Superintendent Tom Torlakson

Tom Torlakson was elected in 2010 to a 4-year term as California's State Superintendent of Public Instruction. He has served as a classroom teacher and coach and as a member of the Antioch Council, Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors and the California State Senate and State Assembly. In 1998, Torlakson authored legislation leading to the development of the largest system of afterschool programs in the nation. In 2006, he authored the bill that led to the 300% expansion in these programs so that they now reach 4,000 schools around the state. Born in San Francisco, Torlakson earned the Vietnam Service Medal while serving in the U.S. Merchant Marine. He earned a BA in history, a life secondary teaching credential, and an MA in education from the University of California, Berkeley.