California Superintendent Candidate Faces Criticism from Teachers Union

Conservative candidate Sonja Shaw, aiming to become California’s superintendent, is receiving backlash from the United Teachers Los Angeles union (UTLA). Shaw commented on the incident after a video allegedly showed a union leader referring to her as a ‘real threat,’ warning of problems if she were elected.

Shaw, who presides over the Chino Valley Unified School District board, highlighted low student achievement scores in Los Angeles. She accused UTLA of prioritizing educational systems over student success. ‘I’m not surprised the Los Angeles teachers union sees me as a threat,’ Shaw stated. She pointed out that more than half of students struggle with reading, and nearly two-thirds find math challenging. Shaw criticized UTLA for maintaining systems that yield these results.

Recent data from the California Department of Education supports Shaw’s claims. In 2025, 46.46% of students in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) met or surpassed state standards in English language arts, while 36.76% did so in mathematics. This means 53.5% fell short of the English standard, and 63.2% did not meet the math standard.

Shaw was adamant that criticism would not deter her efforts. ‘The fact they see prioritizing children and families as a huge problem tells you everything,’ she said. She outlined her agenda, emphasizing children over political ideologies and traditional gender roles in sports and locker rooms.

Corey DeAngelis from The Heritage Foundation released the clip showing union opposition to Shaw. In it, a woman described Shaw negatively, specifically calling out her ‘MAGA’ association and warning of difficulties if she won the office. The speaker was identified as Julie Van Winkle, UTLA’s vice president.

UTLA endorsed Shaw’s competitor, Richard Barrera, with considerable financial backing. CalMatters reported that the California Teachers Association spent over five million dollars supporting Barrera, compared to a much smaller sum supporting Shaw.

Shaw received support from the Los Angeles County Republican Party Chair, Roxanne Hoge. Hoge linked the union controversy to efforts by Gov. Gavin Newsom to limit the power of the superintendent’s office, suggesting Shaw’s campaign is influential.

Fox News Digital reached out to UTLA and Gov. Newsom’s office for responses. CJ Womack, an associate editor at Fox News Digital, emphasized the importance of journalism in political discourse. Womack graduated from Long Beach State University with a degree in Political Science and Journalism.