Education: Principal to Sit on Expert Panel

A local high school principal has been named to the recently formed Carnegie Task Force on Learning in the Primary Grades, a nationwide panel of experts studying ways to improve elementary school education.

Steve Martinez, principal at Farragut Elementary School in Culver City and founder of language immersion programs at the school, has joined Los Angeles Unified Superintendent Sid Thompson on the 18-member task force, but Martinez is the only principal on the panel.

“I’m very honored to be named to the Task Force on Learning. I feel a great responsibility to other principals around the U.S. for us to create good educational policy,” Martinez said.

Antony Ward, executive director of the task force, said Martinez’s pioneering efforts in language immersion programs made him an ideal candidate.

The task force, which includes educators, journalists, business leaders and attorneys from around the nation, will study the education of children ages 3 through 10 and report its findings and recommendations in two years.