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State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today shot back at U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, who expressed opposition to a bill in the California legislature that would eliminate statewide testing for a year while districts shift to new protocols aligned with Common Core.

“This legislation will continue to be guided by what’s right for California’s children—moving forward with instruction and assessments reflecting the deeper learning and critical thinking our students need to compete and win in a changing world,” Torlakson said, in defending AB 484, which is expected to be voted on by the State Senate today.

He added, “Our goals for 21st century learning, and the road ahead, are clear. We won’t reach them by continuing to look in the rear-view mirror with outdated tests, no matter how it sits with officials in Washington.”

In a statement yesterday Duncan said, “Letting an entire school year pass for millions of students without sharing information on their schools’ performance with them and their families is the wrong way to go about this transition. No one wants to over-test, but if you are going to support all students’ achievement, you need to know how all students are doing.”

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