State superintendent discusses challenges, assistance for school districts

State Superintendent Tony Thurmond spoke about the challenges facing districts around the states as the school year begins.

OAKLAND, Calif. - As the new school year starts for students, California Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond says he shares the same excitement and nerves with families across the state. "This is a time that’s busy, we have a lot of work to do," said Thurmond. "But a time that is hopeful."

Thurmond also acknowledged the challenges districts are facing, including worsening teacher shortages. "This has been a big challenge for our thousand school districts, districts in the Bay Area, they have positions to fill," said Thurmond.

The state Department of Education is hosting a teacher recruitment summit next week. Thurmond also points to new state money for apprenticeship and training programs as well as his office’s sponsoring bills for more educator housing and increasing pay for school staff. "The trend of teacher shortages that everyone’s been tracking nationwide before the pandemic, that grew during the pandemic," said Thurmond. "The number one thing we can do is pay teachers better."

Another focus for Thurmond: recovering from learning loss caused by the pandemic. The state’s allocated nearly $8 billion for ‘expanded learning,’ including before and after-school programs. Thurmond said his focus is not only on the academic losses. "We’ve procured the funds to recruit 10,00 mental health clinicians, so we can address the social needs, the mental-health needs of our students," said Thurmond.

California also received billions of dollars in federal aid, the most of any state, for districts’ pandemic recovery. It must be spent by fall 2024. Thurmond says they’re on track. "We know that upwards of 90% of most districts have already spent that money," said Thurmond. "And in other cases, they may have identified how those dollars can be used."

Just weeks ago, Thurmond was kicked out of the Chino Valley Unified school board meeting. He spoke against a policy requiring administrators inform parents if their child identifies as transgender. The board approved the policy which is now being investigated by the state attorney general. "We care about local control," said Thurmond. "We care about balancing the rights of our parents to have those rights. But we have to help keep our students safe as well."

Board president Sonja Shaw had strong words for Thurmond in the aftermath of the meeting in July. "We think he is a danger to our students," said Shaw. "He continues to push things that pervert children, and he continues to push out parents and bring in policies that create division between families."

Shaw said she received death threats after the meeting. Thurmond said no one should ever receive threats for disagreements. "We need to do better, in how we discuss all of these issues," said Thurmond. "We have to do so in a way that’s civil, we can agree to disagree, but we don’t have to be disagreeable."

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As national conversations around book bans and inclusive curriculum continue, Thurmond said he’s doubling down. He’s sponsoring a state bill that would make it more difficult to ban a book in schools and fine districts that don’t follow the guidelines. The framework was recently used to fine the Temecula Valley district over its rejection of a textbook that includes the late gay rights leaders, Harvey Milk. "There are people who are attacking inclusive education," said Thurmond. "And what I want to really say to them and remind them is that inclusive education is a way to ensure that students do well."

Thurmond also recently launched a task force for inclusive education that is working with textbook publishers to diversify the content that students see in instructional material.

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