Anthony Rendon

Anthony Rendon has dedicated his entire career to improving the lives of California’s children through education.

Anthony is running for California Superintendent of Public Instruction to continue his lifelong mission: ensuring every child, regardless of background or zip code, has access to a high-quality public education. He brings unmatched experience, proven leadership, and an unshakeable belief that investing in education is the most powerful way to build a more just and prosperous California for all.

Education has always been personal for Anthony. He was a poor student in high school and worked in warehouses and construction jobs after graduating. It was enrolling at Cerritos Community College where Anthony discovered his passion for learning and public service. He went on to earn a B.A. and M.A. from California State University, Fullerton, a Ph.D. from UC Riverside, and completed post-doctoral work at Boston University with support from a National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship.

Anthony spent two decades running preschool and early childhood education programs across the state.

As executive director of Plaza de la Raza Child Development Services, he oversaw programs serving more than 2,300 children across 35 child development centers located throughout Los Angeles County, providing comprehensive early education, health, and family support services to underserved communities.

Later, Anthony pivoted to politics – motivated to run for the state legislature to reverse severe budget cuts to early childhood education programs imposed during Governor Schwarzenegger’s tenure. In 2012, he won a seat representing Southeast Los Angeles County in the Assembly and in 2016 was elected by his colleagues to serve as Speaker of the Assembly.

As Speaker from 2016 to 2023, Anthony led during a historic time for California’s schools. He negotiated state budgets that increased K-12 investments by 80%, shepherded groundbreaking legislation to strengthen transparency and accountability for charter schools, increased access to early childhood education by helping to create universal pre-k, and worked to maintain California’s role as a national leader in higher education. 

Anthony currently resides in Southeast Los Angeles County, where his daughter attends local public schools.