Opinion
Budget & Finance Opinion

California Schools Chief in Country Video

By Charles Taylor Kerchner — December 19, 2014 1 min read
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Credit: California Department of Education


Here’s a little sidelight for your holiday. The Sacramento Bee has unearthed a country and western video staring California State Superintendent Tom Torlakson, celebrating in song the state’s differences with the Duncan/Obama Administration.

Produced for the November meeting of the Council of Chief State School Officers (a group not known for raucous humor) the film pushes the edge of expectation a bit. What had been a dispute (vigorous discussion for the diplomatic) with Duncan becomes the set piece for “We do things different,” in which Torlakson appears in running shorts (he really runs) and sings (kinda).

Though thoroughly tongue-in-cheek, the video puts the first public face on what we have been calling the California Exceptionalism.

Wish he’d used it in his campaign; it would have engendered a real debate.

It deserves to go at least semi-viral.

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