Superintendent of Public Instruction (Nonpartisan Office)

• As the state's chief of public schools, provides education policy direction to local school districts, and works with the educational community to improve academic performance.
• Heads the Department of Education and carries out policies set by the State Board of Education.
• Serves as an ex-officio member of governing boards of the state's higher education system.

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California public schools need major changes to prepare students to compete in the global economy. Our schools rank 45th in the nation in reading and math—but Sacramento politicians are failing to make the crucial changes students need. The politicians make too many education decisions, instead of experts. The education bureaucracy wastes too much money and has too much control. I'm an educator, not a politician. I have a proven record of turning around failing schools. Leading 17 public schools in some of LA's toughest neighborhoods, we increased graduation rates by 60%. Our innovative "Parent College" became a national model for getting parents more involved. Over the last 5 years, our schools ranked #1 in academic improvement among California's large school systems. Previously, I led efforts to establish 9 successful new public charter schools—which all outperformed local schools. As State Superintendent, I'll be an independent advocate for parents and students—not political insiders. I'll work to: (1) Get the politicians out of our schools—so educators & parents can do what's best for kids. (2) Cut the bureaucracy to get more money into classrooms and encourage innovation. (3) Get parents more involved. (4) Support public charter schools. (5) Make sure all students have effective teachers and principals and a college and career ready curriculum. Please read my plan at www.marshalltuck.com. See why parents, teachers, and California's major newspapers—liberal and conservative—endorsed our campaign. We can't accept mediocrity or failure. Vote for the change our students need.

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As the only California teacher and experienced superintendent seeking this office, I know bold action is needed to strengthen our schools. My plan calls for parents, teachers and schools themselves to make education decisions rather than turning our schools over to Washington politicians or Wall Street speculators. It starts with increasing parental involvement, expanding career and technical training, making college more affordable and investing in schools to provide smaller classes and strong academics, including art, music, drama and the technology students need to graduate ready for college. Every student deserves great teachers, which is why we must improve teacher training and support, and remove—fairly—those not up to the job. I helped pass a law making it easier to dismiss teachers for misconduct or poor performance, and I made helping struggling teachers a priority. Because students also deserve safe schools, I helped pass laws to keep gangs, drugs and guns out of our schools. For more information, please read our Blueprint for Great Schools at www.tomtorlakson.com, created with parents, teachers and school officials. After three years on the job, there's still much work to do, but we're seeing real progress— the highest graduation rates ever and rising test scores statewide. I'm the only candidate supported by classroom teachers, nurses, firefighters, police officers and Sierra Club California, along with Democrats like Senator Dianne Feinstein and Republicans like Richard Riordan. Let's keep working together to fulfill the promise of public education, with a high-quality school in every neighborhood.

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