Richard Barrera has helped guide the San Diego Unified School District to enviable student success results. That track record and a history of standing up to teachers unions and working collaboratively with them make him well-suited for superintendent of public instruction, the editorial board says. 

California public schools are not in great shape.

Last school year, just 33% of students met or exceeded state science standards, 37% math standards and 49% English language arts standards. Many school districts are confronting severe budget deficits as enrollment declines, teachers unions push for raises and expanded benefits amid soaring costs of living, and liabilities mount from sex abuse lawsuits. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has sought to withhold nearly $1 billion in funding from California kindergarten through 12th-grade schools and is pushing to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education.

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It’s imperative that voters in California’s June 2 primary election select a nonpartisan superintendent of public instruction who can meet the moment.

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That won’t be easy — in part because no one knows what the job will entail this time next year.

Education policy, funding priorities and academic standards are crafted by the Legislature, the governor and members of the state Board of Education, who are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the state Senate. The superintendent oversees implementation of policies and leads the California Department of Education, a largely administrative agency that allocates federal and state funding, collects and reports data and ensures districts are complying with state and federal laws.

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But that role is facing an overhaul.

See all of the Chronicle editorial board’s endorsements for California’s June primary election and get info on every race and measure on Bay Area ballots in our Voter Guide.

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Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed shifting oversight of the Department of Education to a newly created education........

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