Brown’s former adviser: Aim for balance behind shift to local control - by John Fensterwald
by John Fensterwald
Sue Burr has seen and done a lot in 40-plus years of playing key roles in California education – advising legislators and governors, administering the finances of a large school district, running the state county superintendents’ organization and, for the past two years, serving as executive director of the State Board of Education.
Burr retired at the end of last year, only to be nominated two weeks later by Gov. Jerry Brown to return to the State Board of Education – this time as a member setting policy, not as an administrator carrying it out.
Kathy Baron and I caught up with her in Sacramento and asked her to reflect back on her years in education and to look forward to the
State Board poised to lower standards for middle school math - by Doug McRae
by Doug McRae
At its meeting next week, the California State Board of Education will consider eliminating the incentive for schools to offer a full Algebra 1 course to students ready to take Algebra by 8th grade. But removing this incentive would result in a de facto lowering of expectations for mathematics programs in middle schools, and lead to a significant reduction in the number of middle school students becoming proficient in Algebra. Do we really want to do this?
Perhaps it is best to view this issue from the perspective of a middle school mom who asked in an email several weeks ago: “With state board action adopting Common Core grade 8 math standards in January, will middle schools be able to offer Algebra?” She continued, “My son’s school will be offering the new 8th grade Common Core class next year but not Algebra. I’d like my son (who is a high performing math student) to take Algebra 1 in 8thgrade. The middle school principal, high school principal, and high school math teacher have all said this is a better pathway for college prep.”
My email reply was: “Middle schools will have the option to offer Algebra. The State Board’s action
