Long-time SDUSD school board member launches bid for state schools head
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — Richard Barrera, a long-standing member of the San Diego Unified School District Board of Education, has launched a bid to succeed Tony Thurmond as California's elected state superintendent.
The role, which Thurmond will be termed out of next year, is charged with overseeing the state's K-12 public schools, shaping the conversation around education even as most policy changes are set forth by the governor and state legislature.
Barrera is well-known in the SDUSD community, having served on the school board for nearly two decades. A progressive, he has a reputation of being a strong supporter for labor and has made it a point to emphasize listening to and supporting teachers.
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'I'm really very proud of the work that we've done in San Diego Unified over many years now,' Barrera said in a conversation with KUSI's Good Morning San Diego on Monday, pointing to San Diego's high rankings in the U.S. for reading and math, students' college readiness, and the district's ramped up efforts to modernize neglected facilities.
'I think we've come together as a community and created some really positive strategies that have had great outcomes for students,' he continued. 'I would like to bring that experience to local communities up and down California.'
Barrera joins an already crowded field of more than a dozen candidates for the role, including former educators, and several current and former state legislators.
As someone who has not worked in the classroom, Barrera is somewhat on the back foot compared to the educational bona fides and legislative stature of a number of the other candidates.
However, having spent 17 years as a district-level decisionmaker, Barrera believes he would bring a new, localized perspective to the role in Sacramento.
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'Most of the big decisions that affect students are made by local school boards and local districts. The work that's done in the legislature and by the governor, it's not that it's not important, but it's less important than the work that's done at the local level,' Barrera said.
'I believe I come with a lot of understanding about what local decisionmakers grapple with and what I want to do is help local decisionmakers build coalitions in their own communities in the way that we've built them in San Diego,' he continued. 'I think that's going to lead to better outcomes for kids throughout the state.'
Watch Barrera's interview with KUSI on his state superintendent bid in the video player above.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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