Where do the candidates stand on barriers to Equity in Educational Access & Success ? 

Education is a powerful catalyst for opportunity - but not everyone in the United States has equal opportunity to access high quality educational settings, and to succeed. Those who have been historically marginalized on the basis of gender, race, ethnicity, class, sexual orientation, language, and ability continue to encounter systemic obstacles that threaten educational access and equity at every level. This may include: 

• Out of Pocket Costs for Advanced Degrees. Congressional proposals to cut access to Pell Grants and eliminate Graduate PLUS loans threaten to make graduate education even less attainable.

• Lack of Representation in STEM. Women, especially women of color, remain significantly underrepresented in STEM disciplines. Women earn just 22% of engineering doctorates, limiting access to high-growth, high-paying careers.

• Lack of Representation in Curricula. In recent years, a nationwide wave of laws and policies has sought to restrict curricula addressing race, gender, and LGBTQ+ topics - creating hostile school environments, stigmatizing marginalized youth, and leading to a whitewashed, incomplete education. 

• Rollbacks for Existing Inclusion & Equity Support. Equity and inclusion was already an issue in higher education; however, at the federal level, the current administration has aggressively moved to dismantle existing support for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, research, and programs targeting marginalized faculty, staff, and students in colleges and universities. 

For the Gubernatorial Race, the following issue areas related to Equity in Education were assessed: 

• Does the candidate support protecting and increasing equity in educational access and success, overall?

• Does the candidate support increasing funding for college affordability programs, including expansion of Cal Grants and student loan forgiveness options?

• Does the candidate support investment in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education for women and girls?

• Does the candidate support ensuring diverse and historically accurate curricula while supporting diverse faculty, students, and staff members?

For the Congressional Races, the following issue areas related to Equity in Education were assessed: 

• Does the candidate support increasing funding for college affordability programs like Pell Grants and student loan cancellation programs?

• Does the candidate support investing in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education for women and girls?

For the State Superintendent of Public Instruction Race, the following issue areas related to Equity in Education were assessed: 

• Does the candidate support adequate and equitable funding for public education including infrastructure?

• Does the candidate support civics instruction in all California high schools?

• Does the candidate support accountability for school boards' compliance with legal requirements?

• Does the candidate oppose state funding for private schools?

Candidates' positions on Equity in Education were determined based publicly available information, such as press statements, voting records (in California or Federally), and campaign materials.  All candidates were given the opportunity to respond directly to a member of AAUW California's Public Policy team. Candidates' positions on Equity in Education were then scored using the scale below, which gauges candidates' degree of alignment with AAUW California's public policy priorities and positions on Equity in Education. If candidate responses or public records show that said candidate strongly opposes a key policy or topic within a larger issue area (e.g., does not support policy that expands civil rights for all people), we have placed them in an “oppose” position to the entire issue area (e.g., protection of civil rights). See the home page for more information about our methods. 

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