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EDCOE's David M. Toston Elected Chair of Statewide Commission

00:00 AM - June 19, 2020

On Wednesday, June 17, El Dorado County Office of Education (EDCOE) Associate Superintendent of El Dorado County’s Special Education Local Planning Area (SELPA) and statewide Charter SELPA, David M. Toston, was appointed as the Chair of the California Advisory Commission on Special Education (ACSE). ACSE is an advisory body that provides recommendations and advice to the California State Board of Education, the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, the Legislature, and the Governor in new or continuing areas of research, program development, and evaluation in California special education.

Gina Plate, Vice President, Regulatory Affairs and Special Education and former Chair of ACSE, stated, “David has demonstrated that he is a champion for the rights of all students, including students with disabilities. Additionally, David brings a personal lens to the current discussions of social equity and justice and will lead this Commission with the intention and urgency that we need in this moment.” 

Mr. Toston, originally from Compton, California, is the first African American to hold the Chair’s role for the Commission. “I am humbled and honored to transition into this role at this moment in time. I look forward to supporting our State leaders as we work to address systemic inequalities within education.” He has been a county level administrator for 15 years in California and Washington State. He previously served as the Vice-Chair for ACSE and the Chair for the Coalition for Adequate Funding in Special Education.  

County Superintendent Dr. Ed Manansala expressed, “We are in an unprecedented time in education, and Mr. Toston is an exceptional individual to be leading the Commission at this moment. Mr. Toston is an authentic leader who embodies a deep commitment to equity and the needs of all students. He will bring great value to El Dorado County and statewide, through enhancing and transforming critical systems that impact 6.2 million students in California.”

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