Earlier this week State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson praised the appointment of Eloy Ortiz Oakley as the new Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, the largest public higher education system in the nation. “Eloy is a fantastic choice to lead our great network of community colleges,” said Torlakson. “He is a terrific leader and a tremendous proponent of getting high school students excited and energized about pursuing success in college and beyond. I look forward to more great things as he leads the California Community Colleges into the 21st century.”
A recent EdSource article reported Mr. Oakley said more work must be done in low-income communities “where poverty continues to be a driver in the future of our kids. I am certainly going to focus on those communities that have had the hardest time reaching the potential of the California Dream.” Oakley wants to speed up completion rates is to encourage more high school students to simultaneously enroll in community college courses, with more of those classes offered directly at high schools. “The lines between high school and community college need to continue to be blurred,” said Oakley. “The more college credits students can obtain in high school, the better prepared they are, the sooner they will graduate, the sooner they will transfer, the better off we are as a state.”
Together Everyone Accomplishes More
California Community Colleges (CCC) Vice Chancellor Van Ton-Quinlivan and her team is making a lot of progress promoting local adoption of student pathways that are branded “Business Information Worker I and II” and IT Technician Pathway.” Growing and sustaining these quality pathways will help students – that may normally drop out – attain critical and fundamental entry-level jobs in a sector where there is room for growth and higher pay with continued CCC education.
High school teachers and administrators may wish to contact the Deputy Sector Navigators in their area to see how they might work together with local colleges to improve student outcomes through dual and concurrent enrollment programs.