[Calif. Dept. of Education] – The California Department of Education recently named a new director for the Standards Support office and a new director for the Local Agency Systems Support Office.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson recently named Brent Malicote director of the California Department of Education’s new Standards Support Office and Jeff Breshears as director of the Local Agency Systems Support Office.

Both appointments are key CDE leadership positions and reflect the department’s increasing emphasis on supporting local districts and schools, Torlakson said.
The Standards Support Office will provide increased access to the tools and resources necessary to implement the new, more rigorous California learning standards, which cover English-Language Arts, Math, Science, and English Language Development.

Malicote is a high-energy leader with extensive field experience in teaching and administration in California’s Central Valley. He most recently served as principal of Pinewood Elementary School, which CDE honored as a California Distinguished School in 2014. He was named El Dorado County’s Elementary Principal of the Year for 2015.

“We are fortunate that a proven school leader of Brent’s caliber has joined the department,” Torlakson said. “His success leading school teams with high-quality implementation of Common Core Standards will be a great addition to CDE and the students and families we serve.”

The Local Agency Systems Support Office (LASSO) helps school districts achieve state and local goals in the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF), which gives districts more resources and more flexibility in spending and requires them to work with their communities to create education plans.

Breshears brings 10 years of CDE experience supporting programs that serve high-need students. He supported critical phases of Local Control Funding Formula implementation, including extensive work with County Offices of Education to support design and implementation of Local Control Accountability Planning (LCAP).

Breshears has extensive teaching and administrative experience in California public schools, including innovative work with students with exceptional needs in middle schools and high schools in Solano County.

“Jeff’s work with the initial stages of California’s innovative Local Control Funding Formula implementation will provide the department with high-quality leadership needed to create and guide the next phase of this important program,” Torlakson said. “He currently leads the department’s LCAP Support Team, a new initiative designed to support local school districts as they design and implement effective plans for their schools and communities.”

For additional information on the Local Agency Systems Support Office, visit the website.