Barrera Demands a Seat at the Table for Educators as the Re-Structuring of the Office of State Superintendent Is Implemented
(San Diego) Democratic candidate for State Superintendent of Public Instruction Richard Barrera calls on state leaders to include educators in discussions about implementing Assembly Bill 181, a measure crafted by the Governor and the state legislature which transfers management of the California Department of Education from the State Superintendent to an Education Commissioner reporting to the Governor.
“I am running for State Superintendent because I am committed to improving outcomes for all students in every part of the state,” says Barrera. “I have always viewed one of the most important roles of this office to be that of bringing together all points-of-view in the best interest of students. That process just became even more critical and significantly more difficult in light of the flawed process that led to the adoption of AB 181. I call on those who pushed this legislation to bring those representing classroom educators into the process for implementing this bill.”
AB 181 was part of the budget package negotiated between the Governor and legislative leaders over this past weekend and approved by the legislature on Monday. Teachers and school staff represented by the California Teachers Association (CTA), the California Federation of Teachers (CFT) and the California School Employees Association (CSEA) strongly opposed the bill, but were given no chance to meaningfully improve it in the rushed budget negotiations.
“Proponents of this measure claimed that their goal was to align everyone around a common set of goals for student achievement. Unfortunately, the rushed, behind-closed-doors nature of the process has done precisely the opposite,” says Barrera. “I have successfully brought stakeholders with varying viewpoints together many times during my almost two decades on the San Diego Unified School District Board of Trustees and I am committed to the work of fixing the problems and divisions caused by AB 181, beginning today.”
Barrera, who currently serves as President of the San Diego Unified School District Board of Trustees and Senior Policy Advisor to current State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, outpaced a large field of other Democratic candidates in the June primary for this non-partisan office. His opponent in the November general election is a Republican.
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Barrera is available for one-on-one interviews. Learn more about him athttps://www.barreraforedu.com/
For more information contact Dale Kelly Bankhead, 619.549.3140, dkbankhead@yahoo.com