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State of California June 8, 2010 Election
Smart Voter

Create "Executive Councils" in California independent public schools.

By Daniel M. Nusbaum

Candidate for State Superintendent of Public Instruction

This information is provided by the candidate
A 7-member "Executive Council" could be elected to govern and manage any California public school that votes to become a "California Independent Public School."
I think the #1 issue for California public schools is the almost complete lack of governance and management authority by parents, teachers, staff and students to create the educational philosophy, policies, plans, programs and procedures which they decide are best for their school. In 1985 the California Commission on School Governance and Management (COSGAM) reported that California public schools were 98% controlled by local school districts, county, state and federal education/government agencies and employee unions. The COSGAM found that parents, teachers, staff and students at individual school sites held only 2% of the governing and management authority. By now in 2010 my guess is that the people in schools have less than 1% of the power to run their own schools, due in part to the standardized curriculum and testing regime which the State has imposed on California public schools.

Therefore, because of what I consider to be the State's usurpation of the people's democratic right to local control of their own public schools, my first priority will be to push for/sponsor a legislative bill, or if that fails, a ballot initiative to create independent public schools that are governed and managed by an elected "Executive Council" comprised of 7 members: 2 teachers, two parents, the principal, a non-teaching, non-administrative staff person, and a student from the highest grade in the school.

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ca/state Created from information supplied by the candidate: May 3, 2010 08:19
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