STATE: Superintendent of Public Instruction

UNDER CONSTRUCTION – DO NOT SHARE!

Governor, Lt. Governor, Secretary of State, Controller, Treasurer, Attorney General, Insurance Commissioner, Superintendent of Public Instruction, Board of Equalization Member – District 2

Richard Barrera (D) State Superintendent Advisor

Sonja Shaw (R) School District President

PAY ATTENTION TO THIS RACE!

This is a great chance for the MAGA folks to get their hands on our educational system!
MAGA-world has put all their eggs into one toxic basket – “Moms For Liberty”-endorsed Sonja Shaw, and they are hoping that we fritter away our votes on 9 other candidates.

This is why we pay particular attention to “non-partisan” races. These are the openings where the book banners and worse sneak into public office.

Non-partisan: State Superintendent of Public Instruction – Vote for (1)

ENDORSED Richard Barrera (D) – State Superintendent Advisor

RECOMMENDATION: YES. He had us at the HUGE recommendation from the guy who’s already doing this job – Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond.

He also has an extensive list of other endorsements, including loads of elected and public officials (most school based), school administrators, the Bee family of newspapers, Democratic clubs, a number of unions (most importantly, the California Teachers Assn).

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Sample of huge list of endorsements here:


CA Teachers association(UASC) United Administrators Southern California

Administrators Association San Diego City Schools
AACV) Administrators Association Chula Vista
Administrators Association Sweetwater Union

From his website:

“Richard Barrera’s track record of achieving student success is unmatched. That’s why I asked him to join us at the California Department of Education — to share San Diego Unified’s accomplishments throughout the state. And that’s why I support him in this election.”

– Tony Thurmond, Current California Superintendent of Public Instruction

Excerpts from Candidate Statement in the Voter Guide: As President of San Diego Unified School District, we’ve achieved success by cutting waste and bureaucracy, and investing directly in our students, families and educators. I successfully asked voters 4 times to replace 60-year-old buildings with state-of-the-art, environmentally sustainable schools. We increased educator salaries by 40%, provided full family healthcare and created thousands of affordable homes for our families and educators. I’ve fought to protect students from the heartless Trump administration: keeping ICE out of our schools, standing up for LGBTQ students, and testifying before Congress against Trump’s drastic cuts to education.

  • San Diego County School Board Member of the Year – San Diego County School Boards Association
  • Service Humanitarian Award – Barrio Station
  • Executive Director’s Award – San Diego Education Association
  • Labor Leader of the Year – San Diego Building and Construction Trades Council
  • Harvey Milk Leadership Award – San Diego LGBT Center
  • Visionary Leader Award – Center on Policy Initiatives
  • Legislative Champion Award – California Association of International Baccalaureate World Schools
  • Legislator of the Year – San Diego County Democratic Party

Priorities from Website: invest in and support teachers, expand early childhood education, increase funding for schools and hold schools accountable for spending, help communities organize to pass school bonds, make housing affordable for educators, protect students from bullying, support non-college vocational training, prioritize mental health

(kpbs.org) “Barrera, president of the San Diego Unified school board, was little known outside San Diego until he won the endorsement of the powerful California Teachers Association. As a Sacramento outsider, he says he can bring a fresh perspective to the job, focusing on boosting school funding, early childhood education and easing the path to becoming a teacher.“

(sacbee.com) Barrera has helped a diverse, working-class district that is one of the top-performing large urban systems in the country. San Diego now ranks first among large districts in reading and math, with graduation rates exceeding 90%. But again, labor politics reign supreme in California public schools. As EdSource reminded us recently, no one has been elected superintendent of public instruction in California for more than 40 years without the support of the California Teachers Association. And though it had no bearing on our endorsement, CTA endorsed Barrera to succeed Tony Thurmond as state superintendent of public instruction over much bigger names in California politics. It’s easy to see why. Barrera helped raise graduation requirements so that all students, including first-generation and immigrant students, could qualify for UC and CSU admission. Critics predicted failure. Instead, students delivered. But Barrera also focused on the adults in the system. Under his leadership, teacher salaries increased by 50%, health benefits were fully covered and retention soared. More than 90% of teachers remain in the district, far above national averages. That instinct to listen, to convene, to build is exactly what this job requires. We applaud Barrera for taking care of the teachers in his district, who deserve to be paid well. But for him to succeed as superintendent, no matter what shape the job takes, Barrera must put just as much emphasis on reducing an achievement gap that is leaving Black and brown kids in California behind.

Reading:

  • (CTA) Elect Richard Barrera for California Superintendent of Public Instruction

Sonja Shaw – School District President – MOMS FOR LIBERTY CANDIDATE!!!

WARNING! WARNING! WARNING! WARNING! WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!

RECOMMENDATION: Nope.  And we will add the totally gratuitous “YIKES” and our patented “WARNING” tape signal that this person’s access to the public schools should be minimized for the safety of LGBTQ+ students and the freedom to learn for all students.

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  • Name: 
  • Party: No Party Preference
  • Current job title: School district president
  • Age:
  • Incumbent: 
  • Other political positions held: 
  • City where you reside: 
  • Campaign website or social media: https://shawforca.com

Sample of her endorsements here:

Sen. John M.W. Moorlach (Ret.)Steve HiltonChad Bianco
Riley Gaines
Epic sore loser 		Carl DeMaioKen Calvert
United States Representative
Leticia Castillo
California State Assemblywoman		Diane Dixon
California State Assemblywoman
Former Mayor, City of Newport Beach		Stan Ellis
California State Assemblyman
Heath Flora
California State Assembly Republican Leader		James Gallagher
California State Assemblyman
Former Assembly Republican Leader		Tony Strickland
California State Senator
Former Mayor, City of Huntington Beach

5 STARS! Holy smokes!!! She is a scary candidate indeed!!!

(kpbs.org) “President of the Chino Valley School Board, Shaw has been an outspoken opponent of protections for transgender students. She made headlines in 2023 when she presided over a school board meeting where State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond was escorted out during a debate over transgender student rights. Shaw also supports a shift away from “radical ideologies” in the classroom and a return to the academic basics.”

  • (bluevoterguide.org) Candidate’s platform and school board actions are in alignment with Moms for Liberty (on whose web-site candidate is listed as having taken a pledge to adhere to their platform), a far-right organization that engages in anti student-inclusion activities, identifies as part of the modern parental rights movement, and promotes book bans.
  • Endorsed by the state Republican Party.
  • In 2025, candidate attended a track meet, notifying attendees of a trans-athlete on the field and protesting her presence.
  • In 2023, candidate pressed Chino Valley School District to adopt a parental notification policy requiring staff to inform parents within three days if they become aware of a student asking to go by names or pronouns or to use bathrooms that do not match their biological sex. Such policies were subsequently ruled illegal by the state.
  • Candidate proposed revision of the district’s library media center policy that allows parents to challenge “non-curricular reading materials.”  (ie “book banning”)