Josh Newman

Newman served in the U.S. Army. He earned a degree in history from Yale University. Newman's career experience includes working in public affairs and marketing, film and television production, and Internet media technology. He founded ArmedForce2Workforce.[1]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I'm a Yale graduate, U.S. Army veteran, former classroom teacher, public-school parent, and former California State Senator who chaired the Senate Education Committee. That combination is unusual for a candidate for California’s top elected education position, and for this job, it matters.

California's schools are in crisis. More than half of our students aren't proficient in reading. Nearly one in four is chronically absent. Achievement gaps by race, income, and language status are not closing. And for years, the State Superintendent's office has been consistently underused at exactly the moment we need it most.

I know this system on a number of different levels — as the former Chair of the Senate Education Committee, as a former classroom teacher, and as the parent of a 4th grader in my local public school. As a State Senator, I authored legislation guaranteeing daily recess for every elementary student, expanding dual enrollment and career pathways for high schoolers, and reforming school board governance to strengthen accountability. I've seen where the system breaks down, and I know what it’s going to take to fix it.

I'm running because the reforms California needs won't happen on their own. They require a State Superintendent willing to lead with clarity, urgency, and an unrelenting focus on results, not intentions. Every decision I make will start with one question: Is this good for students? California's kids deserve nothing less.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Early Literacy, Numeracy, and Student Achievement: More than half of California's students are not proficient in reading. Nearly two-thirds are struggling with math. In a rapidly changing, increasingly competitive world, these aren’t acceptable outcomes, they’re the beginning of a crisis. As State Superintendent, I’ll ensure that every district adopts evidence-based, science-of-reading curricula; that districts and schools have the coaching infrastructure to support teachers in implementing it; and make sure that every district and school is held accountable for results. Proficiency in reading and math is the foundation on which everything else rests.Career Technical Education and Workforce Readiness: A four-year college degree is one path, but not the only path. California's diversified economy depends on skilled tradespeople, technicians, healthcare workers, and entrepreneurs, yet our schools remain organized almost entirely around college prep. As the author of legislation which expanded dual enrollment and career pathways for California high schoolers, I know how to move this agenda forward. As State Superintendent, I’ll dramatically expand access to career technical education, strengthen pre-apprenticeship pipelines, and ensure that every student graduates with a clear, viable pathway to economic independence.Improving Civic Education: Democracy doesn't sustain itself. It requires informed, thoughtful citizens who understand how government works, why it matters, and what's at stake when they disengage. California's civic education requirements are outdated and unevenly implemented. As State Superintendent, I will modernize civic education standards, expand participation in “We the People” and other student legislative training programs like it, and ensure that every California student will graduate not just ready for the workforce, but properly motivated and equipped to fully participate in the civic affairs of their communities as well.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Public education is the policy area I care about most. It's where I focused the bulk of my energies during my last term in the State Senate as Chair of the Education Committee, and where I believe the stakes are highest. My passion for education reform connects directly to two broader commitments: economic opportunity and civic health. Schools that fail to prepare students for work undermine their prospects; and schools that neglect civic education weaken the democracy we all depend on.

Beyond education, I care deeply about veterans' services. And I remain committed to mental health policy, an area in which I worked extensively while in the State Senate and which cuts across nearly every challenge California faces.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Honesty, accountability, and a willingness to prioritize results over politics. Elected officials should tell constituents the truth even when it's uncomfortable, take responsibility when things go wrong, and measure success by outcomes.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

The State Superintendent's core responsibilities are to set a clear and achievable vision for California's schools, to hold districts accountable for student outcomes, and to use the full weight of the office to close the gaps between what our students achieve and what they're capable of. That means being straight with the public about what isn't working, and a practical problem-solver who can move the system toward solutions. It also means being a forceful advocate in Sacramento for the resources, policies, and reforms that students and educators need. This office has too often been underused. Its core responsibility is to lead.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I would like to leave as my legacy a California public school system that serves and prepares every student equally well, regardless of their location, background, or income.

What responsibilities of this office do you personally consider the most important?

Above all else: student success. The State Superintendent sets the academic expectations for nearly 6 million children across nearly 1,000 school districts. If that responsibility isn't exercised with urgency and clarity, everything else the office does is secondary. Closely tied to that is transparency: with parents, educators, and the public, about whether those expectations are being met. California has too often measured effort instead of results. Part of this job is changing that culture. Finally, the Superintendent is the state's most visible advocate for public education. That platform carries real responsibility to elevate what's working, name what isn't, and make the case to policymakers and the public that investing in our schools is investing in California's future.

Are there any little-known powers or responsibilities held by this office that you believe more people should be aware of?

For an office that plays such a central role in shaping the education of 6 million California children, the State Superintendent of Public Instruction is surprisingly little known, even among very engaged voters. Most Californians couldn't tell you who holds the office today, let alone what it actually does. That's a problem worth naming.

Beyond its general oversight role, the Superintendent has meaningful civil rights enforcement authority: the ability to investigate complaints, withhold funding, and compel districts to address violations. That's a significant lever that has rarely been used aggressively. The Superintendent also shapes what gets taught in every California classroom through the adoption of curriculum frameworks and instructional materials, decisions affecting millions of students that rarely get public attention. Perhaps most importantly, the office carries an underappreciated power of the agenda: the ability to define what the state's education conversation is actually about and sustain public focus on it in ways that legislation alone cannot. These aren't little-known powers, so much as consistently under-exercised ones. That's precisely why I'm running.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Organizations:

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State Building and Construction Trades Council of California

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California Asian-American Chamber of Commerce

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California Correctional Peace Officers Association

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Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs

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Orange County Business Council

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GrowSF

Federal & State Leaders:

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Congressman Lou Correa

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Congressman Mike Levin

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Congressman Derek Tran

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State Senate Majority Leader Angelique Ashby

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State Senator Dave Cortese

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State Senator Josh Becker

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State Senator Melissa Hurtado

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State Senator John Laird

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State Senator Tom Umberg

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Assemblymember Juan Carrillo

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Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin

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Assemblymember Cottie Petrie-Norris

+ >100 more State, County, City, and School Board elected officials across the state

What was the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember?

The Apollo 11 moon landing

Josh Newman did not complete [the profile publisher]'s 2024 Candidate Connection survey.

Josh Newman did not complete [the profile publisher]'s 2020 Candidate Connection survey.

In 2016, Newman issued the following statement regarding his bid for office:

I am, first and foremost, not a politician. Nor do I ever intend to become one. What I do aspire to is public service, of the kind I was proud to have contributed as a member of the United States Armed Forces, though this time in a different capacity: as the representative and advocate for the citizens in my state senate district. In a district as geographically expansive and demographically diverse as ours, no single person can be exactly in step with every constituent all the time.

What I can promise, though, is honesty, integrity, open-mindedness, and responsiveness, all the time. I’m not a party loyalist, and I don’t owe any lobby or special interest anything as I seek this office, so that what you see with me is what you’ll get: a smart, practical and principled person who knows exactly who he works for: you and the other residents of the 29th Senate District.

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—Josh Newman, [1]