Richard Andrew BarreraRichard Andrew Barrera

You may have heard that the San Francisco teachers’ strike earlier this year was part of a coordinated effort (https://wecantwait.info/) among large, urban school districts in CA to stand up for fully-funded schools in the face of chronic, egregious, unconscionable underfunding that plagues every district. But did you know there’s one school district that’s holding the line on paying educators a living wage and growing programs for students amidst all this bullshit? It’s San Diego, (https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/product/positive-outliers-districts-beating-odds-report) baby. 

In his 18 years on the San Diego school board, Richard Barrera has led the charge to reject austerity narratives, direct district leaders to stop hoarding taxpayer money in reserves, increase teacher pay, and improve outcomes (https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/product/positive-outliers-districts-beating-odds-report) for low-income and BIPOC students. And he hasn’t just done it for his own community in the land of the California Burrito—Barrera has made himself available to advise and consult with education advocates fighting the good fight around the state. Since 2024, he’s worked on special projects for the CA Department of Education to protect immigrant students and families, build affordable housing on school property, and lower chronic absenteeism. 

Berrera understands the critical moment we’re in for public education, and all the things that need to change at the state level for local schools to have what they need. He is running to increase funding, stabilize the education workforce, and grow the model of schools as community hubs. Through it all, we trust that he’ll continue to work closely with union partners because he knows that there’s no pathway for improving schools that doesn’t start with supporting educators and the other humans who keep our education system running. No wonder he’s got the endorsement of the CA Teachers’ Association! Join us in imagining a brighter, bolder future for public education and vote Richard Barrera for State Superintendent!

Sidenote: We gotta shout out local educator and union leader Frank Lara who is also running for State Superintendent. His platform (https://www.frank4caschools.com/) is smart and bold and shows a deep understanding of classroom-level needs (and love for students!) that only the very best teachers exhibit. We went with Barrera this time because of his statewide experience, but we hope this isn’t the last we see of Frank Lara running for office!

Source (https://www.theleaguesf.org/blog#Superintendent)

The highlight: Our union is all-in to elect longtime San Diego School Board member Richard Barrera as California's next Superintendent of Public Instruction. As president of the San Diego Unified School Board, Barrera supported San Diego Education Association's (SDEA) successful fights for smaller class sizes, competitive wages and benefits for educators, investment and expansion of community schools, more opportunities for bilingual instruction, and expanded science career pathways in San Diego and beyond.

"Barrera's commitment to working families and public education is clear in his decades of experience," said CTA President David Goldberg. "With Barrera's partnership, educators increased their pay by more than 40% and protected fully paid family benefits. His leadership proves that when elected leaders partner with educators, students win."

Source (https://www.cta.org/educator/posts/state-council-weighs-in-on-june-primary)

It is an honor to serve as State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond’s Senior Advisor, and to be endorsed by the California Teachers Association (CTA), representing 300,000+ classroom teachers, nurses, counselors and educators. California Teachers of the Year Tammy Reina and Zenaida Rosario: “We trust Richard to fight for our students and educators. He has delivered for 18 years!” As President of San Diego Unified School District, the state’s 2nd largest, I transformed a district in crisis into a national model of success. Among all large urban districts, we now rank Number 1 in Reading and Math on “The Nation’s Report Card.” In California, we’re First in Reading, Math, Science, Graduation Rates and College/Career readiness. 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. I am endorsed by those most responsible for student success—from the classroom teachers of CTA to the school principals of United Administrators of Southern California, and Cindy Marten, President Biden’s Deputy Secretary of Education. Current Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tony Thurmond: “Richard Barrera’s track record of student success is unmatched. That’s why I asked him to join us at the California Department of Education. That’s why I support him in this election.” BarreraforEdu.com

Barrera was relatively unknown outside San Diego until securing California Teachers Association endorsement. As State Superintendent adviser and president of San Diego Unified school board, he emphasizes bringing fresh perspective to the role, with priorities including boosting school funding, early childhood education, and simplifying pathways to teacher certification.

Key endorsements: California Teachers Association, United Domestic Workers.

Dual endorsement with Nichelle Henderson

VIG listing; Occupation: State Superintendent Advisor

VIG listing; State Superintendent Advisor

A lot of good candidates here, so I will say who I will NOT be voting for. Definitely NOT SONJA SHAW. She is MAGA. Why would you want a MAGA PUBLIC SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT? She is anti-vaccinations, doesn't believe in trans rights (no girls on boys teams). Also I will not be voting for Gus Mattammal. He supports charter schools & homeschooling, which is a pretty wild take for someone who wants to run for this position. My top choices are probably Al Muratsuchi, Frank Lara, and Richard Berrera. Richard Berrera is endorsed by the California Teacher's Association. He wants to boost school funding and wants to expand early childhood education. If you are a teacher, he will probably be your best choice. Al Muratsushi has endorsements from Association of California School Administrators, California Federation of Teachers, and California School Employees Association. He has experience as a teacher, a school board member, and legislator. He wants to increase funding for schools, wants school mental health services, free school meals, and higher wages for teachers. Frank Lara will be my very close second. Wants better pay for school staff, free childcare, and he's anti-ICE.

Richard Barrera brings real classroom-district results — as president of the San Diego Unified school board, he helped guide one of California's largest districts to strong student-success outcomes, the kind of on-the-ground record this job calls for rather than a legislative résumé.
He's the rare consensus pick — he earned both the California Teachers Association endorsement and the SF Chronicle's, which praised his ability to both stand up to and collaborate with teachers unions. In a fractured field where Democratic votes risk splitting, backing the candidate the major education and editorial voices have coalesced around helps keep a strong contender in the November runoff.
He's been outraised and lacks statewide name recognition — but that's the weakness to weigh, not a dealbreaker. Rendon and others have more money and legislative titles. Still, the CTA has historically been the decisive force in this race, and with its resources potentially flowing to Barrera, his ground game and union backing matter more than his current poll number. If you want an educator-practitioner over a career legislator, he's the choice.