California Superintendent of Public Instruction
| California Superintendent of Public Instruction | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Office Type: | Non-partisan |
| Office website: | Official Link |
| Term limits: | 2 terms |
| Structure | |
| Length of term: | 4 years |
| Authority: | California Education Code, Title 2, Division 2, Part 20, Chapter 3, Article 1, Sections 33302/33303 |
| Selection Method: | Elected |
| Current Officeholder | |
 | |
| Name: | Tom Torlakson |
| Assumed office: | January 3, 2011 |
| Compensation: | $151,127 |
| Elections | |
| Next election: | November 4, 2014 |
| Last election: | November 2, 2010 |
| Other California Executive Offices | |
| Governor • Lieutenant Governor • Secretary of State • Attorney General • Treasurer • Auditor • Controller • Superintendent of Public Instruction • Agriculture Secretary • Insurance Commissioner • Natural Resources Secretary • Industrial Relations Director • Public Utilities Commission | |
Contents |
Current officeholder
The current superintendent is Tom Torlakson, a Democrat, who was first elected in 2010 and assumed office on January 3, 2011. Torlakson will next be up for re-election in 2014, if he chooses to run.
Before becoming superintendent, Torlakson served in the California Assembly from 2008 to 2010 and the state Senate from 2000 to 2008. He was a member of the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors from 1980 to 1996 and served as chair in 1984, 1989 and 1994. Professionally, Torlakson has extensive experience as an educator; he was an adjunct faculty member at Los Medanos College from 2007 to 2010, a teacher at Mount Diablo High School from 1972 to 1981 and a coach at Antioch High School from 1973 to 2003. He also worked at Kosich Insurance Company from 1989 to 2010. Torlakson holds an M.A. in Education, a teaching certificate and a B.A. in History from the University of California at Berkeley[1]
Authority
The office of superintendent is established by California statute.[2]
California Education Code, Sections 33302 and 33303
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33302. The Department of Education shall be conducted under the control of an executive officer known as the Director of Education. |
Qualifications
Like all state elected officials, the superintendent of education must be a registered voter in the state. Additionally, he or she must not have served two terms in office since November 6, 1990, when state office term limits were adopted into the state constitution.[3]
Elections
Superintendents are elected every four years during gubernatorial election years (e.g. 2006, 2010, 2014, etc.). Winners take office on the first Monday in January following their election.[4] The office of superintendent is technically non-partisan, so all candidates run without any party affiliation in both primary and general elections.[5]
California Constitution, Article 2, Section 6
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(a) All judicial, school, county, and city offices, including the Superintendent of Public Instruction, shall be nonpartisan. |
Term limits
Superintendents of public instruction, much like constitutional state executives like the governor or secretary of state, face an absolute limit of two terms in office.[6]
Vacancies
Vacancies in the office of superintendent are filled by the governor.[7]
Duties
The superintendent of public instruction is the administrative head of the California Department of Education; he or she executes the policies made by the state Board of Education and oversees the operation of the state's public school system. The superintendent provides local and county school boards with blank teachers certificates, oversees all state education employees, organizes adult education programs, evaluates the performance of public schools and manages departmental facilities and resources, among other duties.[8]
Divisions
- Curriculum, Learning & Accountability
- Finance, Technology & Administration
- Government Affairs & Charter Development
- Legal, Audits & Compliance
- Special Services & Support[9]
Compensation
In 2010, the superintendent received compensation in the amount of $151,127.[10] The superintendent's salary, like that of all other state elected officials, is determined by the California Citizens Compensation Commission on an annual basis. The last time the secretary's compensation was changed was 2009, when the office's salary and benefits were cut by 18 percent.
Contact info
Mailing address:
1430 N Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 319-0800
See also
External links
References
- ↑ Project VoteSmart, "Bio of Tom Torlakson," accessed June 27, 2011.
- ↑ California Education Code, "Title 2, Division 2, Part 20, Chapter 3, Article 1, Sections 33302/33303," accessed June 27, 2011.
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "Summary of Qualifications and Requirements for Superintendent of Public Instruction -- June 8, 2010 Primary Election," accessed June 27, 2011.
- ↑ California Constitution, "Article 9, Section 2," accessed June 27, 2011.
- ↑ California Constitution, "Article 2, Section 6," accessed June 27, 2011.
- ↑ California Constitution, "Article 9, Section 2," accessed June 23, 2011.
- ↑ California Education Code, "Title 2, Division 2, Part 20, Chapter 2, Article 1, Section 33100," accessed June 27, 2011.
- ↑ California Education Code, "Title 2, Division 2, Part 20, Chapter 2, Article 2, Sections 33110-33133," accessed June 27, 2011.
- ↑ California Department of Education, "Organization," accessed June 27, 2011.
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2010 -- Table 4.11," accessed June 23, 2011.
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