Sonja Shaw, who presides over the Chino Valley Unified School District board and is a candidate for California superintendent of public instruction, has openly embraced being labeled a "real threat" by a prominent teachers' union. Shaw maintains that her platform, centered on prioritizing students and families, directly challenges what she characterizes as the union's "socialist agenda."
Union's Concerns and Candidate's Response
A recent audio recording captured a woman describing Shaw as a "real threat" and discussing strategies to prevent a "MAGA lady" from taking a leadership role in public education. The individual in the recording also cautioned that Shaw's election "would cause a huge problem for us." The California Post identified the speaker as Julie Van Winkle, who serves as the vice president of the United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) AFT chapter.
Shaw indicated that this criticism would not sway her approach in the statewide election.
"If putting children and families first is a ‘huge problem’ for their agenda, that tells you everything you need to know. I won’t back down," Shaw asserted. "They just admitted it. I’m a ‘real threat’ to their socialist agenda. Parents over politics. Kids over ideology. Girls over boys in their sports and locker rooms. Keep calling me a threat. I’ll keep being one."
Focus on Academic Performance
A central part of Shaw’s campaign involves her criticism of the academic performance within the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). She has accused UTLA of safeguarding the existing educational structure rather than prioritizing student academic achievements.
Official assessment results from the California Department of Education lend credence to Shaw’s concerns regarding LAUSD’s academic outcomes. According to 2025 testing data, 46.46% of LAUSD students met or exceeded the state standard in English language arts, and only 36.76% met or exceeded the standard in mathematics. This means roughly 53.5% of students did not achieve the ELA standard, and 63.2% did not meet the math standard.
Significant Union Spending Against Shaw
The UTLA has publicly endorsed Richard Barrera, the current president of the San Diego Unified School District Board, as Shaw’s opponent for the superintendent role. The union stated that Barrera possesses a "proven commitment" to collaborating with educators and families and called for a superintendent who would work alongside unions on issues of education funding.
Organized labor has also committed substantial financial resources to support Barrera’s campaign. Data compiled by CalMatters from the California Secretary of State indicates that as of September 15, the California Teachers Association Independent Expenditure Committee had spent $5,057,539 in support of Barrera. In contrast, reported outside spending for Shaw’s campaign stood at $10,000.
Corey DeAngelis, a research fellow at The Heritage Foundation, commented on the leaked audio, suggesting it provided a significant boost to Shaw’s campaign.
"This leaked audio is the best endorsement Sonja Shaw could’ve ever received. When a power-hungry teachers union that fights to protect itself at the expense of kids calls you an existential threat to their socialist agenda, you’re officially over the target," DeAngelis remarked.
Furthermore, a supporter of Shaw noted the political context surrounding the superintendent's office. The supporter stated, "We knew [Sonja Shaw] was causing good trouble when [Gavin Newsom] stripped the office she's running for of most of its power," referencing reported actions by Governor Gavin Newsom to reduce the authority of the position Shaw seeks.
