Linda Darling-Hammond, Governor Gavin Newsom’s choice to lead the California State Board of Education, was sworn into office today by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, who serves as the Board’s Executive Secretary.

“Linda Darling-Hammond is one of the most respected education leaders in the nation, and we are so fortunate that she calls California home. Her appointment to the State Board of Education shows the caliber of focus the Governor has on raising the stakes in public education in California. We have work to do, and with Linda Darling-Hammond at the helm, I am confident that we will move the needle forward to work toward improving the public education system in an equitable way for all of our six million students,” Thurmond said.

Darling-Hammond is one of the nation’s leading scholars on education policy and practice. Immediately following her swearing in, Darling-Hammond was elected Board President by fellow members. She succeeds former Board President Michael W. Kirst, Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr.’s longtime policy advisor, who declined to seek reappointment. Veteran educator Ilene Straus was re-elected vice president.

Source: Thurmond Swears in Linda Darling-Hammond to SB. – Year 2019 (CA Dept of Education)