Anthony RendonAnthony Rendon

California’s public education system changed my life. I wasn’t a good student in high school. I barely graduated and went on to work in warehouses and construction. But I discovered my passion for learning at community college, graduated from Cal State Fullerton, and earned a Ph.D. at UC Riverside. Ultimately, I became Speaker of the State Assembly—one of the top public officials in California—a meaningful accomplishment for the grandson of Mexican immigrants. I’m running for Superintendent of Public Instruction to continue my lifelong mission of offering every child, regardless of background, access to high-quality public education. When I ran early childhood education programs for underprivileged kids, I saw the devastating impacts of state budget cuts. So as Assembly Speaker I increased education funding by 50 percent, then enacted the strongest education oversight laws in the country, and successfully stood up to the Trump Administration to protect our schools and civil rights. Today, schools need not only more investment but real reform. Our schools should be focused on the core skills kids need to succeed. We should be wary of technology overload that undermines students’ ability to learn and thrive. Collaborative leadership between parents, educators, and schools is essential to establishing proper guardrails around classroom technology. Students should have fewer distractions in class. Teachers shouldn’t compete with billion-dollar tech algorithms to teach the basics of reading, writing, math, science, and civics. My life experience gives me the tools to deliver meaningful change. Our children deserve nothing less. www.anthonyrendon.org/

Rendon served as Assembly speaker from 2016-2023, advancing major K-12 funding increases, universal transitional kindergarten, and charter school accountability measures. He previously ran an early childhood program in Los Angeles for two decades and continues prioritizing early childhood education.

Key endorsements: AFSCME, SEIU California, California Latino Caucus.

VIG listing; Occupation: Democracy Advocate/Educator

SD & Imperial Counties Labor Council endorsed