Category Archives: Tom Torlakson

Buckingham honored among Gold Ribbon Schools – The Reporter

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State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson Tuesday announced that 275 middle schools and high schools are being honored under the Gold Ribbon Schools Awards Program.

Among the award winners is Buckingham Charter Magnet High School of the Vacaville Unified School District. The list also includes Armijo High School, Green Valley Middle School and the Public Safety Academy of the Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District. Benicia High School and Benicia Middle School are also honored.

“These terrific schools are leading the way in embracing our new rigorous academic standards and showing others how to help students succeed on their way to 21st century careers and college,” Torlakson said in a press release. “I look forward to travelling the state to honor these schools and to help share the programs, methods, and techniques that are working.”

Source: Buckingham honored among Gold Ribbon Schools

Torlakson Announces Record High School Grad Rates – Year 2017 (CA Dept of Education)

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State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson reported today that California’s graduation rate increased for the seventh year in a row and is now at a record high for the class of 2016, with the biggest increases during that period taking place among English learners and African American and Latino students.

Among the cohort of students who started high school in 2012–13, 83.2 percent graduated with their class in 2016, up 0.9 percent from the year before. (See Table 1.) This increase means that 4,917 more students received their high school diploma last year than the year before.

The state’s graduation rate has increased 8.5 percentage points since the class of 2010 posted a 74.7 percent rate.

The graduation rate of almost every student subgroup calculated by the California Department of Education (CDE) also rose in 2016. (See Table 2.) The rate of increase among English learners was 2.7 percentage points, African Americans went up 1.8 percentage points, and Latino students increased by 1.5 percentage points.

Source: Torlakson Announces Record High School Grad Rates – Year 2017 (CA Dept of Education)

State recognizes Fairfield-Suisun School District’s attendance program – Daily Republic

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By Daily Republic Staff

The Fairfield-Suisun School District is one of 27 school attendance programs recognized as model School Attendance Review Boards by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson.

“Students need to be in school to learn,” Torlakson said in a press release announcing the honors. “The terrific work of the review boards is a testament to the collaboration between the school, parents and community so that all students have the opportunity to succeed on their way to 21st century careers and college.”

The number of districts that applied to the Model SARB Recognition Program tripled since 2016, said a press release from Torlakson’s office. The state SARB, a panel appointed by Torlakson, reviewed the applications.

Source: State recognizes Fairfield-Suisun School District’s attendance program

2017 Model School Attendance Program Winners – Year 2017 (CA Dept of Education)

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State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson announced today that 27 school attendance programs were recognized as Model School Attendance Review Boards (SARBs) for innovative and effective practices to reduce suspensions, expulsions, and chronic absenteeism.

“Students need to be in school to learn. The terrific work of the review boards is a testament to the collaboration between the school, parents, and community so that all students have the opportunity to succeed on their way to 21st century careers and college,” Torlakson said.

The number of districts that applied to the Model SARB Recognition Program tripled since 2016. The State SARB, an expert panel appointed by Torlakson, reviewed the applications.

Source: 2017 Model School Attendance Program Winners – Year 2017 (CA Dept of Education)

FSUSD recognized for its Model School Attendance program – The Reporter

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By Richard Bammer

Like all educators, Fairfield-Suisun Unified leaders take chronic absenteeism seriously, but their engaged, coordinated efforts to deal with students who are absent more than three weeks during a school year have been recognized by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson.

In a press release issued Thursday, he cited the district as one of 27 statewide with Model School Attendance Review Boards (SARBs), taking into account “innovative and effective practices to reduce suspensions, expulsions, and chronic absenteeism.”

“Students need to be in school to learn,” Torlakson said in the prepared statement. “The terrific work of the review boards is a testament to the collaboration between the school, parents, and community so that all students have the opportunity to succeed on their way to 21st-century careers and college.”

 

Source: FSUSD recognized for its Model School Attendance program

Torlakson files court brief to protect federal funding – The Reporter

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By Richard Bammer

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson on Wednesday filed a court brief supporting a Bay Area county’s request to stop an executive order by President Donald Trump that threatens to stop federal funding for California cities, counties, and possibly public schools.

Torlakson filed an amicus (friend-of-the-court) brief in the Federal Court’s Ninth District, where Santa Clara County has filed for a preliminary injunction to stop the president’s January executive order that would withhold federal dollars from cities that declare themselves sanctuaries.

The injunction request said the order is unconstitutional because it would compel local governments to take an active role in enforcing immigration law and could withhold federal funding from agencies, including schools, which declare themselves “sanctuary jurisdictions.” The order fails to clearly define that term, Torlakson wrote in a press release issued Thursday.

 

Source: Torlakson files court brief to protect federal funding

State schools chief vows to battle Trump over cuts – The Reporter

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By Richard Bammer

State schools chief Tom Torlakson said President Donald Trump’s proposed $1.1 trillion 2018 budget was very disappointing and goes in the wrong direction with funding cuts that would hurt disadvantaged children, after-school programs, teacher training, and other services, but sets aside $250 million for a nationwide voucher program.

In a press release issued Friday, he said the cuts, should they go into effect, would hobble programs that help prepare California 6.2 million public school students for jobs in the increasingly technological, 21st-century global economy.

Trump’s planned budget would take hundreds of millions of dollars from California by eliminating federal funds for programs that have proven successful in educating at-risk students, especially those from low-income backgrounds. It also reduces financial assistance to low-income college students.

 

Source: State schools chief vows to battle Trump over cuts

State’s new school “report card” system debuts Wednesday – The Reporter

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By Richard Bammer

After some field testing, the state’s new school “report card” system, giving parents another way to evaluate their child’s learning environment, will finally debut Wednesday, state officials have announced.

The California School Dashboard, as it’s called, will go live to the general public at www.cde.ca.gov/dashboard.

The public rollout will come nearly nine weeks after the State Board of Education formally approved it, with several changes to be made to strengthen and improve it for the 2017-18 academic year, when it will go into full effect.

Source: State’s new school “report card” system debuts Wednesday – The Reporter

Torlakson asks feds to clarify policy on ICE action near schools – The Reporter

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By Richard Bammer

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson, as part of his efforts to ensure parents and students feel safe at schools regardless of their immigration status, Thursday asked federal law enforcement authorities to explain if they are changing a policy that had avoided immigration actions near schools.

Torlakson wrote a letter to U.S. Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly and requested information if the agency is still following the “Sensitive Locations” guidance, which directs federal agents to generally avoid enforcement activities at schools, school bus stops, college and universities, and other education-related locations.

His letter was prompted by the need to inform school leaders in California, but also by his alarm at an action taken in late February by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents who took Romulo Avelica-Gonzalez, a 48-year-old father of four, into custody after he dropped off one of his daughters at Academia Avance public charter school in the Lincoln Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles.

 

Source: Torlakson asks feds to clarify policy on ICE action near schools

State ed chief says state law protects transgender students – The Reporter

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By Richard Bammer

Local, state and national educators said the White House decision to rescind protections for transgender public school students does not change existing law.

Their statements come after a joint letter issued Wednesday by top civil rights officials in the federal Justice and Education departments rejected the Obama administration’s position in 2016 that nondiscrimination laws require schools to allow transgender students to use the bathroom of their choice.

In a press release, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson reiterated his support for the rights of transgender students and reminded all Californians that state law requires public schools to allow students access to the restroom or locker room consistent with their gender identity.

Source: State ed chief says state law protects transgender students

CA Dream Act Applications Due March 2 – Year 2017 (CA Dept of Education)

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State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson and the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) announced that applications for the California Dream Act are down significantly and urged all eligible students to apply for the program, which allows undocumented students to receive state financial aid for college.

“Please apply right away. The California Dream Act is the key to success in college and 21st century careers. It would be a shame if fear or confusion keeps students from applying for financial aid that they have earned and they deserve,” Torlakson said.

The application deadline is March 2. As of Friday, CSAC had received about 20,000 applications, down from more than 34,000 applications from the prior year. The California Dream Act is unrelated to the federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

The California Student Aid Commission has redoubled its efforts to encourage Dreamers to complete the California Dream Act Application,” said Lupita Cortez Alcalá, Executive Director for the CSAC, which administers the California Dream Act. “California’s strength lies in its diversity and we will continue to support and advance our efforts to prepare all California students for academic and economic prosperity.”

Source: CA Dream Act Applications Due March 2 – Year 2017 (CA Dept of Education)

Facilities Aid Offered to Small School Districts – Year 2017 (CA Dept of Education)

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State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today announced that the California Department of Education (CDE) is offering a new “Small School District Assistance Initiative” to help small and rural school districts apply for state school bond funds.

California voters in November 2016 approved Proposition 51, which will provide $9 billion in state school bond funds for construction and modernization.

Prop. 51 is the latest in a series of state school bonds approved since 1998, but about 100 of the state’s 1,025 public school districts have never applied for bond funding. Small and rural districts often don’t have the staff or resources available to apply, even if they need to build new schools or upgrade aging school buildings, Torlakson said.

“We want to get small and rural schools in line for Prop. 51 funding and build modern school facilities that will help students succeed on their way to 21st century careers and college,” Torlakson said.

Source: Facilities Aid Offered to Small School Districts – Year 2017 (CA Dept of Education)

State, local leaders appear willing to work with DeVos – The Reporter

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By Richard Bammer

In the wake of Tuesday’s Senate confirmation of billionaire Betsy DeVos as U.S. Secretary of Education, state and Vacaville-area public education officials, while not expressing surprise over the historic tie vote broken by Vice President Mike Pence, seemed somewhat apolitical at the development, noting California and their respective school districts will continue their mission of doing what’s best for K-12 students no matter who leads the federal agency.

“We look forward to working with the new secretary of education,” State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson said in an email to The Reporter without no further elaboration on the elevation of DeVos.

Source: State, local leaders appear willing to work with DeVos

Time for Solano school districts to declare ‘safe havens’ – The Reporter

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By Richard Bammer

Fairfield-Suisun Unified leaders on Thursday will cast up or down votes to determine if Solano County’s largest school district will be a “safe haven” for all students.

The board’s decision will come some seven weeks after state schools chief Tom Torlakson released a letter — sent to county and school district superintendents, charter school leaders and principals — encouraging California’s 10,500 public schools be declared safe havens for students and their parents and to remind families about existing laws that protect students’ records from questions about immigration status. Some large districts, Los Angeles Unified and Sacramento City Unified, have already declared themselves to be safe havens, two districts, among many others statewide with sizable populations of Hispanics, students of color, and diverse religious beliefs.

Torlakson’s letter came, of course, after Donald Trump’s election as president in November, following a campaign that promised to build a wall at the U.S.-Mexico border, to deport 11 million illegal immigrants, most of them Hispanic, the latter promise toned down in the wake of nationwide outrage, to booting out only those with criminal records.

Source:  Time for Solano school districts to declare ‘safe havens’ – The Reporter

 

Suisun Elementary teach wins “Oscars of Teaching” honor – The Reporter

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By Richard Bammer

Suisun Elementary teacher Jessica Villanueva gasped, then placed her hands on her cheeks, her eyes widening when she heard her name announced during a morning school assembly, its purpose known only to a handful of people who gathered Friday in the gymnasium at the Golden Eye Way campus in Suisun City.

Clearly surprised and shocked, her feelings perhaps mixed with elation and humility, Villanueva was named the recipient of a Milken Educator Award, an excellence-in-teaching honor that comes with a $25,000 check from the Milken Family Foundation in Santa Monica. She is the first Fairfield-Suisun Unified teacher to receive the award, dubbed some years ago as the “Oscars of Teaching” by Teacher magazine.

Source:  Suisun Elementary Teacher wins ‘Oscars of teaching’ honor

Applications for Summer Food Service Program – Year 2017 (CA Dept of Education)

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State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today announced that applications are available for the Summer Food Service Program, a federally funded, state-administered program that serves meals to California’s low-income children.

“Providing nutritious meals to students during the school year helps students stay alert and focused in class,” Torlakson said. “Making sure children have access to healthy food during the summer is just as critical. Those students will return to school in the fall ready to learn.”

The Summer Food Service Program reimburses participating organizations that provide free meals to children 18 and younger when students are on summer vacation or when those students who attend year-round schools are out of school for 15 or more consecutive school days.

Source: Applications for Summer Food Service Program – Year 2017 (CA Dept of Education)

Schools Encouraged to Continue Safe Haven Efforts – Year 2017 (CA Dept of Education)

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State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today urged all California public schools to continue “Safe Haven” efforts for students and their families, particularly Muslims and refugees targeted by recent federal actions.

“As a teacher, coach, father, citizen, and leader of California’s public school system, I strongly disagree with President Trump’s recent immigration order and want to make sure that our students and families who are refugees and Muslims feel safe and protected in our schools,” said Torlakson. “California public schools welcome all students regardless of their heritage, religion, ethnicity, background, disability, or sexual orientation.

“Diversity is California’s strength. We do not just welcome diversity. We celebrate it. An ill-conceived presidential executive order is not going to change that.”

Source: Schools Encouraged to Continue Safe Haven Efforts – Year 2017 (CA Dept of Education)

Fairfield-Suisun district leaders to consider possible ‘safe haven’ resolution – The Reporter

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By Richard Bammer

Fairfield-Suisun Unified leaders, when they meet tonight, will devote perhaps two hours before they consider agenda item 18A, a one-line entry that might be overlooked if not for headlines spawned Wednesday by President Donald Trump: his executive order to build a Mexican border wall and plans to indefinitely block Syrian refugees from entering the United States and to initiate a temporary halt on all refugees from the rest of the world.

The seven-member governing board will discuss a proposed resolution to declare the district as a “safe haven” for students, and, if approved, will vote on it at a Feb. 9 meeting.

The trustees’ discussion comes two days after Gov. Jerry Brown’s fiery State of the State address, during which — while railing against several controversial Trump proposals — he noted laws passed to expand protections for illegal immigrants.

 

U.S. Education Department rejects California’s science testing plans | EdSource

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By Pat Maio

With two days remaining before President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration, the U.S. Department of Education has rejected California’s request to begin administering online tests this spring based on new science standards, in lieu of a test based on standards established in 1998.

The state’s final administrative appeal following a six-months-long battle over science testing in California was denied Wednesday in a Jan. 18 letter sent by Ann Whalen, a senior adviser to U.S. Secretary of Education John King Jr., to State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson and State Board of Education President Michael Kirst.

Whalen wrote that she made her ruling based on concerns about the lack of transparency of science testing data during California’s transition from online pilot testing to fully operational tests set for the 2018-19 school year.

Source: U.S. Education Department rejects California’s science testing plans | EdSource

State Board Approves California School Dashboard – Year 2017 (CA Dept of Education)

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The State Board of Education (SBE) today took the final steps in approving a landmark Accountability and Improvement System that will provide a wealth of new information to help parents, educators, and the public evaluate schools and districts, identify strengths and weaknesses, and provide targeted assistance.

Today’s actions pave the way for the system, called the California School Dashboard, to be unveiled to the public in late February or March. Next year several changes will be made to strengthen and improve the Dashboard for the 2017-18 school year when it will be fully operational.

“This completes the final pieces of a groundbreaking system to help the public better understand what is going on in our schools,” said California State Board of Education President Mike Kirst. “I look forward to the launch of the California School Dashboard later this year, but this is just the beginning. We plan to make significant improvements in future years.”

Kirst and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson thanked the California Department of Education (CDE) staff and educators throughout the state for their creativity and hard work in producing the California School Dashboard, which was years in the making.

Source: State Board Approves California School Dashboard – Year 2017 (CA Dept of Education)