(FOX40.COM) — As the job faces potential downgrades thanks to a new state law, two local school board members are battling to be California’s next Superintendent of Public Instruction.
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The race for chief spokesperson of the state’s public schools pits a seasoned San Diego district leader against a new kid on the block from Chino.
Richard Barrera ended a 16-year tenure as a school district board president to duke it out with Sonja Shaw — a fellow board president and real estate agent.
A new governor-appointed position also looms over the race, which will carve a hefty chunk of power from whoever wins. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 181 in June, enacting a new law that will create an “education commissioner” role under the incoming governor — and force Barrera or Shaw will have to redefine the nonpartisan office.
Richard Barrera
A grandchild of Ellis Island immigrants, Barrera spent two decades working as a community and labor organizer in San Diego — the city where he was raised. He began serving on the San Diego Unified School Board in 2008 and was elected its president one year later.
If elected, the former school board president said he plans to prioritize housing affordability for educators, secure stronger funding for the state’s public schools and expand early childhood education.
For a candidate seeking to represent public schools, Barrera is endorsed by strange bedfellows: the California Charter School Association and the California Teachers Association, along with several other labor unions. He also has Democratic backing from the California Democratic Party.
Read more about Barrera’s positions on his campaign website.
Sonja Shaw
Shaw, meanwhile, offers a more conservative-minded alternative to Barrera’s liberal-leaning platform.
Much like her opponent, Shaw was also elected president of her local school board a year after she became a member. She has served as president of the Chino Valley Unified Board of Education since 2023. Shaw also owns two small businesses and holds a California real estate license.
Her campaign has centered on her support for banning on transgender athletes in girls’ school sports; she has cited her opposition to COVID-era mask and vaccine mandates as the spark that ignited her interest in education policy. Shaw also pledged to prioritize raising California students’ reading, writing and math skills.
Shaw is endorsed by the California Republican Party, along with Steve Hilton, the GOP candidate in the governor’s race. She also has several endorsements from several other Republican candidates running for state and congressional office.
Read more about Shaw’s positions on her campaign website.
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