A Blueprint for Great Schools Version 2.0 builds on the groundbreaking 2011 report which helped usher in a new era in California schools that has included major increases in funding, more rigorous state academic standards, online student assessment testing, and greater support for the students and schools with the most needs.
Developed based on recommendations made by a team of 29 education leaders and experts, Blueprint 2.0 details next steps in five critical areas: California standards, teaching and leading excellence, student success, continuous improvement and accountability systems, and systems change and supports. California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson said the California Department of Education will now work on carrying out the plans.
The Blueprint 2.0 Planning Team was co-chaired by Martha Infante, a teacher at the Los Angeles Academy Middle School; David Rattray, Executive Vice President, Education and Workforce Development for the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce and President of UNITE-LA, the school-to-career partnership of Los Angeles; and Chris Steinhauser, Superintendent of the Long Beach Unified School District.
As well as detailed recommendations, A Blueprint for Great Schools Version 2.0 includes a call to action, a revised mission, and a review of guiding principles and the emerging “California Way.”
“We have worked hard to move forward together in California in a gradual, sensible, and collaborative way,” Torlakson said. “I call this approach ‘The California Way,’ and it is paying huge dividends across the board. Blueprint 2.0 is the latest example of what The California Way can do.”