The state superintendent of public instruction (SPI) serves as the official spokesperson and advocate for California public schools and is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the California Department of Education (CDE), including determining the department's priorities. The new superintendent will serve a four-year term beginning in January 2011.

The candidates for this postion participated in a moderated discussion at the EdSource Forum to discuss their views about California's public education system. You can watch video of this discussion by clicking on the screen below.

Larry Aceves, Retired School District Superintendent and Past President of the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA). Read more>

Tom Torlakson, California Assembly Member, Chair of the Assembly's Select Committee on Schools and Community, Member of the Education and Appropriations Committees, and former State Senator. Read more> 

Session Moderator: Greg Lucas, California political writer and satirist, freelance writer, speaker, and consultant on writing and communications

Note: The views expressed by the speakers do not necessarily reflect those of EdSource or its funders.

Video: