Sonja Shaw, 43, the president of the Chino Valley Unified school board, is running for California state superintendent of public instruction.
Shaw lives in Chino and has been endorsed by the Republican party. The job she’s running for is considered nonpartisan.
The San Diego Union-Tribune emailed a series of questions to Shaw and other candidates to help inform voters about their positions, priorities and plans if elected.
Shaw said she did not use any AI tools in responding to the Union-Tribune’s questions.
1.) Why are you running, and what makes you the best candidate? (150 words max)
I’m running because our education system has failed our kids. Less than half can read, write or do math at grade level. That’s not just a statistic, it’s a cry for help.
As a mom of two and Chino Valley board president, I stood up and fought back. While everybody else was talking about fixing our schools, I rolled up my sleeves and delivered results.
I’ve spent years fighting for a return to core academics in the classroom, to protect our daughters’ safety and to give parents a seat at the table. In my own district, we’ve achieved meaningful results. As superintendent, I will deliver the same for all Californians.
I’ve taken on anyone who stands in the way of these priorities and won. I will never back down when it comes to fighting for our kids.
2.) What are the top 3 issues facing schools and students in San Diego County? (150 words max)
- Our kids can’t read, write or do math at grade level. That’s unacceptable. We must draw a line in the sand and refuse to let them continually fall behind.
- Our daughters no longer feel safe in their sports or private spaces. Many girls even change in their cars before games to avoid sharing locker rooms with biological males. We must enforce Title IX and ensure girls are comfortable and protected in their spaces.
- Children are leaving K-12 schools unprepared to succeed after graduation. One in eight freshmen at UC San Diego requires special remedial math classes just to catch up. We must focus on making sure all students are better prepared, both for those who go to college and those who choose career or technical pathways.
3.) What are the first 3 things you would do in office if elected? (150 words max)
- Issue a clear directive to bring California back into compliance with Title IX. No more boys in girls’ sports or private spaces. Period.
- Start treating our current situation as an academic state of emergency. On Day One, I would empower a panel of the best teachers and administrators from throughout California — individuals with proven track records of success. We would get to work right away on returning California schools to a core focus on what works: reading, writing and math.
- Slash the bureaucracy in the California Department of Education, cut wasteful spending and direct those funds toward providing resources directly to both school districts and parents. Under my tenure as state superintendent, the Department of Education will be a partner working hand-in-hand with stakeholders to improve education outcomes for all California children.
4.) What experience do you have in the classroom and in other education roles, and how have your professional experiences prepared you for this role? (150 words max)
I’ve served as president of the Chino Valley Unified School District since 2022. In this role, I have worked hand in hand with teachers and administrators to turn our district into one of the top performers in California. Stanford University even studied Chino as a model for post-COVID academic recovery.
This is what sets me apart from every career politician looking for the next elected office. My experience lies in bringing the right people together to identify problems and deliver results. We’ve done it successfully in Chino, and we will do it statewide.
5.) What input do you believe the state superintendent and department should have into classroom instruction in California schools? (150 words max)
Very little. The Department of Education should set clear, high academic standards and then get out of the way. Local teachers and administrators know the needs of their children best.
Top-down control is exactly why schools are failing. The state’s role should be providing resources to help schools succeed, as well as resources to help parents and taxpayers monitor their districts and verify that they have access to transparent, up-to-date reporting about their kids’ academic performance.
6.) How will you ensure access both to career and technical education and to higher education, including ensuring students who pursue career-oriented education now can attend college later in life? How will you ensure equitable opportunities for rural, suburban and urban students? (150 words max)
As a commissioner on a technical career board, I believe we absolutely must invest in strong career and technical education programs — ones that prepare kids who choose not to attend college to become productive, successful members of society. That means direct partnerships with community colleges, trade associations and local businesses and a focus on identifying career pathways for kids before they graduate so they can begin preparing early. This is something we do successfully in my district, and I fully believe we can do it statewide.
When it comes to the different challenges facing rural, suburban and urban students, we must abandon the misguided idea of a one-size-fits-all approach. Top-down mandates from Sacramento that make sense for a school in a wealthy ZIP code make no sense for one in a rural area. As superintendent, I will examine all policies and directives we issue from this perspective and see to it that no schools are left behind.
7.) In light of federal immigration crackdowns, funding cuts and rollbacks to civil rights protections and oversight, how can California better serve vulnerable student populations, including those who are immigrants, are LGBTQ+ and have disabilities? (150 words max)
Every child in California, regardless of their background, deserves a great education. Period. The best way to help all of these kids is the same — a return to strong academics, safe schools and involved parents.
8.) What role should technology play in the classroom? Where do you stand on screens in school, cell phone bans and the use of generative AI? Please be specific. (150 words max)
Technology isn’t going anywhere and will play a key role for every California child as they enter adulthood. But when it comes to its use in the classroom, it must serve real learning, not replace skill development or critical thinking.
I strongly support cell phone restrictions during the school day. They are a distraction and can harm kids’ mental health.
On AI, we must admit that it has the potential to help children learn more efficiently if used properly, but we cannot allow it to become a crutch that kids use to avoid doing the work necessary for real learning.
Let’s not treat our kids as an experiment. I’ve proposed creating a commission of teachers, parents, students, and technology professionals to explore how AI can be responsibly integrated into lesson plans.
9.) School districts across San Diego County are struggling to improve attendance and reverse declines in enrollment. What should the state superintendent and department do to help? (150 words max)
We must do the work necessary to regain the trust of parents and families who no longer feel confident entrusting us with their children. With a focus on real academics over ideology, safety and respect for different beliefs, we can begin to reverse the trend of declining enrollment.
It’s hard to defend California schools when they consistently rank among the worst in the country. When we turn this trend around, families will once again feel confident putting their kids in California public schools, just as they have here in Chino Valley.
10.) Independent reports have raised concerns about confusion and conflicts over who is ultimately accountable for education in California. In part to remedy this, Gov. Gavin Newsom has proposed reducing the power of the state superintendent by moving control of the Department of Education to within the governor’s office. Do you support this effort? Why or why not? How else can accountability at the state level be improved? (150 words max)
Absolutely not. Voters created the state superintendent as its own separate, nonpartisan constitutional office for a reason. The superintendent must be an independent advocate for children, families and schools — particularly in the current political reality where other elected officials can often act against the best interests of our kids.
Moving the Department of Education under the governor’s control just gives even more power to the same Sacramento insiders who have turned our schools into some of the worst in the country.
As far as improving accountability, real accountability comes from transparency and participation. I will never hide academic metrics and will publish all details regarding how funds are allocated and spent. My Department of Education will be 100% accountable to the voters of California.
11.) If the state superintendent role were changed before you took office, how would the changes affect your approach to the job? How would you continue to advocate for students? (150 words max)
It would not stop me one bit. I have spent the past six years fighting ideologies and policies that were harming our kids, and I’ve won every single time. If the state superintendent’s role is changed to that of a spokesperson as Gov. Newsom intends, then I would become the loudest, most active, most vocal spokesperson and advocate for children and families that this state has ever seen.
Titles don’t matter — results do. I will advocate for our children no matter what. I will never stop fighting for better academics, for our daughters’ safety and for a return to common sense.
12.) What should the California Department of Education’s and the state superintendent’s role be in conducting oversight of districts and charter schools’ compliance with state laws? Do you think anything should change about the way the state conducts oversight?
Oversight should be limited to ensuring safety and maintaining academic standards, as well as financial oversight where taxpayer funds are involved. It should never go beyond that into the current practice of harassing parents who are standing up for their children. Gov. Newsom has weaponized oversight to battle common sense in the name of politics, and that must end.
When the Department of Education gets involved, it should be a fair and transparent process that focuses on results. We should support the good districts and charter schools, examine and eliminate failing mandates and make sure that parents are given a seat at the table during the process.