Tony Thurmond, California’s Superintendent of Public Instruction, could be the state’s last elected superintendent if a recently proposed amendment to the state’s constitution is approved.
Assembly Constitutional Amendment (ACA) 9, proposed by Assemblymember Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento) on Feb. 27, would amend the state constitution to give the governor the power to appoint the state superintendent.
Currently, the nonpartisan position is elected by voters and limited to two four-year terms.
Under the proposal, the governor also is able to choose the length of time the state superintendent will serve, though his selection would require approval from the state Assembly, state Senate and the Senate Committee on Rules.
“It’s time to reconsider the structure of the California superintendent of public instruction and state governance of public education,” McCarty said in a statement. “ACA-9 is a good-government proposal that modernizes a relic of the past and better aligns California education leadership.”
Thurmond was not immediately available for comment, but he told education news website EdSource last week that he opposes the change, saying it would take away voters’ rights to choose the state superintendent.
“At the end of the day, this is something that voters should decide,” he said. “We shouldn’t take steps backward. We should empower voters and get more resources to the schools, not weaken or minimize them.”
Gloria Romero, a former state senator who ran unsuccessfully for state superintendent in 2008, said she also is opposed to the idea, saying it would take away the public’s right to choose their representation.
“The governor already can appoint a Secretary of Education,” Romero told The Epoch Times. “Why would we give him two appointments? [This bill is] just seeking to preserve education power.”
Romero said during her campaign for the seat her goal was ultimately to see the position abolished.
“It’s not being used to help California’s schools,” she said. “But at least [the public] gets the chance every so often of getting somebody in [office]. So, the state should either just leave the position the way it is or abolish it altogether.” Thurmond’s pay as superintendent was about $190,000 in 2021, according to the public pay database Transparent California. He was elected to the position in 2018 and re-elected in 2022.
The position, established in 1849, oversees the state Department of Education and manages the implementation of rules and regulations that the state Board of Education and Legislature enact.
However, the superintendent does not have the authority to set policy.
The amendment would need to pass both the state Assembly and the state Senate by a two-thirds majority vote, and then be brought before California voters as a ballot measure in the 2024 election.
If it fails, the next election for California superintendent will be held in 2026 as usual.
The bill is likely to be heard in the state Assembly’s Fiscal Committee March 30.
