SDUSD LEADER’S NOMINATION ADVANCES

San Diego Unified School District Superintendent Cindy Marten is one step closer to taking the secondhighest education job in the country.

The U.S. Senate committee that focuses on education voted 14-8 on Wednesday to forward Marten’s nomination as deputy education secretary to the full Senate. The Senate will have the final say in whether to confirm her nomination.

Every Democrat in the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee voted to advance Marten’s nomination. In addition, Republican Sens. Richard Burr of North Carolina, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska voted to advance Marten.

If confirmed, Marten would go from being the leader of California’s secondlargest school district with 97,000 students and a $1.5 billion budget to being the chief operating officer of the U.S. Department of Education, which has a $73.5 billion budget and serves about 50 million K-12 students and 12 million post-secondary students.

Several government, civil and education leaders and groups — including California’s state superintendent, Secretary of State Shirley Weber, the Council of Great City Schools and the national NAACP — have said Marten will make a fine deputy secretary.

But Marten’s nomination has also drawn controversy and concerns from U.S. senators and San Diego parents and community members.

Among their concerns are San Diego Unified’s failure during Marten’s term to close achievement gaps and discipline disparities for Black students, allegations of mishandling of school sexual abuse cases, and allegations of failing to provide proper special education services.

If Marten is confirmed by the Senate, San Diego Unified Area Superintendent Lamont Jackson will serve as the interim superintendent while the school board conducts a search for a permanent successor, who likely won’t be chosen until late this year.