Cala is an outspoken critic of the high-stakes testing required by school districts across the country under the No Child Left Behind Act. He gained national attention for his stand against allowing military recruiters access to Fairport High School students' personal records.
He retired from the Fairport school district last year to devote more time to "Joining Hearts and Hands," a non-profit organization fighting AIDS and poverty in Kenya.
Cala joins the City School District as it completes work on a budget of more than $633 million for 2007-2008.