California Superintendent of Public Instruction

This office matters far less than it did the last time you voted on it. Under the budget Newsom signed in June, a commissioner appointed by the governor (https://www.kqed.org/news/12089316/newsoms-education-overhaul-strips-power-from-californias-next-elected-schools-chief) takes over the Department of Education from the superintendent on January 15, 2027. Whoever wins this race is sworn in earlier that month and will run the department for a matter of days.

The superintendent gets a vote on the State Board of Education (https://www.cde.ca.gov/be/), which grows from 11 members to 13 (https://www.kqed.org/news/12089316/newsoms-education-overhaul-strips-power-from-californias-next-elected-schools-chief) and decides what students are expected to learn, approves textbooks, and runs the state tests. The office also comes with seats on the boards that run the community colleges, CSU, and UC, and a platform to speak for public schools.

Why Barrera?

Textbook approval is the biggest lever this office has left, and reading is where California is failing. Only 47% of kids (https://www.cde.ca.gov/nr/ne/yr24/yr24rel46.asp) read at grade level, and SFUSD is in the bottom 10% (https://www.careads.org/reportcard) of 287 districts. California's answer in 2025 was a phonics law (https://speaker.asmdc.org/press-releases/20251009-governor-signs-speaker-rivas-new-law-strengthen-child-literacy-california) that districts can adopt or ignore. Mississippi went further, moving from 49th in fourth-grade reading in 2013 to about the national average by 2019 (https://www.chalkbeat.org/2023/7/18/23799124/mississippi-miracle-test-scores-naep-early-literacy-grade-retention-reading-phonics/) by training teachers in phonics, putting reading coaches in struggling schools, and holding back third graders who couldn't read. Richard Barrera calls it "worth studying seriously." (https://growsf.org/voter-guide/questionnaires/june-2026/richard-barrera/)

He would have the Board track a short list of statewide outcomes and report publicly on whether they improve, rather than keep adding goals.

"California does not suffer from a shortage of goals. It suffers from scattered responsibility and uneven follow-through."

Richard Barrera, San Diego Unified School Board Trustee

At San Diego Unified, Barrera pushed the district to require every graduate to complete the courses needed for UC and CSU admission, and he says the share of Latino students meeting that bar rose from 25% to 70% (https://edsource.org/2026/richard-barrera-california-education-superintendent/756001) within a decade. He did that with a district trustee's power to set graduation requirements. This office doesn't have that power, but it does put him on the boards that run UC, CSU, and the community colleges, where those graduates apply next.

Newman was right

In June we endorsed Josh Newman (https://growsf.org/voter-guide/san-francisco-voter-guide-june-2026-election/contests/state-superintendent-of-public-instruction/), partly because he was the only candidate willing to say this job should be appointed rather than elected. He was right.

Under the old arrangement the governor-appointed State Board of Education set policy and a separately elected superintendent carried it out, so when results were bad they deflected blame to each other and nobody was held responsible. A December 2025 report (https://edpolicyinca.org/sites/default/files/2026-01/r_myung_dec2025_1.pdf) from Policy Analysis for California Education found that the split produced overlapping responsibilities and unclear accountability, and recommended putting the department under a director appointed by the Board while the elected superintendent evaluates whether the system is working.

Both candidates opposed the change (https://www.kqed.org/news/12089316/newsoms-education-overhaul-strips-power-from-californias-next-elected-schools-chief). Barrera called it an "end-around attempt to take away responsibility from the person that the voters are electing to improve our public schools," and Shaw called it an "unconstitutional power grab." We think they're wrong, though it doesn't bear much on your vote, because neither of them can undo it.

Source (https://growsf.org/voter-guide/san-francisco-voter-guide-november-2026-election#state-superintendent-of-public-instruction)

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)

Excellent on parental rights and the only conservative running

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)

HJTA-PAC Endorsed

Strong on parental rights and school choice

Dual endorsement with Nichelle Henderson

Christian, pro-life, pro-marriage, conservative

Focuses on protecting daughters and fixing schools

Concerned parent turned politician; elected 2022 Chino Valley Unified School Board President; champions parental rights; opposes biological males in women's sports

SD County GOP endorsed

The California Superintendent of Public Instruction oversees every school system in the state and manages the distribution of state funding to local school districts. We need a state superintendent who will work with us on real budget solutions, not cuts to staffing and student programs to balance the budget.

Endorsed by state affiliates, Richard Barrera has a proven commitment to working with educators and families as president of the San Diego Unified School District to fight for more school funding and housing affordability to address declining enrollment.

Source (https://utla.net/campaigns/2026-endorsements)

While we don't agree with Shaw on everything, given the choices at hand, she's the only one who will say what needs to be said

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.

While we don't agree with Shaw on everything, given the choices at hand, she's the only one who will say what needs to be said

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.

VIG listing; State Superintendent Advisor

Elect Richard Barrera for State Superintendent to keep California on the right track for progress. Progressive endorsements: Barrera is endorsed by many groups, including California Teachers Association, United Administrators Southern California, Latino Democrats of San Francisco, San Diego Democrats for Equality, East Area Progressive Democrats of Los Angeles, and United Domestic Workers. Barrera is also supported by many elected leaders, such as State Superintendent Tony Thurmond, Rep. Juan Vargas, San Diego County Treasurer Larry Cohen, San Diego County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer, and several city councilmembers, and school board members and trustees. He has the problematic endorsement of the San Diego Unified Police Officers Association. Top priorities: Building a strong, sustainable teacher pipeline; expanding early-childhood education; secure, sustainable funding for stronger schools; empowering communities to fund their schools; making housing affordable for educators; building schools where every student belongs; prioritizing mental health in every school; and delivering equity.

While we don't agree with Shaw on everything, given the choices at hand, she's the only one who will say what needs to be said

Starting out as “just a concerned mom” over her daughter’s education, it grew to a passion. Elected Chino Valley Unified School Board President in 2022, SHAW championed parental rights, winning landmark battles against Sacramento's extreme policies, including a lawsuit opposing Attorney General Rob Bonta. She strongly opposes Men in Women’s sports, which got her the support of Riley Gaines, Women's Sports Advocate. Also, endorsed by Governor Candidates, Sheriff Chad Bianco & Steve Hilton, the CA Republican Party, conservative CA Republican Assembly, Reform CA, Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association (protects Prop 13), the Lincoln Club, Moms for Liberty, and tons more.

He is well qualified but you should know that Gov Newsom has just passed a law removing most of his already limited powers to the governor's office. I hope he can still make something of this office-it will take courage and creativity.

While we don't agree with Shaw on everything, given the choices at hand, she's the only one who will say what needs to be said

See Sonja's website to see her long list of endorsements and learn more about her priorities of:

Protecting Our Daughters, Fixing Our Schools, and Putting Families First

Sonja's Endorsements include:

Steve Hilton, Chad Bianco, Riley Gaines, Moms for Liberty, CA Republican Party, the California Republican Assembly, and Sen. John M.W. Moorlach (Ret.)

Republican Party endorsed

American Independent + Shasta Republican Party endorsed

American Independent Party endorsed

School District President, Chino Valley USD Board - CAGOP, ACRP, COCO, HJTA, RC, and CRA endorsed