Rancho Palos Verdes Teen Appointed To Calif. State Board Of Education
RANCHO PALOS VERDES (CBSLA.com) — A Rancho Palos Verdes teenager has been appointed to the California State Board of Education by Gov. Jerry Brown.
If confirmed by the Senate, high school senior Jesse Zhang, 16, will become the youngest member of the board.
"Governor Brown did a press conference to announce it. And his official tweeting group actually tweeted that I was appointed," he said.
Zhang added, "I did a lot of research. I came in prepared. And I feel like they really liked that I was honest and was willing to speak up, and oftentimes people tell me I'm a little too blunt, but I think they liked that I was not afraid to use my voice and to have a strong voice and opinion."
Zhang, a piano player, has given a lot of thought to his agenda.
First, he wants to make sure a new common core curriculum program is properly implemented in state schools.
"It's a list of standards in English, language arts and math, and school districts and teachers have to be retrained. They have to completely select new textbooks. It's revolutionizing the public education system," he said.
Zhang also knows the importance of extracurricular activities because he says they create a balanced environment that makes the school learning experience more satisfying for students.
