Several contenders enter a California School Chief Competition

From Carolyn JonesCalmness

This story was originally published by CalmattersS Register about their ballots.

As California intensifies its fight with the Trump administration, the competition for the best public schools work is becoming more and more crowded.

A former assembly spokesman today Anthony Rendon He officially joined the inheritance competition Tony Thurmond as the State Chief of Public Instructions. He has joined many other state -owned MPs and local school members who struggled to replace Turmond, who in 2026 after eight years of work.

The next state chief faces frightening challenges. The most outspoken priority may be to answer that of President Donald Trump Reducing Financing and Changes to PolicyIncluding dismantling the US Department of Education and increased implementation of immigration. These policies will have a deep impact on thousands of 5.8 million students from California K-12, at least 20% of which have at least one parent who lacks legal status, According to the childhood partnership, non -profit policy and intercession.

“There is no doubt that the Trump administration will continue to arm the K-12 education,” says Morgan Polcof, a professor of education at the University of Southern California. “The state supervisor can serve as a buffer by helping the areas navigate the reduction of funding and policy changes, while continuing to insist on the Trump administration. It is important for California to continue to fight.”

From the classroom to the legislature

Rendon, a Democrat from Leikwood, spent 12 years in the legislature, the last eight as a speaker. While he was a speaker, the state almost doubled its funding to the K-12 and introduced a new class, a transitional kindergarten, a priority for rendance, who began his career as an administrator of early education.

A former UC regent, Rendon said he would try to protect the Trump schools in California, especially those related to immigration, but would also work at the state level to advocate for more funding and accountability.

“California has the best public universities in the world,” Rendon said. “We must also have the best K-12 schools in the world.”

Duties

California has a cloudy hierarchy as far as schools are concerned. The governor, the legislature, the State Council of Education and the Chief all share obligations, but the chief has the least power. The chief leads the California Department of Education, but California also has a system of local control, which means that local school councils have very latitude during daily operations. Superitors often prove to be balancing the needs of at least a dozen stakeholders, and not very power themselves.

In 2023, a bill of ex Kevin McCarthy Kevin McCarthy would have had Prohibited State Election Guards In general, turning the position into a governor -appointed role, as in 41 other countries.

Yet, despite many restrictions, the state chief can be an important job, said Julie Marsh, a USC professor and the Faculty of Executive Director for California Education Analysis, Research Center. Despite the obstacles, the state chief watches the largest, most complicated school system in the United States and has a wide platform to “do something good”.

“They cannot create a policy, but they can help set the agenda. They can use their bully as a bully to protect the policies and values that Californians prevail,” Marsh said.

Muratsuchi jumps

Assembly member Al Muratsuchi, chairman of the Assembly Education Committee, is also running for Superintendent. An additional professor at Community College El Camino and former President of the Torrance Unified School Board, Muratsuchi has a long history of intercession for schools.

He is the author of numerous school accounts including AB 49which would make it difficult for immigration agents to enter schools and AB 477Which would increase the state funding for education and increase salaries for teachers and other school staff. He was also a leading author of proposal 2, a 10 billion dollars school facilities bonds This went last year.

As a state chief, Muratsushi said he would continue to insist on more funding while facing the Trump administration.

“As the highest selected in California, the leader of education, the state warden must have a strong recording to combat Trump’s attacks on public education and our most vulnerable students,” says Muratsuchi, a Torrance Democrat. “I believe I am this person.”

Newman enters the race

The former Muratchi colleague in the State Senate is also running as a chief. Josh NewmanDemocrat from Fullerton, who has chaired the Senate Education Committee in 2023-24, said that in addition to the fight against Trump, he would focus on the physical and mental health of students, enhancing civic education and reviving the Ministry of Education.

Accountability and compliance must be a priority, he said.

“We have significantly increased funding in California for 20 years, but we have not observed a corresponding increase in test results or narrowing the difference in achievements,” Newman said.

“This is referred to a systematic question in which the chief and the Ministry of Education must play a greater role.”

Shaw looks beyond Chino

Sonia Shaw, President of the Coine Valley School Council, made national titles for her attempts to demand School staff to notify parents If a student identifies himself as a transgender. Thurmond is actually present at a meeting on the Board of Chino to oppose the measure, and she accompanied the police.

Now the show is running for Mermond’s work, saying he wants to fight across the country.

“Parents want schools to focus on reading, writing and mathematics, not social justice and LGBTQ ideology,” says Shaw, Republican. “I have the feeling that we can take this battle beyond Chin.”

Several other candidates have also submitted initial documents with the Secretary of State, including two members of the Los Angeles Municipal College: Nichel Henderson and Andra Hoffman.

The state head of the position pays $ 194,587 a year.

This article was Originally Published on CalMatters and was reissued under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Noderivatives License.