Shaw and Barrera head to schools chief runoff
Sonja Shaw and Richard Barrera advanced to California's November runoff for state schools superintendent. The matchup sets up a sharp contrast over unions, gender identity policies, immigration, and the direction of public schools.
Sonja Shaw, president of the Chino Valley Unified school board, led the primary count with 24.5% of votes through June 4. Richard Barrera, president of the San Diego Unified school board, had 19.3% and was positioned to claim the second runoff spot.
Shaw has supported policies aligned with the Trump administration's education agenda, including restrictions tied to transgender athletes and parental notification on gender identity issues at school. Barrera, a former union official and senior adviser to outgoing Superintendent Tony Thurmond, received major California Teachers Assn. support and has emphasized student learning and protecting immigrant families.