State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson last week named Brent Malicote to be director of the California Department of Education’s (CDE) new standards support office and Jeff Breshears as director of the local agency support office.

Both appointments are key CDE leadership positions and reflect the department’s increasing emphasis on supporting local districts and schools, Torlakson said.

The standards support office will provide increased access to the tools and resources necessary to implement the new, more rigorous California learning standards, which cover English-language arts, math, science and English language development.

“We are fortunate that a proven school leader of Brent’s caliber has joined the department,” Torlakson said. “His success leading school teams with high-quality implementation of Common Core Standards will be a great addition to CDE and the students and families we serve.”

The local agency systems support office helps school districts achieve state and local goals in the Local Control Funding Formula, which gives districts more resources and more flexibility in spending, and requires them to work with their communities to create education plans.

Breshears brings 10 years of CDE experience supporting programs that serve high-need students.

“Jeff’s work with the initial stages of California’s innovative Local Control Funding Formula implementation will provide the department with high-quality leadership needed to create and guide the next phase of this important program,” Torlakson said.