Nichelle Henderson for CA Superintendent

Nothing can replace lived experience, and as a teacher, mother, and grandmother, I am fighting for us and our kids.

We always talk about needing more women, Black women, and teachers in office. This is exactly the office where that representation matters, especially when more than 70 percent of our teachers and school staff are women and disproportionately face the consequences of unfunded public education.

This has been a busy weekend, and I’m proud to share another endorsement, this time from the California Legislative Women’s Caucus, a powerful coalition of Assemblymembers, Senators, and statewide leaders improving the lives of women, children, and families.

That is why I am fighting to recruit, support, and retain more teachers who look like our students to ensure every child in our state is seen, challenged, and supported with high expectations and resources.

As teachers, we know all too well that our fight for fully funded, fully staffed public schools is inseparable from the fight for racial and social justice. When Black students have even one Black teacher in elementary school, they are more likely to stay on track and enroll in college.

I am deeply honored to be endorsed by the California Legislative Black Caucus -- Assemblymembers, Senators, and statewide leaders who have been fighting for civil rights, educational equity, and economic opportunity for Black Californians.

Our politicians often talk about young Dems in a patronizing way, calling them the future without valuing their labor or input.

They're leaders right now, and every elected official should invest in them to build campaigns, platforms, and spaces together. That's what I've been doing for decades.

This endorsement is so special to me.

Our campaign is exactly where it should be, powered by the very people this office is meant to serve.

I am honored to have the support of the California Young Democrats as the only lifelong teacher in this race for California State Superintendent.

This race is still wide open, and I need your help more than ever to keep this momentum going to elect a teacher and the first Black woman to not just lead, but fight boldly and publicly for our California public schools, our students, our teachers, our school staff, and our families.

Thank you, delegates!

At this past weekend’s California Democratic Party Convention, I earned the most votes in the race for State Superintendent of Public Instruction in a crowded field dominated by career politicians without K-12 teaching experience.

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I support AB 469 and policies that expand access to college, and at the same time oppose policies that disrupt, chill, and restrict students’ right to organize, learn, and protest on our campuses, like SB 1287 and AB 715.

We need to fight back against tuition increases, protect Dreamer data privacy, and strengthen the California Dream Act so students are not afraid to complete the FAFSA or seek aid.

Another endorsement! This time from the amazing Cal Berkeley Democrats, who have been registering voters and electing pro-tenant champions to defend democracy and build the next generation of public servants.

As State Superintendent, I will work to enforce statewide nondiscrimination and Title IX protections; ensure access to gender-neutral facilities; hold districts accountable when queer and trans students are failed; prioritize counselors; and support unhoused students through housing partnerships.

Honored to earn the endorsement of Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club, a historic force for queer political power rooted in the truth that our struggles are interconnected. We need more leaders like Supervisor Harvey Milk who are not afraid to call things out, even within our own Democratic Party.

As a teacher, union member, and trustee, I expanded climate and green jobs pathways, secured pay increases for educators and staff, increased Black student enrollment, launched a guaranteed basic income program, and invested in housing, childcare, and mental health support so students can succeed.

Honored to earn the endorsement of the Progressive Democratic Club, one of California’s oldest Democratic clubs & a longtime champion of universal healthcare, climate action, workers’ rights, & immigration justice.

As State Superintendent, I will keep fighting to advance progress for our students.

This is one of the many beautiful social media comments I’ve received since launching my campaign for State Superintendent of Public Instruction.

If you haven’t experienced this, please refrain from telling me how the hell I should feel about anything.

We need to abolish ICE, but just as important, we must protect students’ right to protest and push to allow 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in their local school board elections.

Seeing so many students walk out across the country today to protest ICE and the illegal kidnappings of our families and friends fills me with hope for the future.

Thank you to the Triton Democrats at UC San Diego and all my youth endorsers in this collective fight.

Now isn’t the time to play politics when our students’ futures are on the line. Join me in supporting a teacher for California State Superintendent and standing up to these boys’ clubs.

#Henderson4Schools #TeacherForSuperintendent #CAStateSuperintendent

Public education has been underfunded and neglected for far too long, and we should be listening to our students and putting them first by fully funding public schools, expanding workforce pathways, and protecting academic freedom.

Honored to be endorsed by San Francisco Young Democrats!

It means a lot to me that, in a race that’s all about young people, I have the most support from youth groups.

I thank him for being the wind beneath my wings, the light in my eyes, and the warmth behind my smile. I am because he was. God could not have given me a better man to call Dad.

I’m going to miss you so, so much, Dad.

Because of him, I value service. I am never afraid to stand firmly in what I believe is right, and my integrity will never be called into question out of fear. Like Dr. King, my dad showed compassion and gave grace. His legacy lives in the hearts and minds of everyone who knew him.

He modeled how to make moves without bragging and how to give without expecting. No matter how well we lived, he never made another Black person feel small.

Like Rev. King, my dad knew his children would be plagued by systemic “isms,” and he did all that he could to prepare us to live in a fucked-up world, a world where people would help animals before acknowledging the value of Black life.

Although he was not prepared for his daughter to constantly channel Angela Davis and Nina Simone, he endured it and encouraged each of us to always be ourselves.

I reminisce on his legacy as my father. He raised his children to be independent in thought and ability, to be strong, and to never fear doing the right thing.

And although he loved a good fight, the assassinations of Malcolm X, Dr. King, and JFK left him worried. Still, he was a born leader, and fear never stopped him from standing up for others. As a union leader, he learned how to be heard while keeping lines of communication open.