Josh NewmanJosh Newman

We recommend voting for Josh Newman for State Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Only 47% of California kids (https://www.cde.ca.gov/nr/ne/yr24/yr24rel46.asp) can read at grade level. In San Francisco, it's even worse — SFUSD is in the bottom 10% (https://www.careads.org/reportcard) of 287 California districts for reading, and only 21% of Black students and 18% of English learners (https://caaspp-elpac.cde.ca.gov/) meet state standards in SFUSD. This isn't because kids can't learn. It's because California has been teaching reading wrong — and the Superintendent's job is to fix that.

For decades, California schools used "balanced literacy" — an approach that asks kids to guess words from pictures instead of sounding them out. The research is clear: it doesn't work (https://www.lexialearning.com/blog/the-science-of-reading-vs-balanced-literacy-the-history-of-the-reading-wars). What works is phonics. Mississippi proved it — they switched to phonics in 2013 and went from 49th to 9th (https://oxfordeagle.com/2025/01/30/mississippi-4th-graders-no-1-in-the-nation-for-naep-gains-over-time/) in the nation for 4th-grade reading. The poorest state in America is now one of the best at teaching kids to read.

"California has the research, the resources, and enough high-performing schools to know what educational excellence looks like. What we've lacked is leadership at the state level willing and able to say clearly: this is the standard, this is what works, and here's how we're going to get there."
Josh Newman, Candidate for State Superintendent of Public Instruction

Newman chaired the Senate Education Committee (https://newmanforspi.com/meet-josh/), where he shaped education policy, secured major investments, and co-authored a $10 billion school facilities bond (https://newmanforspi.com/meet-josh/). His plan for the Superintendent's office is modeled directly on what made Mississippi's reforms work. Mississippi didn't just pass a law — they built a statewide Literacy Coaching Corps of trained instructional coaches embedded in schools, required universal early screening so struggling readers were caught before they fell behind, and sustained the effort across multiple administrations for over a decade. Newman wants to bring that same model to California: a California Literacy Coaching Corps, universal early screening in every district, and transparent district-level dashboards so parents and school boards can see who's implementing evidence-based instruction and who isn't.

Newman also championed the District of Choice program (https://lao.ca.gov/publications/report/3331), which lets families send their kids to public schools outside their home district. The LAO found (https://lao.ca.gov/publications/report/3331) that 90% of transfer students moved to higher-performing schools — and instead of weakening the schools they left, the competition pushed home districts to improve. Those districts studied what families wanted, added new programs, and saw test scores rise faster than the state average. That's the kind of pro-family, accountability-driven policy GrowSF supports: give parents real choices, and let the results drive improvement across the whole system.

Newman is also the only candidate willing to say something important out loud: this office should probably be appointed, not elected (https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2025-05-27/california-state-superintendent-of-public-instr%20uction). Most states vest education authority in a cabinet-level Secretary of Education who serves at the direction of the governor — creating cleaner accountability and a direct connection between education priorities and the state's chief executive. Newman supports moving to that model through a constitutional amendment. We agree. Few voters pay attention to this race, and the current system insulates education governance from the accountability it deserves. The Governor should own education outcomes, and the person running California's schools should answer to them.

Source (https://growsf.org/voter-guide/san-francisco-voter-guide-june-2026-election/#state-superintendent)

California is home to the fourth-largest economy in the world, a global leader in innovation and opportunity. Our public education system should refect that status, yet a majority of California students are not meeting grade-level standards in reading, math, or science. This is a clear sign our system is not aligned for success. As a veteran, businessperson, classroom educator, and former State Senator who chaired the Senate Education Committee, I’ve seen both the extraordinary potential of California’s students and the structural barriers holding them back. California’s vast, decentralized school system, with millions of students and billions of tax dollars, lacks the coordination and leadership needed to ensure that every student, regardless of geography or background, receives the high-quality public education they deserve. I’m running for State Superintendent because California can and must do better. In the Senate, I authored major legislation modernizing schools, strengthening student supports, expanding career- technical pathways, and improving teacher preparation. I’ve built coalitions, solved complex problems, and delivered results, and I’m proud to have earned broad support from educators, parents, law enforcement, business organizations, and trade unions across California. As Superintendent, I’ll bring the alignment and collaboration our education system urgently needs, with a focus on expanding mental-health supports, strengthening partnerships with labor and industry, aligning the school day with the workday, and ensuring that our schools efectively prepare students for a rapidly changing economy and full participation in our democracy. California’s future depends on the strength of our public schools. All our students deserve better. www.newmanforspi.com

Newman, former state senator and ex-chair of Senate Education Committee, currently serves as UC Irvine fellow. An Army veteran, he co-authored Prop. 2 with Assemblymember Muratsuchi. He previously founded an organization supporting veteran transitions to civilian employment.

Key endorsements: State Building and Construction Trades Council of California.

The Superintendent directs the functions of the CA Dept. of Education according to the policies set by the State Board of Education. Cheerleader for high level policy and programs for TK-12 schools. No budget authority. In my view, experience with educational policy matters here, knocking out many (both teachers with no policy expertise and legislators with little education background). Among the rest, Muratsuchi (Dem) and Barrera (Dem) are endorsed by teachers unions and emphasize more funding & more programs. Newman (Dem) is focused on accountability, noting that past increases in funding have not resulted in better outcomes. While funding is key, we need improvement in performance.

I defer to GrowSF’s analysis here; Newman apparently has the best policy of the major candidates.

VIG listing; Occupation: Educator/Strategic Advisor