During a debate for the position of superintendent in California, candidate Sonja Shaw criticized her opponent Richard Barrera for opposing standardized testing. Shaw argued that reducing standards is detrimental to students’ academic preparedness and mental health, citing low reading and math proficiency rates as evidence. In contrast, Barrera supported the move by UC and CSU systems to phase out standardized tests like the SAT, arguing they do not improve instruction quality but instead exclude certain students from university admissions.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-08,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Why this leaning score
The model judged this article politically coded and scored it +0.65, but 2 quote(s) could not be found in the article and the other 2 are attributed speech rather than the article's own narration, so the score is not published.
Written under an earlier scoring contract, which gave a paragraph
rather than checkable quotes. Re-analysing this article replaces it.
Leaning score withheld for article 66761: no verified evidence · logged 2026-10-08
Superintendent candidate Sonja Shaw called out her opponent during Wednesday night’s debate over the state’s dismal reading and math scores, as well as the University of California and California State University systems’ decision to move away from standardized testing.
asserted
Shaw → call → testing
“We need to stop lowering the bar.
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We → need → bar
We need to keep the bar high.
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We → need → bar
This is a mental health crisis that adults are responsible for right now,” Shaw said during the debate against her Democratic opponent, Richard Barrera.
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Shaw → say → opponent
“It’s an absolute cry for help.
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It → ’ → help
It’s not ‘being nice’ to our kids to move them on,” she said of low reading and math skills in public schools — and the consequences students face when they reach college unprepared.
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they → move → college
“Then you have professors signing letters saying, ‘California kids are not ready, guys.
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kids → have → letters
They can’t do algebra.
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They → do → algebra
They can’t read, they can’t comprehend,” Shaw, who currently serves as president of the Chino Valley Unified School District, added.
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who → read → District
Barrera, who has been backed by numerous teachers unions, said he did not want to “point fingers” at university teachers.
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he → back → teachers
When asked whether he supported a professor-led push to reinstate the SAT, Barrera said the test itself would not solve the underlying problem.
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test → ask → problem
“The SAT doesn’t do anything to improve math instruction.
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SAT → do → instruction
All it does is exclude students from getting into our CSUs and our UCs,” he said.
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he → do → CSUs
The University of California stopped using the SAT in admissions in 2020, while the California State University system followed in 2022, amid legal challenges, equity concerns and a broader shift toward test-optional and test-blind admissions policies.
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system → stop → policies
Last year, more than 800 UC professors and STEM department chairs signed an open letter calling for the SAT and ACT to be reinstated, arguing the tests could identify preparation gaps before students enter college.
“Failing to measure preparation gaps does not remove barriers; it moves them into the classroom,” the professors wrote.
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professors → sign → classroom
Barrera argues that addressing those gaps also requires UC and CSU faculty to work with high school math teachers to align curriculum and expectations.
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addressing → argue → curriculum
Shaw takes the exact opposite view, arguing that the problems now facing higher education are largely the result of students not receiving adequate preparation in K-12 schools.
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problems → take → schools
“You can push them in that direction, but make sure they’re ready,” she said.
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she → push → direction
“We shouldn’t be lowering the bar.
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We → lower → bar
Barrera disagreed.
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Barrera → disagree → ?
“I went to the University of California.
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I → go → California
I am seeing the same sink-or-swim attitude on the part of a lot of faculty that existed 30, 40 years ago,” Barrera, the current president of the San Diego Unified School District, said.
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Barrera → see → District
California’s latest assessment results show that the majority of students remain below proficiency.
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majority → show → proficiency
Despite modest gains, large numbers of California students are still leaving school without mastering essential reading, writing and math skills.
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numbers → leave → skills
Beyond test scores, the candidates clashed over school choice, vouchers and charter schools, funding and district finances, teacher pay and retention, parental rights, LGBTQ+ students and transgender athletes, bullying, classroom politics and whether public schools should receive billions of dollars in additional state funding.
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schools → clash → funding
The Post reached out to both candidates for comment on how they thought they performed.
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they → reach → comment
Barrera did not respond.
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Barrera → respond → ?
“This debate highlighted the clear differences between Richard and myself, and they’re not subtle,” Shaw told the Post.
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Shaw → highlight → Post
“He invoked Donald Trump in nearly every speaking window because he knows he cannot match me on the issues or the results.
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he → invoke → issues
He tried to turn this into a referendum on a controversial president,” she added.
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she → try → president
In the June 2026 primary, Shaw led with about 24.5% to 24.9% of the vote, while came in second with roughly 18.9% to 19.3%.
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Shaw → lead → %
Ballots have begun to be mailed to California voters, with Election Day set for Nov. 3, 2026.
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Day → begin → Nov.
The Aporia
