Singer and Education Activist John Legend Endorses Tuck

Shared vision: Every child deserves access to great teachers, quality education

Los Angeles -- Singer and education activist John Legend announced his support for State Superintendent of Public Instruction candidate Marshall Tuck this morning by tweeting his support from the road of his "All of Me" tour and releasing the following statement: “As you know, I believe it’s so important that every kid in the country has equal access to a great education--and I’m dedicated to helping turn around our schools. There is nothing more significant we can do for our kids than ensure that every child has a great teacher and a real chance to succeed. Yet in California we are fundamentally failing to provide that opportunity. That’s why I am joining thousands of Californians--liberal and conservative--in supporting Marshall Tuck for State Superintendent of Public Instruction. Because when it comes to our kids, we need major change, now. A vote for Marshall Tuck is a vote for a ‘kids first’ agenda when it comes to education.” Beyond his accomplishments as a talented and popular singer, Legend is known for his commitment to education, serving on the boards of Teach for America, Harlem Village Academies, and Stand for Children. Legend’s endorsement adds to the growing momentum for Tuck, who was most recently leading in the polls and has received the support of every major newspaper in California. The normally quiet race for California’s top education official is shaping up to be the most heated on the ballot and is seen nationally as a referendum on change vs. the status quo, with leaders like Legend siding firmly with Tuck. “One-in-eight kids in public school in America is in California public schools, yet our schools rank 45th in the nation in reading and math,” Legend continued. “That’s unacceptable. In Tuck we have the chance to change the lives of the millions of kids in California, and to help lead a nation that must do better by its kids.” Tuck, a passionate educator and former charter school leader who also stepped up as CEO of the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools and led the turnaround of 17 failing public schools in some of the city’s toughest neighborhoods, is challenging incumbent Tom Torlakson, a 30+ year politician and staunch defender of the status quo.

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. In this campaign, every major newspaper in California has endorsed Tuck. TheSan Francisco Chronicle praised Tuck for his “efforts to turn around high-poverty, low-performing public schools.” The LA Times calls Tuck “an overdue force for change,” with “the energy and vision to turn California’s schools around.” 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, these schools increased four-year graduation rates by over 60%, improved school safety and student attendance, and launched the innovative Parent College, now a national model for getting parents more involved in their kids’ education. Over the last 5 years, the Partnership schools ranked first in academic improvement among school systems with more than 10,000 students. Prior to launching the Partnership, Tuck served as 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 lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Mae, and their son Mason.