Superintendent of Public Instruction
Local school districts in California largely control their own budgets and curriculum decisions, leaving the state’s superintendent with limited authority. The superintendent will have even less power under a new law that shifts authority to the governor’s office. Starting in 2027, a governor-appointed “education commissioner” will run the Department of Education and many of the superintendent’s duties will be transferred to the state school board. Still, the new superintendent will have a statewide platform to promote policies that affect nearly 6 million public school students. The office is nonpartisan.
Candidates
Richard Barrera
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 union. 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.
Sonja Shaw
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 shifting away from “radical ideologies” in the classroom and returning to academic basics.
Endorsements
Richard Barrera
Campaign finance
Candidate committees
Candidates raise money to run for office through their campaign committees. The committees must identify large donors who give $100 or more. In the tables below, we exclude small donors whose contributions total less than $100 and any transfers from a candidate’s previous campaign committee for a different race. Contribution limits vary by office and type of donor.
- Large donors
- Small donors
- Self-funding
- Difference to opponent
Richard Barrera
Sonja Shaw
Outside spending
Separate from candidate committees, outside groups can pay for ads, mailers and other efforts to influence voters. They can’t coordinate that spending with candidate committees. There is no limit on how much they can spend.
- Support
- Oppose
- Difference to opponent
Richard Barrera
