Jack O’Connell
California’s State Superintendent of Public Instruction
As chief of California’s public school system and head of the State Department of Education, Jack has worked tirelessly to smooth the transitions between all segments of education, from preschool to college and the workplace. As a former high school teacher and author of the legislation creating the California High School Exit Exam, he has worked to fortify California's world-class academic standards, strengthen California’s school accountability and assessment systems and bolster state funding for public school classrooms. He also has been a leader among state school chiefs nationwide in an effort to increase flexibility and fairness in the federal No Child Left Behind school accountability system. He is a long-time advocate for smaller class sizes, improved teacher recruitment and retention, comprehensive testing, and up-to-date school facilities. Since being elected to office, Superintendent O’Connell has been a close friend and strong supporter of the Para Los Niños education programs.
Fast Facts
In 2007, over 583,000 people in Los Angeles County lived in extreme poverty
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87% of children of immigrant families in Los Angeles County are U.S. citizens
