California Superintendent of Public Instruction
| California Superintendent of Public Instruction | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Office Type: | Nonpartisan |
| Office website: | Official Link |
| Compensation: | $189,841 |
| 2024 FY Budget: | $107,036,479,000 |
| Term limits: | 2 terms |
| Structure | |
| Length of term: | 4 years |
| Authority: | California Education Code, Title 2, Division 2, Part 20, Chapter 3, Article 1, Sections 33302/33303 |
| Selection Method: | Elected |
| Current Officeholder | |
California Superintendent of Public Instruction
Tony Thurmond | |
| Elections | |
| Next election: | November 3, 2026 |
| Last election: | November 8, 2022 |
| Other California Executive Offices | |
| Governor • Lieutenant Governor • Secretary of State • Attorney General • Treasurer • Auditor • Controller • Superintendent of Public Instruction • Agriculture Secretary • Insurance Commissioner • Natural Resources Secretary • Industrial Relations Director • Public Utilities Commission | |
The California Superintendent of Public Instruction is an elected, constitutional, state executive position in the California state government. The superintendent oversees the California Department of Education and, by extension, all of the state of California's public schools. He or she executes the policies of the California Board of Education, which is the school system's primary governing body. The superintendent also manages the operational side of the school system; he or she licenses teachers, maintains school property, and fulfills other administrative duties.
Current officeholder
The current superintendent is Tony Thurmond, who was first elected to the nonpartisan office in 2018 and assumed office on December 3, 2018.[1]
Authority
The office of superintendent is established by California statute.[2]
California Education Code, Sections 33302 and 33303
|
33302. The Department of Education shall be conducted under the control of an executive officer known as the Director of Education. |
Qualifications
Like all state elected officials, the superintendent of education must be a registered voter in the state. Additionally, he or she must not have served two terms in office since November 6, 1990, when state office term limits were adopted into the state Constitution.[3]
Elections
Superintendents are elected every four years during gubernatorial election years (e.g. 2014, 2018, 2022, etc.). Winners take office on the first Monday in January following their election.[4] The office of superintendent is technically nonpartisan, so all candidates run without any party affiliation in both primary and general elections.[5]
California Constitution, Article 2, Section 6
|
(a) All judicial, school, county, and city offices, including the Superintendent of Public Instruction, shall be nonpartisan. |
2022
General election
General election for California Superintendent of Public Instruction
Incumbent Tony Thurmond defeated Lance Christensen in the general election for California Superintendent of Public Instruction on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Tony Thurmond (Nonpartisan) | 63.7 | 5,681,318 |
 | Lance Christensen (Nonpartisan)  | 36.3 | 3,237,785 | |
| Total votes: 8,919,103 | |||
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Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for California Superintendent of Public Instruction
The following candidates ran in the primary for California Superintendent of Public Instruction on June 7, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Tony Thurmond (Nonpartisan) | 45.9 | 2,881,684 |
| ✔ | | Lance Christensen (Nonpartisan) | 11.9 | 745,003 |
 | Ainye Long (Nonpartisan) | 11.1 | 699,331 | |
 | George Yang (Nonpartisan) | 11.1 | 694,073 | |
 | Marco Amaral (Nonpartisan) | 8.7 | 547,389 | |
 | Jim Gibson (Nonpartisan) | 7.5 | 468,078 | |
 | Joseph Campbell (Nonpartisan) | 3.9 | 241,984 | |
| Total votes: 6,277,542 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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2018
General election
General election for California Superintendent of Public Instruction
Tony Thurmond defeated Marshall Tuck in the general election for California Superintendent of Public Instruction on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Tony Thurmond (Nonpartisan) | 50.9 | 5,385,912 |
 | Marshall Tuck (Nonpartisan) | 49.1 | 5,198,738 | |
| Total votes: 10,584,650 (100.00% precincts reporting) | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for California Superintendent of Public Instruction
Marshall Tuck and Tony Thurmond defeated Lily Ploski and Steven Ireland in the primary for California Superintendent of Public Instruction on June 5, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Marshall Tuck (Nonpartisan) | 37.0 | 2,223,784 |
| ✔ | | Tony Thurmond (Nonpartisan) | 35.6 | 2,136,919 |
 | Lily Ploski (Nonpartisan) | 16.4 | 984,932 | |
 | Steven Ireland (Nonpartisan) | 11.0 | 658,786 | |
| Total votes: 6,004,421 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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2014
| Superintendent of California, 2014 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan |  Tom Torlakson Incumbent |
52.1% | 3,167,212 | |
| Nonpartisan | Marshall Tuck | 47.9% | 2,906,989 | |
| Total Votes | 6,074,201 | |||
| Election results via California Secretary of State | ||||
2010
| California Superintendent of Public Instruction, 2010 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan | Tom Torlakson |
54.5% | 4,222,946 | |
| Nonpartisan | Larry Aceves | 44.9% | 3,476,243 | |
| Write-In | Diane Lenning | 0.6% | 46,061 | |
| Total Votes | 7,745,250 | |||
| Election results via California Secretary of State | ||||
Term limits
Superintendents of public instruction, like other constitutional state executives, face an absolute limit of two terms in office.[6]
Vacancies
Vacancies in the office of superintendent are filled by the governor.[7]
Duties
The superintendent of public instruction is the administrative head of the California Department of Education; he or she executes the policies made by the state Board of Education and oversees the operation of the state's public school system. The superintendent provides local and county school boards with blank teachers certificates, oversees all state education employees, organizes adult education programs, evaluates the performance of public schools and manages departmental facilities and resources, among other duties.[8]
Divisions
As of January 12, 2021, divisions within the Superintendent of Public Instruction's Office included:[9]
- Office of Equal Opportunity
- Superintendent's Initiatives Office
- Communications Division
- Government Affairs Division
State budget
- See also: California state budget and finances
The budget for the State Department of Education in the 2023-2024 fiscal year was $107,036,479,000.[10]
Compensation
The salaries of California's elected executives are determined by the California Citizens Compensation Commission, a seven-member board appointed by the governor to six-year terms. The commission was established after voters passed Proposition 112, an amendment to the California Constitution, in 1990. Commissioners meet prior to June 30 of each year to determine salary recommendations with changes effective the following December. From 2001 to 2013, the commission voted to increase salaries or benefits five times and decreased or made no changes to salaries eight times.[11]
2022
In 2022, the officer's salary was $189,841, according to the Council of State Governments.[12]
2021
In 2021, the superintendent received a salary of $182,189, according to the Council of State Governments.[13]
2020
In 2020, the superintendent received a salary of $182,189 according to the Council of State Governments.[14]
2019
In 2019, the superintendent received a salary of $175,182 according to the Council of State Governments.[15]
2018
In 2018, the superintendent received a salary of $170,080 according to the Council of State Governments.[16]
2017
In 2017, the superintendent received a salary of $165,126 according to the Council of State Governments.[17]
2016
In 2016, the superintendent's salary was increased to $158,775 according to the Council of State Governments.[18]
2015
In 2015, the superintendent's salary was increased to $154,150 according to the Council of State Governments.[19]
2014
In 2014, the superintendent received a salary of $151,127 according to the Council of State Governments.[20]
2013
In 2013, the superintendent received a salary of $151,127 according to the Council of State Governments.[21]
2010
In 2010, the superintendent received a salary of $151,127 according to the Council of State Governments.[22]
Historical officeholders
'Note: In the table below, the third column identifies officeholders as nonpartisan based on the official nonpartisan status of the office and not the party the elected official was a registered member of.
| List of officeholders from 1851-Present[23] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Name | Tenure | Party | ||
| 1 | John G. Marvin | 1851-1854 |  Democratic
| ||
| 2 | Paul K. Hubbs | 1854-1857 | Democratic
| ||
| 3 | Andrew J. Moulder | 1857-1863 | Democratic
| ||
| 4 | John Swett | 1863-1867 | Union Party | ||
| 5 | O. P. Fitzgerald | 1867-1871 | Democratic
| ||
| 6 | Henry N. Bolander | 1871-1875 |  Republican
| ||
| 7 | Ezra S. Carr | 1875-1880 | Republican
| ||
| 8 | Frederick M. Campbell | 1880-1883 | Republican
| ||
| 9 | William T. Welcker | 1883-1887 | Democratic
| ||
| 10 | Ira G. Hoitt | 1887-1891 | Republican
| ||
| 11 | J. W. Anderson | 1891-1895 | Republican
| ||
| 12 | Samuel T. Black | 1895-1898 | Republican
| ||
| 13 | Charles T. Meredith | 1898-1899 | Democratic
| ||
| 14 | Thomas J. Kirk | 1899-1907 | Republican
| ||
| 15 | Edward Hyatt | 1907-1915 | Republican
| ||
| 15 | Edward Hyatt | 1915-1919 | Nonpartisan | ||
| 16 | Will C. Wood | 1919-1927 | Nonpartisan | ||
| 17 | William John Cooper | 1927-1929 | Nonpartisan | ||
| 18 | Vierling C. Kersey | 1929-1937 | Nonpartisan | ||
| 19 | Walter F. Dexter | 1937-1945 | Nonpartisan | ||
| 20 | Roy E. Simpson | 1945-1963 | Nonpartisan | ||
| 21 | Maxwell L. Rafferty Jr. | 1963-1971 | Nonpartisan | ||
| 22 | Wilson C. Riles | 1971-1983 | Nonpartisan | ||
| 23 | Bill Honig | 1983-1993 | Nonpartisan | ||
| 24 | Delaine Eastin | 1995-2003 | Nonpartisan | ||
| 25 | Jack O'Connell | 2003-2011 | Nonpartisan | ||
| 26 | Tom Torlakson (D) | 2011-2019 | Nonpartisan | ||
| 27 | Tony Thurmond (D) | 2019-Present | Nonpartisan | ||
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms California Superintendent Public Instruction. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
Contact info
Mailing address:
1430 N Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 319-0800
See also
| California | State Executive Elections | News and Analysis |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ https://www.cde.ca.gov/eo/bo/tt/index.asp California Department of Education, "Tony Thurmond," accessed January 12, 2021
- ↑ California Education Code, "Title 2, Division 2, Part 20, Chapter 3, Article 1, Sections 33302/33303," accessed January 12, 2021
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "Summary of Qualifications and Requirements for Superintendent of Public Instruction," accessed January 12, 2021
- ↑ California Constitution, "Article 9, Section 2," accessed January 12, 2021
- ↑ California Constitution, "Article 2, Section 6," accessed January 12, 2021
- ↑ California Constitution, "Article 9, Section 2," accessed January 12, 2021
- ↑ California Education Code, "Title 2, Division 2, Part 20, Chapter 2, Article 1, Section 33100," accessed January 12, 2021
- ↑ California Education Code, "Title 2, Division 2, Part 20, Chapter 2, Article 2, Sections 33110-33133," accessed January 12, 2021
- ↑ California Department of Education, "Organization," accessed January 12, 2021
- ↑ California Budget, "2023-24 Budget - 6100 Department of Education," accessed December 6, 2023
- ↑ California Citizens Compensation Commission, "About the Commission," accessed January 12, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2022 Table 4.11: Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," provided to Ballotpedia by CSG personnel
- ↑ Issuu, "The Book of the States 2021," accessed September 22, 2022
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2020," accessed January 12, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2019," accessed January 12, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2018," accessed January 12, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2017," accessed January 12, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2016," accessed August 27, 2016
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2015," accessed August 27, 2016
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed November 14, 2014
- ↑ The Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2013, Table 4.11," accessed February 2, 2014
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2010 -- Table 4.11," accessed June 23, 2011
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "History of California Constitutional Officers," accessed January 12, 2021
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