State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Reaction
to Governor's State of the State Address
SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today issued the following statement regarding Governor Brown's State of the State Address:
"With today's State of the State Address, as in his budget, Governor Brown kept his promise to make school funding his top priority.
"While it will take years for our schools to recover what they have lost, I applaud the Governor for putting California on the path toward restoring the financial health of our schools. I also applaud the Governor's focus on students with greater needs. The state is responsible for providing tools to each of our children for competing in the 21st century, and the playing field is inadequate and inequitable under our current system.
"We will be working with districts and stakeholders across the state to closely examine the Governor's proposal to overhaul education finance. I also commit to bringing schools to the table as crucial partners in linking children to health services as California moves ahead with implementing federal healthcare laws.
"We need to also make sure that all students benefit from California's recovery. Both early childhood and adult education programs, which have been cut severely in recent years, have a tremendous role to play in strengthening our economy, and I will be working to see they receive a fair share of state resources.
"With the worst of the financial crisis behind us, now our schools can focus on the critical work ahead: fully implementing the new Common Core State Standards.
"California must move forward now so that all children—no matter where they come from or where they live—receive a world-class education and graduate ready to contribute to the future of our state."
# # # #
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