SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION (NONPARTISAN OFFICE)
| SARAH L. KNOPP |
363 W. 10th Street |
(213) 309-2713 |
| Superintendent of Public Instruction |
San Pedro, CA 90731 |
sarah4super.org |
As a seventh-year teacher in Los Angeles, I know from experience that California’s public schools are overcrowded, lack resources, and are viciously segregated and unequal. If the rich paid their fair share in taxes, our schools would have plenty of money. But if the Democrats or Republicans said that, they’d be biting the hand that feeds them. Instead they push standardized testing. “No Child Left Behind” calls for ‘accountability,’ but its policies turn schools into teach-to-the-test drill camps, suck the joy out of education, and take funds away from struggling schools. I am running for office to call for an independent movement that will fight for equal public education for all students. As a proud union activist, I believe that teachers’ unions and parent and community groups need to organize a new civil rights movement to fight for more resources, smaller class sizes, and desegregated schools. |
| JACK O'CONNELL |
P.O. Box 1053 |
(916) 447-8254 |
| Superintendent of Public Instruction |
Sacramento, CA 95812 |
www.oconnell2006.org |
As your State Superintendent of Public Instruction, I believe that all of California’s students deserve a world-class education. I have led the charge to reduce class sizes and to increase school accountability, because all students deserve the opportunity to achieve their dreams. I’ve reduced bureaucracy in order to focus on student learning, and strongly advocated for additional resources. Working with parents, teachers, and administrators, I’m most proud that student achievement has improved during my tenure across almost all subjects and grade levels. Yet there are many more challenges to overcome. Over the next 10 years, California will need 100,000 new teachers, and we must draw our best and the brightest into the classroom. That means prioritizing teacher-training, and ensuring that the highly-skilled professionals we entrust with our children’s future earn competitive salaries. We also must work to make school a more relevant experience, so I have a plan to ensure students leave our system better prepared to join the workforce or to succeed in higher education. Improving education has been my priority for over 30 years as a parent, teacher, school board member, state legislator, and now State Superintendent. I have worked hard to reform our schools, forge consensus, and focus on what’s best for kids. That is why I am proud to be supported by teachers and parents—Republicans, Democrats, and Independents. I would be honored to have your vote so we can continue the work of providing a quality education for all of California’s children.
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M.A. - Education. Teacher for thirty years; multiple credentials. National leadership experience improving public schools. Fifth-Generation Californian. Qualifications/Biographical Information: http://www.DianeLenning.com |
I believe the Superintendent of Public Instruction should understand the perplexities of the classroom; have the foresight and ability to pool the fragmented resources of education; and know that educating our children involves family, community, and school. For twenty-five years I have demonstrated a passion for teaching and a compassion for the children and adults whom I have taught. I have been a presenter at local, regional, and national educational conferences, a consulting teacher/trainer for a major calculator company, and been involved in educational grants, resulting in the development of new mathematics textbooks, television educational programming, and teacher training and activity materials. In 1993, I was the California recipient of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Secondary Mathematics Teaching. As Superintendent of Public Instruction, I will promote individual assessment in the early primary years to allow students to receive timely help developing proficiency in reading, writing, and number sense; I will promote understanding over social promotion; I will promote both advanced academics and workplace skills training in high school; I will support the development of standards based lesson plans to aid teachers and parents to educate our children; and I will promote the restructuring of the educational system to allow our tax dollars to go directly into the classroom. I thank you for your vote of confidence in my ability to direct the course of California public education. |
The order of the candidates is determined by random alphabet drawing. Statements on this page were supplied by the candidates and have not been checked for accuracy. Each statement was voluntarily submitted by the candidate and is printed at the expense of the candidate. Candidates who did not submit statements could otherwise be qualified to appear on the ballot.
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