State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond was honored today with the Cesar E. Chavez Opportunity Award for his impactful work in empowering and influencing the lives of farm working families residing in predominantly rural communities. The award was presented to Superintendent Thurmond at the 8th Annual Cesar Chavez Legacy Breakfast, in celebration of Chavez’s 97th birthday, by The Farmworkers Institute of Education & Leadership Development (FIELD)

External link opens in new window or tab..“Extraordinary models of social justice inspire us to do better and be better. There are few that rival the inspiration of Cesar Chavez and FIELD, an organization he founded 46 years ago, and their work to support farm working and rural communities,” Thurmond said. “When I began my career in public service, I committed myself to lifting up our communities that needed it the most. That did not change when I began my service as State Superintendent of Public Instruction. I am truly honored and humbled by this award.”

During the COVID pandemic, Thurmond fought to secure resources—both public and private—to ensure children of rural and farmworker communities had access to digital devices and WiFi so they would not fall behind as classrooms closed. He also secured funding to provide water bottles to Coachella farmworkers during a scorching summer heatwave and secured personal protective equipment (PPE) distribution during the pandemic to support not only schools, but also farmworkers and Native American families, along with several nonprofits, including the UFW Foundation.

Source: SPI Tony Thurmond Honored with Cesar Chavez Award – Year 2024 (CA Dept of Education)