Al Muratsuchi, a former attorney and community college instructor, is running for California Superintendent of Public Instruction, centering his campaign on school funding, teacher retention and early childhood education.
California’s race for Superintendent of Public Instruction is drawing sharp attention, and candidate profiles are offering voters a clearer view of what each contender prioritizes for classrooms.
Al Muratsuchi—an attorney by training. a former school board trustee. a current state Assembly member. and a community college instructor—wants to lead the California Department of Education at a moment when education policy is under intense scrutiny and staffing remains a pressing challenge.. The focus of his campaign. according to his own framing. is grounded in years of public service and a long-standing commitment to what he calls “public education. ” shaped by his family background and the experience of raising a child through the pandemic.
A career built across classrooms. courts. and the Legislature
Before politics. his professional path ran through law and public service: he worked as a civil rights attorney and served as a deputy attorney general.. He also served on the Torrance Unified school board, including time as chair of the Southern California Regional Occupation Center.. In the last two fall legislative breaks, he taught civics at El Camino Community College in Torrance.
That mix is central to his argument about qualifications.. Muratsuchi says his combination of legislative experience. local school governance and teaching gives him a rare. connected perspective—one he believes matters for running a statewide department with statewide responsibilities for programs. funding oversight. and guidance to districts.. In his view. school leadership now requires more than policy knowledge; it requires operational understanding and the ability to build consensus across educators. administrators. lawmakers and communities.
The campaign’s core promises: funding. teachers. early childhood
Teacher retention is a theme that connects his policy stance to his longer-term administrative goals.. If he wins. Muratsuchi says he would focus on recruiting and retaining experienced staff at the California Department of Education. which he describes as having lost staff for several years.. That is a practical concern for any large state agency. but it also has implications for how quickly new initiatives can be implemented and how reliably districts can receive support.
His campaign also emphasizes early childhood education—an area where policy choices can affect readiness. staffing needs. and long-term learning outcomes.. Early childhood programs are often where funding and accessibility debates become most immediate for families. especially in communities that need expanded capacity.. Muratsuchi’s emphasis suggests he sees early learning not as a separate track. but as a foundation that strengthens later schooling. from elementary grades through college and career pathways.
Union support and endorsements shape the race—along with the stakes
This matters because California’s Superintendent of Public Instruction is not only a policy voice—it is also a statewide convenor.. The role carries influence over how initiatives gain momentum, how state education priorities are communicated, and how partnerships are built.. By aligning himself closely with educators and labor groups. Muratsuchi is positioning his campaign as both a continuation of advocacy for school funding and a promise to prioritize the everyday realities facing teachers.
Endorsements also extend beyond education organizations.. Among the names reported as supporters are state leaders and legislators, including former Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell.. O’Connell’s support frames Muratsuchi as someone who understands both the mission of public education and the administrative complexity of running a major department.
A “parent” perspective after pandemic-era schooling
Muratsuchi’s argument. in effect. bridges the macro and the micro: the statewide budget debates and staffing plans are. in his telling. ultimately connected to children’s experiences in classrooms and at home.. That parental perspective is becoming more common among education candidates. but it resonates particularly in a state where many families remember the unevenness of remote learning and the subsequent pressure to recover academic ground.
In a practical sense, his claim is that he would bring both the policymaker’s view and the family’s perspective to the superintendent role—an approach that can shape priorities such as early childhood investments, learning recovery strategies, and classroom stability.
What if the education department’s management changes?. Another signal in Muratsuchi’s platform is his response to proposed administrative shifts.. If Gov.. Gavin Newsom and state lawmakers move forward with a plan to shift management of the education department to the governor’s office. Muratsuchi says he would still use the superintendent role as a “bully pulpit” to advocate for public education.
That comment points to an important political reality: even when the superintendent remains a constitutional officer. structural changes can alter how authority is shared.. For voters, that raises a key question—what exactly would leadership look like under a restructured governance model?. Muratsuchi’s answer is essentially about continuity of advocacy and maintaining a strong statewide voice for public education even if management responsibilities evolve.
For educators and families, this isn’t just a bureaucratic question.. Changes in governance can affect how quickly policies move from intent to implementation, and how districts interpret guidance.. Muratsuchi’s stated focus on evidence-based practices and collaboration “from preschool to higher education” suggests he wants to keep the state’s education ecosystem aligned despite any organizational shakeups.
Why Muratsuchi’s “combination” pitch could sway voters
In a California education landscape shaped by staffing shortages. ongoing debates about funding and teacher pay. and the long tail of pandemic impacts. the superintendent race is not simply about branding.. It is about who can build consensus and keep priorities moving when the politics get complicated.
Muratsuchi says his commitment would remain unchanged if elected. and he describes the role as the highest independently elected statewide constitutional officer in charge of public education.. For supporters, that is a promise of steadiness.. For skeptics. it is a test: whether his approach can deliver results across preschool through higher education while navigating a state that continues to demand measurable outcomes.
With California’s June primary approaching, the candidate field will keep narrowing in voters’ minds around one enduring question: how to turn education ideals—funding, staffing and early learning—into day-to-day improvements that families can feel.
Cursive Is Back — Should Schools Really Teach It?
AI Skills That Last: Computational Thinking in Schools
Sentences Of The Week: What Education Must Learn About AI, Belonging & Reading