Legislative Wrap Up - Year 2014 (CA Dept of Education)

Legislative Wrap Up - Year 2014 (CA Dept of Education):

State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Applauds Legislative Progress, Education Reform as 2013-14 Session Wraps Up

SACRAMENTO—Describing the past two years as easily being the best for public education in California in a decade, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today praised the efforts of state lawmakers in their support of broad education reform and long-term policy during the 2013-14 session.

"From our shared commitment to invest in our children and our schools, to significant reforms to the teacher dismissal process, and to our groundbreaking work to help students graduate with skills they can use in both college and career, these past two years have easily been the best for public education in California in a decade," Torlakson said.

In a letter to Gov. Jerry Brown, Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, and Speaker of the Assembly Toni G. Atkins, Torlakson discussed the statewide progress being made by schools through funding from voter-approved Proposition 30 coupled by the adoption of the Local Control Funding Formula that gave local communities and school districts additional voice in education decisions such as restoring what had been lost through years of budget cuts.

Additional progress toward improving California's education system, he said, included the important work to improve the teacher dismissal process.

"While the vast majority of our teachers are deserving of the trust place in them," Torlakson said in his support of Assembly Bill 215. "I strongly support swift and sure consequences for the very few who do not."

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Tom Torlakson — State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Communications Division, Room 5206, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100