SACRAMENTO -- California Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson declared a fiscal state of emergency in K-12 education 3½ years ago.
But much has changed since then. Now, Torlakson says, schools are in better financial shape and ready to take on the challenges of new education standards and computerized testing, which are expected to better prepare students for college and careers.
Below is an excerpt of an end-of-the-year phone interview with Torlakson that also touched on parent involvement in schools, controversy over new Common Core standards, and the federal government's threat to withhold funding due to the state's elimination of most STAR tests.
Q What's changed this year for California schools?
A There's new hope, a greater sense of optimism. Instead of the chaos of budget cuts bumping programs, there's a vision of rebuilding programs with money from Proposition 30 and the recovery of the economy to invest again in education. That's a key difference from just one year ago and it's also setting the stage for one of my top priorities, which is implementing the Common Core standards.
Q What can schools expect in the coming year?
A First, a keen focus on Common Core implementation. I've led the way to get the $1.25 billion block grant for Common Core out to school districts. I'm advocating for another $1.25 billion or more for next year. That's $200 per student. That and the Local Control Funding Formula, which puts $2 billion more into schools that have high levels of poverty and English learner students. ... We're going to need to have parents involved in understanding Common Core and helping with the accountability systems -- the local (district) plans. They need to be transparent and we need to have parents involved in the development of those plans.
Q Some advocacy groups said preliminary draft guidelines for districts' local accountability plans didn't tie spending closely enough to disadvantaged students. What's your response?
A I think it's a balance -- to try to find the right balance between flexibility and specificity. I don't