Jabbar will make appearances at several after school STEM events throughout the year and promote STEM as a critical issue in both education and the economy.
Abdul-Jabbar will launch a multi-city national tour in 2013in support of STEM Education that includes a 300+ piece memorabilia exhibit that allows kids to see how STEM Education continues to play a role in the business of basketball. More about the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Experience is at Skyhook Foundation 
.
.A 2011 U.S. Department of Commerce study, "STEM: Good Jobs Now and For the Future ," found that over the past 10 years, growth in jobs involving STEM fields was three times greater than that of non-STEM occupations. The report also forecasts that STEM jobs are expected to continue to grow at a faster rate than others in the coming decade.
," found that over the past 10 years, growth in jobs involving STEM fields was three times greater than that of non-STEM occupations. The report also forecasts that STEM jobs are expected to continue to grow at a faster rate than others in the coming decade.Convened by the California STEM Learning Network (CSLNet), the California STEM Summit is bringing together business, government, education, nonprofit, and philanthropic leaders to launch new STEM education initiatives to drive improvement in STEM education and workforce development.
is bringing together business, government, education, nonprofit, and philanthropic leaders to launch new STEM education initiatives to drive improvement in STEM education and workforce development.# # # #
Tom Torlakson — State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Communications Division, Room 5206, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100
Communications Division, Room 5206, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100
State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Congratulates California
Winners of the Coveted National Blue Ribbon Schools Award
SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today congratulated 23 California public schools and one private school that have been named by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan as national Blue Ribbon Schools for 2011-12.
The list of schools is attached.
"I congratulate these dedicated schools for receiving such a prestigious national honor," said Torlakson, who nominated the schools earlier this year. "This recognition was made possible by motivated teachers, administrators, and staff supported by involved parents who worked together to provide their students a firm foundation for a lifetime of learning."
The Blue Ribbon Schools Program is a U.S. Department of Education program. BRSP honors public and private schools from elementary through high schools, whose students achieve at very high levels or have made significant progress and helped close gaps in achievement, especially among disadvantaged and minority students.
Public schools are nominated by each Chief State School Officer (CSSO), including the Department of Defense Education Activity, and the Bureau of Indian Education. Based on state data, the CSSO must certify that the nominated schools meet one of two eligibility criteria:
- Exemplary High-Performing defined as the achievement of the school's students in the most recent year tested places the school among the highest -performing schools in the state on state assessments of reading (or English language arts) and mathematics, and disaggregated results for student subgroups, including students from disadvantaged backgrounds, must be similar to the results for all students tested.
- Exemplary-Improving defined as schools that have at least 40 percent of their students from disadvantaged backgrounds and have improved student performance to high levels in English-language arts and mathematics on state assessments or assessments referenced against national norms. Disadvantaged means students eligible for free or reduced-priced meals, who receive Title I services, are limited English proficient, migrant, or in need of special services.
Blue Ribbon Schools will be honored at a national awards ceremony on November 12-13 in Washington, D.C., where each winner will receive a plaque and flag. Blue Ribbon winners may fly this flag at their schools as a mark of excellence and a symbol of quality. In its 30-year history, the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program has bestowed this award on nearly 7,000 of America's schools.
Details of the achievements of the 2012 National Blue Ribbon Schools can be found on the U.S. Department of Education's Web site at: National Blue Ribbon Schools .
.For more information on California's past winners, please visit the California Department of Education's Web site at Blue Ribbon Schools.
Attachment
California Blue Ribbon Public Schools for 2011-12
County | District | School |
|---|---|---|
Alameda | Fremont Unified | J. Haley Durham Elementary |
Alameda | Fremont Unified | William Hopkins Junior High |
Los Angeles | ABC Unified | Joe A. Gonsalves Elementary |
Los Angeles | Arcadia Unified | Baldwin Stocker Elementary |
Los Angeles | Bonita Unified | Arma J. Shull Elementary |
Los Angeles | Glendale Unified | Anderson W. Clark Magnet High |
Los Angeles | Los Angeles Unified | Clover Avenue Elementary |
Los Angeles | Newhall | Stevenson Ranch Elementary |
Orange | Fullerton Joint Union High | Sunny Hills High |
Orange | Los Alamitos Unified | Sharon Christa McAuliffe Middle |
Orange | Orange Unified | Fairhaven Elementary |
San Bernardino | Redlands Unified | Judson and Brown Elementary |
San Diego | San Diego Unified | San Diego International Studies |
San Francisco | San Francisco Unified | Alice Fong Yu Alternative School |
San Francisco | San Francisco Unified | Lowell High |
San Luis Obispo | San Luis Coastal Unified | Teach Elementary |
San Mateo | Redwood City Elementary | North Star Academy |
San Mateo | Woodside Elementary | Woodside Elementary |
Santa Clara | Cupertino Union | R. I. Meyerholz Elementary |
Santa Clara | Los Altos Elementary | Oak Avenue Elementary |
Santa Clara | Palo Alto Unified | Herbert Hoover Elementary |
Santa Clara | Santa Clara Unified | Millikin Elementary |
Ventura | Ventura Unified | Foothill Technology High |
California Blue Ribbon Private School for 2011-12
County | City | School |
|---|---|---|
Contra Costa | El Cerrito | Tehiyah Day School |
# # # #
Tom Torlakson — State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Communications Division, Room 5206, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100
Communications Division, Room 5206, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100