Before his time in the legislature, Anthony Rendon worked for a social services agency in Los Angeles County, helping first-time offenders and at-risk youth.
He began to notice: Families that took advantage of the Mexican American Opportunity Foundation’s childcare programs tended not to have kids who made it upstairs to his department. Rendon said he quickly realized the best way to end cycles of poverty and gang involvement was to make sure youth had access to educational opportunities — a way out.
And so began Rendon’s two-decade career in early childhood education. Now, more than 20 years after that realization, the former California legislator is officially running to be California’s Superintendent of Public Instruction in 2026.
“After my time in the Assembly, having the opportunity to serve California’s students, educators and families feels like a return to my roots,” Rendon said in his campaign announcement.
Rendon, 57, represented communities in southeastern Los Angeles County during a 12-year run in the Assembly, which ended last year when he was termed out. For more than seven of those years, Rendon served as the Assembly’s speaker, the second-longest serving speaker in state history.
In Sacramento, Rendon oversaw the state budget process, working to increase K-12 funding by 80% and helping to push the state toward universal pre-K.
He also led the Select Committee on Happiness and Public Policy Outcomes, meant to figure out how to help Californians be happier. Rendon said studies from the United Nations and Oxford have shown recent “significant” dips in happiness rates, particularly among children.
“That’s alarming, to say the least,” he said. “A lot of what kids are looking for is not only a sense of hope for the future but a sense of community in the present,” said Rendon, who also noted technology and smartphones have caused emotional distress among young people, especially girls.
“We can’t ignore the reality. Phones and social media have harmed both learning and student well-being,” he added.
“And now, AI tools are allowing students to bypass developing the critical thinking skills they need for life.”
“We need thoughtful, proactive leadership to ensure AI enhances education rather than erodes it, as well as well-trained teachers with the resources they need to help students reach their full potential.”
Before his time in Sacramento, Rendon worked as executive director of Plaza de la Raza Child Development Services, a Los Angeles County non-profit that provides early childhood education, community resources and other family support services to underserved communities.
The race for state superintendent, an elected office that oversees the Department of Education, is gearing up to be a relatively crowded one. The current superintendent, Tony Thurmond, a Democrat, is running for governor.
Others hoping to win the job include Los Angeles Community College District Trustee Nichelle Henderson, a Democrat from Gardena; Los Angeles Community College District Trustee Andra Hoffman, a Democrat; Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi, a Torrance Democrat who chairs the Assembly Education Committee; former state Sen. Josh Newman, a Democrat who led the Senate Education Committee while in the legislature, and Chino Valley Unified School District board president Sonja Shaw, a Republican who has pushed for conservative policies such as notifying parents if their child identifies as transgender.
Since leaving the legislature, Rendon has been teaching classes at Loyola Marymount and USC, including a course on public policy and happiness. He’s also been spending time with his 5-year-old daughter, who is set to start kindergarten next month.
Rendon noted that he’s only attended public school, from K-12 to community colleges and degrees from Cal State Fullerton and UC Riverside. He said it’s key to who he is.
“For me, not only my educational journey but my whole life journey has really been a product of the public education system,” Rendon said.
“I’m proof of what the public education system can do, the upward mobility that a good, quality public education can produce.”