Tuck to Torlakson: Time to debate on Vergara

Public deserves to hear from both candidates

Los Angeles -- On Tuesday, Marshall Tuck called for a public debate following State Schools Superintendent Tom Torlakson's hasty decision to appeal the landmark Vergara ruling striking down California's broken teacher tenure system. The appeal draws a clear contrast between the two candidates in what is already shaping up to be one of the most contested races on the ballot, and voters have the right to to see where each candidate stands. "We must take the opportunity to fix a broken system presented by the Vergara ruling. By appealing the decision, my opponent has made his stance on behalf of Sacramento insiders and the status quo clearer than ever. We fundamentally disagree on how to address the problems identified in the Vergara case -- problems that an independent judge said 'shock the conscience.' said Tuck. "It's time the public gets a debate that illustrates the choice in this election. I am calling on Tom Torlakson to join me in a debate addressing how our state moves forward on the issues in Vergara, rather than hide behind legal motions filed hours before a holiday." Torlakson announced his decision to appeal the Vergara ruling less than 24 hours after Judge Rolf Treu made the ruling final, filing the official appeal late on the Friday before Labor Day weekend. The Vergara ruling found that laws governing teacher two-year tenure, dismissal and layoffs deny students their constitutional right to a quality education by saddling them with inadequate teachers. Polling shows voters side definitively with the students who brought the lawsuit.  Read independent polling, here. Tuck and Torlakson do not currently have debates scheduled, only two appearances at joint forums. Earlier this summer, Marshall outlined a plan to address the Vergara ruling based on his experience working to turn around failing schools in some of California's toughest neighborhoods. Read the plan here About Marshall Tuck Marshall Tuck is the only candidate for State Superintendent with a proven record of increasing graduation rates, improving student achievement, and turning around failing schools. Tuck served most recently as founding CEO of the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools, former Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's groundbreaking collaboration with the Los Angeles Unified School District to operate 17 struggling public elementary, middle, and high schools, serving 15,000 students. Under Tuck's leadership, the Partnership schools increased four-year graduation rates by over 60%, improved school safety and student attendance, and launched the innovative Parent College, which became a national model for getting parents more involved in their kids' education. Over the last 5 years, the Partnership schools ranked #1 in academic improvement among school systems with more than 10,000 students. Prior to launching the Partnership, Tuck was President of Green Dot Public Schools, a leading charter school operator based in Los Angeles. Tuck joined Green Dot in 2002, when it had one school, and helped them expand to 10 charter high schools by 2006. With a student-centered approach that empowered principals, teachers, and parents, Green Dot schools substantially outperformed comparable schools' graduation rates and overall academic achievement. Before devoting his career to helping students, Tuck was an executive at Model N, a successful enterprise software company based in the Bay Area. Prior to that, he worked in finance, and spent a year teaching and doing service work internationally, primarily in Zimbabwe and Thailand. The son of a teacher, Tuck was born in Burlingame, CA and attended parochial elementary school and public middle and high schools. He graduated from UCLA and Harvard Business School. Tuck currently lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Mae, and their son Mason.

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