1. Type your name*

2. Type your job title

3. Type your organization name

4. Type your email or phone*

*mandatory

5. Please feel free to make changes to the letter below.

6. Click "eMAIL!" and we will send your letter!

Senator Tom Torlakson Chair, Senate Appropriations Committee State Capitol, Room 5050 Sacramento, CA 95814 Dear Senator Torlakson: I am writing in support of AB 1403 (Arambula), an innovative, five year Educational Pilot Program. Specifically, this bill would allow the County Superintendents of Fresno and Tulare Counties to opt to assume additional responsibility for ensuring the academic success of struggling school district within their jurisdication that are both identified for program improvement or corrective action under NCLB and have 50 percent or more of their schools ranked in deciles 1 and 2 of the state Academic Performance Index. It is our belief that county superintendents are uniquely situated to provide intensive support and academic oversight for their struggling districts. They are much closer to the specific challenges impacting their local school districts rather than the state Superintendent of Schools. AB 1403 would allow our most troubled school district to dramatically improve student learning by granting districts greater local flexibility over how resources are allocated and strategic waivers of our voluminous Education Code and state regulations, which create onerous paperwork demands and obstacles to reform – something local school districts and school boards would support wholeheartedly. The San Joaquin Valley and, more specifically, Fresno and Tulare counties are among the most challenged regions in the nation by every economic, environmental and social indicator. The education level of Valley students is consistently below the state average, while the percentage of students living in poverty, and with a primary language other than English, is amoung the highest in the state. These conditions contribute to the low academic performance of a majority of the region’s schools, and have a paralyzing effect on the economic vitality of the region. Thank you for your leadership and your positive consideration of AB 1403. I look forward to working with you to advance this legislation. As you well know, the success of our schools is directly tied to the success of the region as well as the state, and I appreciate your efforts to help us reach our potential.