Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass was one of the speakers at the swearing in ceremony for State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond. (photo courtesy of Mayor Karen Bass)

More than 500 educational leaders, school administrators, principals, stage legislators, friends and family members gathered at the historic Cocoanut Grove Theatre at Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools in Los Angeles on Jan. 7 to watch State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond be sworn in to his second term.

Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho kicked off the event with opening remarks, and U.S. Secretary of Education Dr. Miguel Cardona administered the oath of office.

“When I took the job as State Superintendent of Public Instruction, I made it clear that education is the key and gateway to a world of opportunities, especially for our vulnerable students and communities. Today, we are much stronger than we ever have been and have created many historic initiatives to transform our schools and uplift our students,” Thurmond said. “As we turn to the next four years, I ask you to help us keep the promise alive for our six million students in the great state of California.”

“It’s an honor to administer the oath today for Tony Thurmond … for his second four-year term. We come together at a moment of truth for education. Over the last two years, our nation’s children and young people have been recovering from a pandemic that profoundly disrupted their education,” Cardona said. “The good news is this: We have a chance to raise the bar for the country on improving literacy and math, elevating the teaching profession, improving mental health, promoting multilingual education and so much more. Let’s get to work.”

Special guests also included L.A. Mayor Karen Bass, who has a long track record of delivering life-changing resources for the residents of Los Angeles.

“In the city of Los Angeles, we understand the importance of having Tony Thurmond, someone who has overcome incredible odds in his personal journey, at the helm of our public education system in California,” Bass said. “Superintendent Thurmond has dedicated his life to addressing inequities, to celebrating diversity and to creating the conditions to lift up all students, and I couldn’t be more pleased to be here to mark his second term in office.”

State Superintendent Thurmond is responsible for the largest public school system in the nation, with nearly six million students and more than 10,000 schools. Since taking office in 2019, he has created and championed historic initiatives to close the opportunity gap and to improve equity and access for California’s public school students while supporting families, educators and local educational agencies.