Sonja Shaw, Chair of the Chino Valley Unified School District Board, gave a speech in Long Beach, California last Saturday as part of her campaign for the position of California Superintendent of Public Instruction.
She emphasized the effectiveness of returning to the fundamentals of education at the local district level, which she believes is also applicable to the state of California.
Shaw’s childhood was tumultuous, having lived in shelters and foster homes. However, she feels that throughout it all, God’s hand has always guided her and her siblings. She views the pandemic of 2020 as part of a higher plan. At that time, while being a mother and a sports coach, she fulfilled her duties as a teacher in the classroom, striving to meet the needs of her students.
Reflecting on the school closures during the pandemic, Shaw noted that while public schools were closed, charter schools remained open. As a result, she transferred her two children to charter schools, as they hoped to participate in high school and college sports in the future.
Shaw recalled the time-consuming task of ensuring her children’s safety by driving about an hour and a half each day to pick them up and drop them off. She was able to hear the voices of many parents and teachers during this period, fostering community engagement. Despite never previously being interested in elections, her advocacy within the community during the pandemic led her to become a candidate for the school district board in 2022 and eventually win the election. Shaw has been serving as the Chair of the board since 2023, advocating for the rights of children.
Her experience has shown her the significant role that local officials play. One of Shaw’s goals in running for California Superintendent of Public Instruction is to encourage more people like herself, who were once unaware of their obligation to participate in local elections, to get involved in the process. She believes that this is a great battle that requires more warriors and support from the community.
Regarding her campaign for the school district board, Shaw explained that she and other parents concerned about children’s education held Zoom meetings and engaged in conversations with people from different areas. She realized she was situated in a district lacking an acknowledged candidate when one was recommended.
In facing opponents backed by political committees and teacher unions with daily email campaigns, Shaw emphasized the value of personal interactions. She and her team would venture out for hours daily, visiting over 10,000 households and interacting with residents, even encountering opponents’ campaign personnel along the way.
Shaw highlighted past efforts to urge the school board to advocate for parents and children, recalling instances where mothers would drive them to the state assembly to oppose proposals that were harmful to parental and children’s rights.
In 2023, Riverside County Republican Assemblyman Bill Essayli initiated AB1314, which required schools to notify parents if their children were using pronouns different from their biological gender or mandated facilities of different gender usage. However, this proposal was rejected in committee. Essayli currently serves as a prosecutor in California’s Central District.
Following the Chino Valley School Board’s decision to implement their own policy requiring parental notification of student changes in gender identity, names, or pronouns (passed with a 4:1 vote), California Attorney General Rob Bonta filed a lawsuit against them. Shaw stated that although the lawsuit wasn’t preferable due to limited funding, they chose to engage the Liberty Justice Center for legal representation with support from various organizations.
Shaw affirmed the district’s continuous practice of notifying parents since the implementation of the policy, even after Governor Newsom signed AB1955 into law. Additionally, they became the first district in California to announce the retention of only national, state, and military flags in classrooms.
AB1955, proposed by Democratic State Assemblyman Chris Ward from the San Diego area, was signed into law by the Governor in July of the previous year and took effect in January 2025. This law prohibits schools from disclosing to parents a child’s gender, name, or pronoun changes while also mandating the repeal of local school district policies requiring such notifications.
The day after the law’s signing, Chino Valley School District filed a lawsuit to nullify AB1955. Over the preceding year, more than ten districts in California had adopted policies disclosing students’ gender changes to parents.
Prior to her election to the Chino Valley School Board, Shaw managed two small businesses – a women’s fitness and health training center and a professional photography company. She also held a real estate license and led a community Bible study group. Running for the school district board aimed at encouraging parental involvement in children’s education.
Shaw believes that California’s education system is heading towards failure, with over half of students not meeting the necessary learning standards. She sees classrooms becoming battlegrounds for pushing radical agendas, overshadowing core educational content. Her goal is to repair California’s education system, where only 46.7% of students currently meet reading proficiency standards, while striving for the future of every child.