Contact: Mike Myslinski at 408-921-5769
BURLINGAME – David A. Sanchez, president of the 325,000-member California Teachers Association, released this statement today regarding Gov. Jerry Brown’s appointments to the State Board of Education:
“We commend Governor Brown for returning public school educators who reflect and understand the complexities of our public schools to the State Board of Education. It is exciting to once again have classroom experts, including CTA legislative advocate Patricia Ann Rucker, on the State Board. Many of these appointees have worked in the classroom and understand the challenges and needs of California’s students. The voices of educators will be critical as the state implements the newly adopted Common Core Standards, requiring realignment of our curriculum, textbooks, testing and assessment systems. These and other urgent issues require the kind of knowledge and background that these educators will bring to their vital positions.”
Appointee Patricia Ann Rucker of Elk Grove is a former local teacher of the year in Sacramento County with 15 years of classroom experience at the K-12 and university levels in California. Rucker is a respected expert on state and federal education programs and issues.
The other appointees are: Dr. Michael Kirst, a professor emeritus at Stanford University, where he has taught since 1969; Louis “Bill” Honig, a former California state superintendent of public instruction; Dr. Carl Anthony Cohn, former superintendent of San Diego Unified School District and the Long Beach Unified School District; Aida Molina, a former bilingual teacher in Galt Joint Union Elementary School District who is the executive director on academic improvement and accountability for Bakersfield City School District; James Ramos, a member of the San Bernardino Community College Board of Trustees; and Trish Boyd Williams, executive director of EdSource since 1992. All must now be confirmed by the State Senate.
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The 325,000-member CTA is affiliated with the 3.2 million-member National Education Association.