SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- The man who oversees California's public schools earned sharp criticism from some quarters Tuesday after making racially charged comments to a Bay Area newspaper, NBC11's Traci Grant reported.

Superintendent of public instruction Jack O'Connell made the comments while speaking to the San Francisco Chronicle this week about the connection between race and the "achievement gap" in schools.

VIDEO: CA Schools Superintendent Criticized For Alleged Racist Remarks

In his comments he explained he thinks widespread cultural ignorance is the reason why certain groups of students lag behind others in the classroom.

O'Connell drew fire for saying students who attend African-American churches on Sunday, but then attend classes taught by white teachers on Monday, have trouble.

"A student that becomes demonstrative and engaging in church on a Sunday where that's clearly encouraged and goes to school on Monday and is expected to sit there and not respond in the same passion ends up penalized," O'Connell said.

For years the gap has been linked to socioeconomics, Grant said.

Many have theorized that poverty was the reason that some students fared worse in school than others.

O'Connell, however, said that achievement gap is "absolutely, positively not genetic. All kids can learn. I'm saying it's racial."

O'Connell said his remarks have been misinterpreted.

"When I first looked at the statement, I said 'Wow, what was he trying to say?" said the Rev. Amos Brown, the president of the San Francisco chapter of the NAACP.

Brown said at first he wanted to give O'Connell the benefit of the doubt.

However, after thinking about it more, Brown became angrier, especially because O'Connell used black churches as an example.

"I thought it was most unfortunate statement. It was not crafted, framed or spoken well," Brown said.