The race for California superintendent of public instruction features two school board presidents with opposing views. - Sonja Shaw opposes transgender athlete policies and parental notification laws, while Richard Barrera supports them.
- Shaw wants more classroom funding without increasing overall spending; Barrera advocates for more state funding. - Both candidates cite academic improvements in their districts, with Chino Valley Unified outperforming state averages.
- The November election is expected to be highly partisan, with Shaw as a Republican-leaning candidate in a Democratic state. The outcome will shape California's education policies on culture war issues and funding priorities.