In California, alongside the high-profile governor election, the position of the State Superintendent of Public Instruction is equally crucial in shaping a system that serves around 5.7 million students and determines the future of education in the state. This year, there are 10 candidates vying for this non-partisan public office, and the winner will lead approximately 1,300 employees of the State Department of Education and oversee nearly 10,000 schools across 1,011 districts.
On April 22-23, EdSource, a non-profit news organization focusing on California education, hosted two non-debate forums for the State Superintendent candidates. Six candidates with prior experience in education-related public offices were invited to discuss their reasons for running, key priorities, state government oversight versus local autonomy, closing achievement gaps, support for transgender students, and the role of artificial intelligence in education.
Overall, in the 2025-26 school year, California saw a 1.3% decrease in public school enrollment, amounting to approximately 75,000 fewer students, marking the largest decline since the COVID-19 pandemic in the 2021-22 school year.
Richard Barrera, a member of the San Diego Unified School District Board, highlighted the district’s high rankings in national assessments for reading and math in 2025. During his 18-year tenure, teacher salaries in the district increased by 50%, and his leadership on four bond measures provided $11.5 billion in funding for the district. Barrera also serves in the administrative arm of the State Department of Education.
Sonja Shaw, the President of Chino Valley Unified School District, spoke about the district’s innovative education blueprint, recognized by Stanford University as a model for educational recovery post-pandemic. Shaw emphasized a focus on foundational subjects like reading, writing, and math to pave the way for student success.
Josh Newman, a former State Senator, criticized the state’s education system for being insufficient in addressing underperforming student outcomes and highlighted his experience in finding solutions over the years. If elected, Newman aims to optimize resources, enhance management efficiency, and prioritize equitable access to quality education for all students.
Al Muratsuchi, Assemblymember of the 66th District, emphasized his multiple experiences in education policy-making at the state level and school district governance. He highlighted key legislative initiatives he led and received support from unions like the California Teachers Association and the California School Employees Association.
Anthony Rendon, former Speaker of the State Assembly, emphasized his personal journey as a beneficiary of California’s public school system, touting his leadership skills and extensive legislative experience. Rendon stressed the importance of defending federal education funding and addressing the increased demand for mental health services among students post-pandemic.
Michelle Henderson, a Board Trustee at Los Angeles Community College District, emphasized her unique frontline teaching experience spanning from early childhood to high school and community college levels. She advocated for supporting teachers, reducing class sizes, improving student literacy, and rectifying issues with standardized testing.
Governor Newsom is proposing to place the State Department of Education under his executive department by appointing an education official instead of having an elected State Superintendent of Public Instruction, a move that all candidates oppose.
Sonja Shaw argued that the position is constitutional, reflecting the voters’ clear intention to maintain the position independent of the Governor’s influence.
Barrera viewed the proposed “restructuring” as a form of “detour” strategy, pointing to past voter rejections of similar attempts to eliminate elections for the position.
Newman criticized the proposal as counterproductive, creating an additional bureaucratic layer without enhancing responsiveness or interdepartmental collaboration.
Rendon labeled the plan as “terrible,” warning against centralizing power within the executive branch, which he believed would be detrimental to schools and democracy. He stressed the importance of the State Superintendent standing up against such policies if implemented.
Muratsuchi underscored the delicate balance between state and local governance, acknowledging diverse regional priorities and advocating for incentivized approaches over one-size-fits-all mandates.
Shaw criticized the lack of state government support in critical areas and highlighted misplaced interventions. She pointed to instances where state government interference clashed with local governing decisions, such as in parental notification policies, and raised concerns about neglected school facilities and impractical mandates, like the compulsory use of electric school buses in rural areas.
Newman advocated for local autonomy coupled with state accountability mechanisms, emphasizing the need for transparency, performance goals, and accountability measures at the local level to benefit students.
Barrera advocated for state oversight to ensure equal protection and support for all students, including immigrant and transgender students, emphasizing the importance of addressing absenteeism to improve student outcomes.
Rendon discussed the ongoing tug of war between “local autonomy” and “state government control,” highlighting the State Superintendent’s critical role in analyzing and addressing education issues from a state-wide perspective to collaborate effectively with officials at all levels.
Muratsuchi highlighted his focus on striking a subtle balance between state and local governance, recognizing the wide disparity in regional priorities. He emphasized the need for incentive-driven measures tailored to specific regional needs.
Shaw pointed out that California’s annual education budget reaches $150 billion, significantly higher than other states. However, she highlighted low English proficiency and math achievement rates among students, emphasizing the priority of elevating academic standards while considering students’ post-graduation paths and career trajectories. She also stressed the importance of transparency, referencing her advocacy for parental rights in educational decision-making.
Barrera emphasized the importance of measuring “college and career readiness” as the primary benchmark for student success, lamenting the inadequacy of funding and resources, overcrowded classrooms, insufficient school nurses and counselors, and lack of support for students with special needs. He also highlighted the need to create inclusive and supportive campus environments for all students, including immigrant and transgender students.
Newman stressed the Superintendent’s responsibility to ensure equitable access to quality education resources and safety for every student in California, acknowledging the imperfections in state laws but emphasizing their well-intentioned nature.
Muratsuchi advocated for prioritizing efforts to secure education funding, attract top-tier teachers, and close achievement gaps among student groups. He highlighted the paradox of California’s status as the world’s fourth-largest economy alongside high child poverty rates, emphasizing the need to provide equal education for all children.
Henderson outlined three key priorities: achieving full funding for TK-12 education, expanding vocational training and employment opportunities through collaboration with business and labor unions, and reducing class sizes while addressing issues with standardized testing to improve student literacy.
Rendon believed that the next State Superintendent’s primary task would involve defending the U.S. Department of Education, particularly in the first half of the term. He highlighted the increased demand for mental health services among students post-pandemic and underscored the need for protection and support for children throughout the crisis.
Barrera emphatically stated the need to increase teacher salaries, provide comprehensive healthcare benefits for families, assist teachers in solving housing challenges, and establish talent development mechanisms. He emphasized the importance of supporting teachers from paying for their university education to providing certification fees, internships, and post-graduation employment.
Shaw also stressed the importance of rewarding excellent teachers and expressed her commitment to ensuring adequate support in this regard. She addressed the need to reform school districts, advocating against wasteful spending, fraud, and abuse of funds, and emphasized the importance of teacher support amidst ongoing strikes across California.
Newman pledged to push for implementing a compensation system that reflects local cost of living, providing housing assistance for teachers, and streamlining teacher certification processes. He suggested transitioning education funding calculations from the current “average daily attendance” model to an “actual enrollment” model to accurately reflect district costs.
Muratsuchi and Rendon, when asked about how to adapt to the increased pressure on education funding as student numbers decline in California, both highlighted the importance of increasing educational funding through legislative means.
Newman believed that three entrenched gaps rooted in teaching quality, student attendance issues, and education workforce development must be addressed and ongoing reforms focused on curricula and funding for educators.
Addressing the challenge of narrowing academic achievement gaps between different ethnic and socio-economic student groups, Barrera stressed the importance of creating opportunities for all students from a lens of “equity,” highlighting San Diego Unified School District’s adoption of the “A-G course sequence” to diminish academic disparities.
“At Chino Valley Unified School District, we have established an effective evaluation system that provides detailed assessments for every student and specific skill, allowing us to pinpoint their needs accurately,” Shaw said. She advocated for moving away from segregating students based on ethnicity or groups, ensuring every teacher receives necessary training and teaching tools.
Muratsuchi mentioned their support for low-income families, English language learners, and foster youth through the Local Control Funding Formula, an effort to bridge socio-economic and achievement gaps. Investments in the Expanded Learning Opportunities Program aimed to mitigate disparities and underscored the need for increased funding and a focus on early childhood education.
Rendon shared insights from his early career focused on assisting first-time offenders and at-risk youth to eliminate gang crises, emphasizing the role of early childhood education in promoting brain development. He highlighted the success of the “Head Start” program operated by his team, which prioritized holistic services, including comprehensive health checkups and medical care, and provided two meals a day.
Barrera highlighted the presence of around 65,000 to 80,000 transgender students in California schools. While state laws offer protections, the level of protection varies across districts. Collaborating with “Equality California,” Barrera’s district engaged in initiatives such as sex education programs, anti-bullying efforts, participation in Pride parades, and displaying Pride flags on campuses to support inclusivity and diversity.
Shaw echoed Barrera’s sentiment that “every child should feel safe,” but voiced concerns about the lack of safety felt by girls in campus locker rooms and during participation in sports, criticizing California’s allocation of $25 million to fund children’s gender transition surgeries. She criticized the diversion of funds into ideological classroom projects, leading to financial deficits.
“In 2023, I pushed for SB760 to establish gender-neutral restrooms on campuses,” Newman stated. He emphasized California’s prohibition of discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, stressing the need for school districts to adhere to these laws. Newman advocated for state guidance, legal support, and training to prevent conflicts between federal regulations and local education practices.
Muratsuchi also favored providing a safe and supportive learning environment for all students, including transgender children, emphasizing the importance of maintaining student privacy and not disclosing gender identity or orientation without their consent.
Rendon hailed the passage of the Safety Act, affirming his support even if not elected, pledging to stand behind other candidates who uphold the legislation. He noted a departure in principle from Ms. Shaw’s stance that contradicts California’s consistent values.
Shaw proposed the establishment of a dedicated committee to conduct research and make decisions based on data, aiming to avoid experimental approaches that could harm students. She highlighted her commitment to standing up against failed education projects that jeopardize children’s interests.
Barrera acknowledged the uncertainty in fully understanding the risks AI poses to student mental health and brain development and the biases inherent in the algorithms on which artificial intelligence relies. He stressed the need to focus on controlling AI’s utilization rather than allowing it to take over tasks, particularly without having the ability to independently replicate the tasks undertaken.
Newman emphasized that prematurely delegating tasks to machines could impede students’ critical cognitive development processes crucial for rational thinking. He outlined the need to establish safeguards, including standards covering privacy protection, data security, accessible applications, and transparency, alongside developing model policies and providing clear guidelines while training teachers to embrace and proficiently use new tools.
Henderson advocated for preparing students for the future, whether in employment or academia, and addressing the need for a comprehensive overhaul of education methods to adapt to AI trends. She stressed the importance of establishing protective mechanisms before introducing AI into school settings.
Muratsuchi highlighted the significant opportunities and challenges AI presents, cautioning against allowing AI to replace human subjects in the classroom and remaining vigilant to prevent potential harm to students’ cognition, social interaction, and emotional development.
Rendon believed that integrating AI into children’s future lives is inevitable. He stressed the necessity of comprehensive and rapid teacher training, likening the need to replicate New York state’s AI curriculum framework, empowering teachers to take center stage in classroom discussions.
The State Superintendent’s role is pivotal in ensuring that California’s education system effectively navigates the challenges and opportunities presented by artificial intelligence. As the candidates vie for this critical position, their diverse perspectives and proposed strategies underscore the significance of crafting policies that prioritize student well-being, educational equity, and innovation in an evolving educational landscape.