U46 chief appointed to federal panel

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Updated: August 4, 2011 4:20PM

ELGIN — School District U46 Superintendent José Torres has been appointed to the U.S. Department of Education’s Equity and Excellence Commission, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced.

The federal commission will examine the impact of school finances on educational opportunity and recommend ways that school finances can be improved to increase equity and achievement, according to the U.S. Department of Education website.

“I am honored to be selected to serve as a member of the commission, and I look forward to engaging in a national discussion on how we can ensure equity, both financially and academically, as we educate all students,” Torres said.

The superintendent of the Elgin school district — the state’s second-largest after Chicago Public Schools — is one of 28 education advocates, civil rights leaders, scholars, lawyers and corporate leaders appointed to the commission, according to the education department.

According to the district, Torres has focused on raising expectations for all U46 students, closing achievement gaps and cultivating relationships since he arrived almost three years ago.

“Academic success for all” is the goal of U46’s “Destination 2015” plan, introduced this fall, and family and community engagement also is one of the five pillars of the district’s 2010-11 district improvement plan.

This school year, the district also has held its first African American Family Education Summit and launched the Hispanic Parent Leadership Institute, both aimed at getting parents involved in their children’s education and closing achievement gaps among U46 students.

Torres’ appointment is effective immediately, and the superintendent attended the first public meeting of the commission Tuesday in Washington, D.C. The commission discussed the scope of its work, outreach efforts and the timetable for the completion of its report at that meeting.

The commission is co-chaired by Chris Edley, dean of University of California-Berkeley Law School, and Netflix founder Reed Hastings, an active educational philanthropist, according to the department. Other notable appointees from Illinois include former governor Jim Edgar; Ralph Martire of the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability; and Jesse Ruiz, chairman of the Illinois State Board of Education.

Those commission members will examine disparities and achievement gaps in education, focusing on finances, the department said. They will recommend ways that federal policies could address such disparities, as well as ways to restructure school finance systems to distribute educational resources more equally and further student achievement.