State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Endorsement Timeline

With the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, SPI, election on the horizon (June 2018), ACSA staff and executive committee members have started moving forward with the endorsement planning process. Staff have been in contact with both candidates over the past several months since we saw both Tony Thurmond and Marshall Tuck at Legislative Action Day in April 2017. Both candidates have been invited to Leadership Assembly in October where they have been offered the opportunity to have a facilitated conversation, on stage, with President Lisa Gonzales. Candidates will have individual conversations, instead of a forum or debate, in an effort to delineate each candidate’s platform differences. Tuck has agreed to attend, however Thurmond has yet to reply.

After Leadership Assembly, SPI candidate interviews are tentatively set for the first 2 weeks of December. After interviews have been completed, ACSA’s SPI endorsement will be confirmed by the Board via conference call. In an effort to maximize audience exposure, ACSA’s SPI endorsement announcement will be held until the second week of January. This is also when ACSA’s financial contribution would be made (legal maximum: $14,600.00). By making a financial contribution and endorsement announcement in the new year, there is less likelihood that this information would get lost in the “holiday shuffle.”