The Nov. 6 election will bring a changing of the guard in education, with the retirement of Gov. Jerry Brown and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson.
Focusing on the record-breaking, $50-plus million race in California for State Superintendent of Public Instruction between Tony Thurmond and Marshall Tuck, Louis and John turn to long-time political observer Kevin Gordon, who is president of the K-12 education consulting firm Capitol Advisors. Gordon offers his take on why a position that offers a big podium to talk policy but little power to make it is attracting a barrage of negative ads on both sides. Louis recalls another contentious campaign for state superintendent nearly 50 years ago, when Wilson Riles upset arch-conservative incumbent Max Rafferty to become California’s first African-American statewide officeholder.
For more on the race for state superintendent of public instruction.