Dive Brief:
- California's race for superintendent of public instruction highlights a split on education policy within the Democratic Party and could indicate where the public currently stands.
- Both candidates in the race are Democrats but have very different visions for education in the state. Incumbent Tom Torlakson is a former teacher with close ties to teacher unions, while opponent Marshall Tuck, the former president of the Green Dot charter schools, is connected to education reform advocates like Eli Broad.
- The highly publicized Vergara v. California case, which ruled that the state's teacher tenure laws were unconstitutional, is where the two most obviously split. Tuck has been vocal in his agreement with the judge's decision in the case, while Torlakson is opposed to the decision and is standing by the state's appeal.
Dive Insight:
According to US World & News Report, the last field poll has the two almost at a tie. Torlakson has 28% of potential votes, while Tuck had 31% — though that's still conceivably within the margin of error.
The two candidates essentially represent both sides of today's current education debate. Torlakson and his supporters see Tuck as someone who will strip away organizing and bargaining rights while pushing for charter school expansions and giving power to wealthy philanthropists and advocacy groups. On the other hand, Tuck and his supporters view Torlakson as someone entrenched in the establishment, giving too much power to unions, tenured teachers, and neighborhood schools.
The upcoming vote will be a good indicator on where the public currently stands on education issues. Having the two diametrically opposed views facing off can be a refreshing chance to see what is resonating for the public.