By JONDI GUMZ, Santa Cruz Sentinel | http://bit.ly/o2lZZ7
Click photo to enlarge :: State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson speaks to Santa... (SHMUEL THALER/SENTINEL)
Posted: 10/01/2011 01:30:28 AM PDT - SANTA CRUZ -- State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson wants to look at the best ideas used in California schools, then figure out what's the common ingredient of success and how to "scale up" and promote those practices.
"Test scores have been going up," he said. "We could do so much more if we had the resources."
Torlakson spoke to 100 school board members, superintendents, politicians and business leaders Friday at the Cocoanut Grove at the invitation of county superintendent Michael Watkins.
"I want to keep education in the forefront of the public and the necessity to support public education," Watkins said, noting how ongoing state shortfalls have cut school budgets. "I don't think any other business could operate the way the schools operate with continued cutbacks."
Torlakson, a teacher before going into politics with a daughter who graduated from UC Santa Cruz, outlined his "Blueprint for Great Schools," touching on the need for teaching excellence and taking advantage of technology. He said 70 percent of taxpayers do not have children in school and need to know about "good things going on," such as the Santa Cruz-based Boomerang Project, in which high school freshmen are mentored by older students.
Most of his time was spent answering questions.
Soquel school district trustee Judy McGooden asked how the trigger for midyear cuts will be addressed.
"It concerns me how the trigger works," Torlakson said, noting some districts do not have reserves to cover another cutback. "The state kept taking money from them. I hope we wake up the Legislature."
He said he was "glad" to be sued this month by advocates claiming that $2 billion in budget cuts to public schools is unconstitutional.
"I think they'll prevail," he said.
No Child Left Behind, the federal accountability system that requires all students to be proficient in reading and math by 2014, was a hot topic.
"It's a crazy system, confusing to the public," Torlakson said, noting his alma mater, Westmoor High in Daly City, has an Academic Performance Index two points from the state goal of 800 yet under the federal law is deemed failing.
"There's too much bad reform, some not connected to real-world research on what improves student learning," Torlakson said.
"We are looking at putting our own California waiver plan together," he said, noting a federal waiver could come with conditions costing California $500 million to $2 billion to $3 billion. "Where do you have money in your budget to implement a new growth system?"
He is hoping for "a total timeout on all the sanctions."
County school board member Bud Winslow said some junior high and high school students "are staying home with grandma" rather than going to school since the state cut funding for in-home support services.
"It's another dilemma," said Torlakson, recommending school districts write to parents and get the district attorney involved if necessary.
He said 22 percent of kindergartners in Los Angeles are chronically absent, putting them a year behind by the time they reach high school.
Asked about charter schools, Torlakson said, "I've seen great things going on," citing Pacific Collegiate in Santa Cruz as an example.
He said 17 percent of charter schools outperform neighborhood schools and 35 percent underperform, concluding "excellent ideas come out of charters" but "it's not a silver bullet."
A retired stay-at-home dad in the audience urged senior citizens be made a part of the education blueprint.
"There needs to be a way to make it simple for me to volunteer," he said.
"I agree," said Torlakson, promising to work with Watkins on that.
Asked about support for children learning English, Torlakson said he has reorganized his department of 1,500 to prioritize literacy.
"We're working on it," he said.
He also offered to work with Superior Court Judge Denine Guy, who pointed out "a huge hole" in services for 18-year-old foster youth because of adult education cutbacks
Lori Butterworth of the Boomerang Foundation pointed out 79 percent of schools with Link Crew mentors met their Academic Performance Index goals compared to 48 percent of those without the mentoring program.
"It's great we're being paid attention to," said Anne Soares, a senior at Santa Cruz High and a mentor in the Boomerang Project Link Crew.
No comments:
Post a Comment