STEINBERG EDUCATION BILL PASSES CALIFORNIA ASSEMBLY

The State Column | Sen. Darrell Steinberg | http://bit.ly/nLA1He

Thursday, July 07, 2011 - (SACRAMENTO)—A package of bills authored by Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento), which would move California away from relying solely on standardized tests when evaluating schools and link high school curriculum to jobs and college success, passed out of the Assembly Education Committee today.

Supported by a diverse group of business leaders, industry, labor and education stakeholders, the three bills would align California’s public education system with growing and emerging sectors of the economy while also updating accountability and measurement of school performance.

“The current education system is disconnected from our economy,” Steinberg said. “Here is an opportunity to educate and train our future workforce in new methods that are critical if we are going to improve our economic competiveness in the country and in the world.”

SB 547, which is sponsored by the State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson, would expand significance of graduation rates, college preparedness and career readiness in measuring school accountability instead of relying exclusively on bubble tests.

SB 611 expands the UC Curriculum Integration Institute to develop and implement new, career-oriented model courses that meet requirements for admission to the University of California and the California State University, while also providing students rigorous academic content that’s linked to real world applications and relevant to the needs of the industries that California seeks to grow.

SB 612 provide teachers with training, tools and support for delivering career-oriented, integrated academic and technical content in a way that is linked to high-wage, high-priority industry sectors.

“We are not doing enough to provide multiple pathways for students. We need to offer career education that is relevant whether you want to immediately enter into a trade, pursue a technical certificate or go to community or four year college,” Steinberg said.