Thurmond is the second African American to hold the office of Superintendent,and the fourth African American to win statewide office in California following former Superintendent Wilson Riles,former Lieutenant Governor Mervyn Dymally,and former Attorney General and U.S. Senator Kamala Harris.
Early life
Thurmond was born in Monterey,California. His mother,an immigrant from Panama,died when he was six years old,and his father did not return after serving in the Vietnam War.[2]
Following his mother’s death,Thurmond and his younger brother moved to Philadelphia,Pennsylvania,where they were raised by cousins they had not previously met.[2] His cousins practiced Hebrew Pentecostalism,a Black religious tradition with roots in the Old Testament,observing Jewish practices such as keeping a kosher home and celebrating the Sabbath and major Jewish holidays.[2] Growing up in poverty,the family relied on public assistance,including free school lunches.[2] Thurmond attended Temple University,where he served as student body president,and went on to earn dual master’s degrees in law and social policy and social work from Bryn Mawr College.[2]
Early career
Thurmond has held positions with several nonprofit social service organizations. In the mid-2000s,Thurmond was the executive director of Beyond Emancipation,a social service agency providing aftercare services to youths leaving the child welfare and juvenile justice systems in Alameda County. At the Golden Gate Regional Center,he was a program manager leading service provision to individuals with developmental disabilities. In 2012 he began to serve as the Senior Director of Community and Government Relations at Lincoln Child Center. Much of his social service work has focused on improving service provision to current and former foster youth and directing educational programs that provided job training to at-risk youth in the East Bay area.[3][bettersourceneeded]
Political career
Before being elected to the California State Assembly in 2014,Thurmond was a member of the West Contra Costa School Board from 2008 to 2012 and the Richmond City Council from 2005 to 2008. Thurmond was the council liaison to the West Contra Costa County Unified School District and the West Contra Costa County Education Fund. He also served as council liaison to Richmond's Youth Commission and Workforce Investment Board.[4][bettersourceneeded]
Since 2004,Thurmond has pursued seven different elected offices:he ran unsuccessfully for Richmond City Council in 2004,[5] was elected to the Richmond City Council in 2006,[6] lost an election for State Assembly in 2008,[7] won an election to the West Contra Costa School Board in 2008,[8] created an exploratory committee for a potential State Senate campaign in 2009,[9] was elected to the State Assembly in 2014,[10] was re-elected to the State Assembly in 2016,[11] and announced his campaign for State Superintendent in 2017.[12]
Thurmond's first bill to be signed into law was AB 1375, which increases the rate of credit for time served incarcerated in lieu of paying court fines. This credit had not been adjusted since its inception in 1976; this bill adjusts it for inflation and the minimum wage.[13] Thurmond's AB 1496 requires the California Air Resources Board to measure and reduce methane emissions to help curb greenhouse gas emissions statewide.[14] AB 1343 helps ensure due process for defendants who are immigrants; it was part of a package of legislation focused on protecting undocumented immigrants.[15] AB 768 bans use or possession of smokeless tobacco products in California's five professional baseball stadiums.[16] AB 2X-9, the Tobacco-Free Schools Act, co-authored by Thurmond and Assemblymember Adrin Nazarian, bans tobacco use on all school district-owned or school-leased property. This bill also mandates that schools post signs reading "tobacco use is prohibited" at entrances.[17]
Thurmond's legislation AB 435 was the first piece of legislation sponsored by the First 5 Contra Costa Children and Families Commission. The bill was signed by Governor Brown and provides more subsidies to early childcare services for low-income families in multiple California counties.[18] Thurmond's legislation AB 1014 moved $35 million from the California prison system directly to local school districts to invest in programs to reduce truancy.[19] Another bill of Thurmond's, AB 1502, reduced paperwork to provide free and reduced lunch to more eligible California students. Previously, only 63% of eligible students were matched to the free and reduced lunch program.[20]
As Chair of the Budget Subcommittee #1 on Health and Human Services, Thurmond helped secure resources in the California State Budget for county welfare offices for Medi-Cal eligibility administration, caregiver resource centers, medical clinics to extend urgent care hours, an HIV prevention outreach program, syringe exchange programs and mental health advocacy especially for veterans, youth and racial and ethnic minorities.[citation needed]
On September 15, 2017, Thurmond introduced a resolution in the California State Assembly calling for the Congressional censure of President Donald Trump following his remarks after racially charged events in Charlottesville.[21]
Tony Thurmond received a score of 100% on both the Equality California[22] and California League of Conservation Voters[23] legislative score cards for 2016.
State Assembly committees
For 2015–2016, Thurmond was a member of the following committees:[24]
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education, Chair
Status of Boys and Men of Color
Technical Education and Building a 21st Century Workforce
State Superintendent
On April 3, 2017, Thurmond launched his campaign for State Superintendent, choosing not to run for re-election for his seat in the State Assembly.[25][26] His campaign was supported by California's teachers' unions.[27] He won the November 2018 election, beating opponent Marshall Tuck, a Democrat and charter school advocate.[27]
On December 11, 2021, Politico reported that Thurmond had been instrumental in the July 2020 hiring of longtime associate Daniel Lee, "a psychologist, life coach and self-help author", for the position of "superintendent of equity" for the California Department of Education (CDE). Politico reported that the hiring of Lee, a Philadelphia resident up to when the report was published, appeared to violate California's residency requirement for state employees, which allows for few exceptions.[28] The position was never posted publicly, having been initially funded by part of a $700,000 grant by the Hewlett Foundation through the CDE's nonprofit affiliate "Californians Dedicated to Education Foundation" before being funded by California taxpayers, and paid up to a $179,832 salary; the report said Lee's resume showed no prior experience in California or relationships with school districts in the state.[28] On December 14, 2021, Lee resigned from the position.[29]
Thurmond was introduced to Judaism by his cousins who practiced Hebrew Pentecostalism, and he maintains a connection to Jewish practice and community, guided by Rabbi Rebekah Stern of Congregation Beth El in Berkeley, California.[2] He describes himself as "a convert who’s never been through a formal conversion," and his Jewish identity informs his public service, including his work on Holocaust education and fighting antisemitism in California schools.[2]
↑ Tascio, Liz (August 15, 2004). "Political races should be full of character; Contra County County's ballot shows well-known names and familiar faces hot issues mark dramatic election for candidates". Contra Costa Times.
↑ "Local election results; Contra Costa". San Francisco Chronicle. November 9, 2006.
↑ Oakley, Doug (June 3, 2008). "Skinner holds lead in Assembly District 14 race". Contra Costa Times.
↑ Wetzel, Kimberly S. (November 4, 2008). "West Contra Costa school board: Medrano, Thurmond win, defeating Pfeifer". Contra Costa Times.
↑ Wetzel, Kim (June 22, 2008). "West County school board member mulling state Senate run". Contra Costa Times.
↑ Oakley, Doug (November 5, 2014). "Assembly District 15: Tony Thurmond credits upset victory to daily precinct walks". Contra Costa Times.
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