State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Applauds Legislative Progress; Welcomes Students Back to School

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

State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Welcomes Students and Teachers Back to School
As millions of California students, teachers, and administrators are returning to school, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson offered his top 10 tips to support student learning.
“This is going to be an exciting year of new challenges, not only for students but also schools, as we enter a new era of teaching and learning, assessments, and the way we fund schools,” Torlakson said. “Our future depends on the next generation of students to lead California. To help support them so they will be prepared for college and careers, I am offering my top 10 tips.”
Superintendent Torlakson’s Top 10 Tips
1. Students should not only know their ABCs, but everyone should also know about the CCSS (Common Core State Standards), which is remodeling California’s education system so every child will learn real-world skills that will prepare them for college and careers.
2. Hungry children don’t learn. So make sure they eat a hearty breakfast before school and a nutritious lunch at school. Or take advantage of California’s many nutrition programs that provide healthy meals and snacks to children.
3. When children are sick at home or partake in risky behavior, they can’t learn. Find out how the state is helping children stay healthy, and avoid alcohol, tobacco, drugs, and other dangerous activities.
4. Eating nutritious food, being physically active, and well-hydrated, all help children succeed in school. Join Torlakson’s Team California for Healthy Kids initiative to find out what you can do to help keep your kids healthy and active every day.
5. Busy parents can help their children take advantage of expanded learning opportunities outside of regular school hours, by signing them up for before and after school programs.
6. Having a stable home and dependable support system will help children feel better about themselves and will help them learn in school. Find out about services for foster youth, immigrant students, homeless children, and support for children in military families.
7. A safe school environment is more conducive to helping students learn. Find out how the state provides guidelines to administrators on providing safe schools environments for children.
8. Students speak more than a 100 languages in the California’s public school system. Learn more about services to help students learn English and how the state helps schools get the word out about important notices through itsClearinghouse for Multilingual Documents.
9. Chronic absences, even among kindergarteners, is an early indicator of students dropping out of school. Learn more about how the state helps prevent dropouts and how School Attendance Review Boards help keep kids in school and learning.
10. When parents are more involved in their children’s education, students perform better in school. Volunteer to help your local school and teachers. Or consider donating school supplies to teachers who often use their own money to buy paper and pencils for their students to use in their classrooms.

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