Sonja Shaw, president of the Chino Valley Unified School District board, is running for California Superintendent of Public Instruction in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election. The statewide office sets policy for California's public schools, including Santa Monica-Malibu Unified.

The nonpartisan race also includes Richard Andrew Barrera. Shaw has been certified for the ballot, according to BallotReady. On her campaign website, Shaw said California's education system is failing students. She said half of students cannot read or write at grade level and called for schools to refocus on reading, writing and math.

Candidate information

  • Name: Sonja Shaw
  • Party: Nonpartisan
  • Office sought: California Superintendent of Public Instruction
  • Election date: Nov. 3, 2026
  • Hometown: Born and raised in Chino, California
  • Education: Graduated from Ayala High School in the Chino Valley school system. Did not attend college.
  • Other: Leads a community-based Bible study. Previously held a California Real Estate License.

Experience and public service

  • Board president, Chino Valley Unified School District (elected 2022, serving)
  • Representative, Baldy View Regional Occupational Program Commission (appointed 2022, serving)
  • Owner, AMP Fitness (since 2014)
  • Owner, professional photography business

On the issues

The following positions are Shaw's own statements, drawn from her campaign website and her BallotReady questionnaire responses.

Education standards and curriculum: Shaw said a "back-to-basics approach, proven effective in local districts, can transform our schools." She called for recruiting and retaining top educators and centering curriculum on practical skills. She said schools should prepare students for success and "put children's needs first."

School closures and mandates: Shaw said prolonged school closures disrupted learning and burdened families. She said mask and vaccine mandates ignored families' well-being and silenced parents' voices. She said the kind of leadership that challenged those mandates locally would deliver change at the state level, ensuring families' needs are put over political agendas.

Gender policies in schools: Shaw said policies allowing "boys to undress in girls' locker rooms and play on their sports teams undermine fairness and safety." She said daughters deserve to compete on equal terms and not "lose opportunities to biological males." She said classrooms are becoming battlegrounds for what she called radical agendas that overshadow core education. Shaw said she has already restored balance in local districts and wants to bring that approach statewide.

Endorsements

The following endorsements are claimed on Shaw's campaign website and her BallotReady profile:

  • Steve Hilton, Golden Together
  • Chad Bianco, Riverside County Sheriff's Office
  • Riley Gaines
  • Orange County Register
  • Inland Valley Daily Bulletin
  • California GOP
  • California Republican Assembly
  • California Congress of Republicans
  • California Rifle and Pistol Association
  • Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association
  • Los Angeles County GOP
  • San Bernardino County GOP
  • Alameda County GOP
  • Bay Area GOP
  • Monterey County GOP
  • San Francisco GOP
  • Santa Clara County GOP
  • Silicon Valley Association of Conservative Republicans

The Santa Monica Wave did not interview the candidate for this profile. Candidate positions were drawn from Shaw's campaign issues page and her BallotReady questionnaire responses.