Former Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon launched a campaign for the State Superintendent of Public Instruction on Monday.
While Rendon is joining a crowded field for the race, he is arguably the well-known candidate a year out from the election.
Driving the news: Rendon served in the California Assembly from 2012 to 2024, representing part of the Los Angeles area.
- In 2016, Democrats coalesced behind him to elect Rendon as Speaker, which he held until 2023.
- Along with his political experience, Rendon previously served as the director of Plaza de la Raza Child Development Services and worked for the Mexican American Opportunity Foundation in early childhood education. His career in education also spanned a tenure from 2001 to 2008 as an adjunct professor at California State University, Fullerton.
State of the race: Two of Rendon’s former colleagues in the Legislature have already launched their campaigns for the position: Assembly Education Chair Al Muratsuchi and former Senate Education Chair Josh Newman.
- San Diego Unified board member Richard Barrera and Los Angeles Community College District Trustees Nichelle Henderson and Andra Hoffman have also entered the race.
- Asm. Mia Bonta has also explored the race, according to a report from Politico.
- The top Republican in the race is Chino Valley school board member Sonja Shaw.
What he’s saying: “It was cuts to education programs during the Schwarzenegger Administration that first drove me into politics. After my time in the Assembly, having the opportunity to serve California’s students, educators, and families feels like a return to my roots,” Rendon said. “Over the course of this campaign, I’ll be making the case for why my experience, proven leadership, and unshakeable belief in the life changing power of education make me the best person to lead California’s schools into the future.”
- Rendon said California needs to ensure artificial intelligence enhances education rather than eroding it, adding that another top priority will be to address the fragmentation in California’s education system.
- “California needs a cradle-to-career approach that breaks down silos and builds a coherent education system,” Rendon said. “When systems don’t talk to each other, kids fall through the cracks.”
