Torlakson ‘Blueprint’ lays out his vision for education
Published: September 1, 2011
Faced with a funding crisis unmatched in recent history, along with the need for a more skilled work force and greater accountability on every front, state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson last month released “A Blueprint for Great Schools” to provide a “vision and direction for our education system” in the coming years.
The 31-page Blueprint focuses on equipping schools to meet the needs of the whole child, 21st century learning, and strengthening the ranks of teachers. The document was produced by a 59-member Transition Advisory Team, established by Torlakson following his election last year, that included CSBA President Martha Fluor and other representatives of groups with a stake in the education of California’s children.
Accompanied by several members of the transition team at an Aug. 9 press conference announcing the Blueprint, Torlakson outlined a new vision of the California Department of Education as the “steward of a statewide learning system” that prepares students to become productive, lifelong learners. The team suggested several principles for such a system:
- Take into account the changes that have occurred in our knowledge-based, technology-driven economy and society.
- Acknowledge the diversity of California’s students so that more students are equipped to succeed.
- Make the education support system more flexible and responsive.
- Learn from successful initiatives and strategies.
- Shift CDE’s focus from compliance to promoting effective practice.
Recommendations include developing a more effective teacher evaluation system, redesigning the high school exit exam, providing support services to care for the needs of the whole child, including access to health care, and improving the school finance system by creating a weighted student formula and seeking legislation to pass parcel taxes with a 55 percent vote.
While some goals could be accomplished now by “willpower and reorganizing the dollars we have,” Torlakson said, the entire Blueprint would requirement additional investment. He implied he would take the lead in a campaign to seek additional revenue sources in a November 2012 ballot measure.
Torlakson was asked if he was looking at rewriting or changing Proposition 98, the state’s primary school funding law.
“Prop 98 is broken in some respects,” Torlakson responded. “I want to look at ways that we might tweak it, reform it. At the same time, just reforming it or changing the formula or percentage of general fund that would go to education would not get us to where we need to go.”