(Editor’s note: Sonya Shaw is an educational reformer and the frontrunner running to become the Superintendent of Instruction of California. She will be speaking Friday and Saturday in Santa Barbara County: see flyers below for more information.)

Dear Sonja,

I’m Christy Lozano — a 19-year classroom teacher in Santa Barbara Unified School District, Air For…

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(Ms. Lozano’s challenge to Susan Salcido for the position of Santa Barbara Superintendent of Schools SBUSD has been stymied by Joe Holland, the Registrar of Voters, and others who have – at this point – successfully removed Christy’s name from the June Primary ballot.)

In my last article (“They’re Trying to Kick me Off the Ballot Again,” SBCurrent, 25 March 2026), I told the story of how the “people in charge” aka, this time, the Registrar of Voters, Joe Holland, were attempting to take the choice of SBUSD Superintendent from voters.

I said I would do my due diligence to ensure that did not happen, and unfortunately to my dismay, it has.

I was able to secure the counsel of one of the best attorney organizations I have ever come into contact with: Advocates for Faith and Freedom. This organization won the right to refuse the Covid vaccine for the teachers of Santa Barbara, saved our jobs, and protected the children of Santa Barbara in 2021 when Santa Barbara Unified issued a vaccine mandate.

The case to get my name back on the ballot was heard on April 8 in Santa Barbara Superior Court by Judge Colleen Sterne, who also presided over the lawsuit filed against me in 2022.

The first step was for Advocates for Faith and Freedom to send a letter to Joe Holland at the elections office. The letter demanded the immediate reinstatement of my name onto the ballot for the June 2026 Statewide Direct Primary Election.

They argued that the decision made by Mr. Holland’s office on March 9, 2026, to disqualify me from candidacy for the position of Santa Barbara County Superintendent of Schools is legally incorrect, stating that I met all necessary qualifications under California Education Code § 1208, holding a valid Administrative Services Credential.

The letter emphasizes that my credential allows me to seek employment in an administrative position and that recent legislative changes (Assembly Bill 872) do not limit my eligibility; it only clarifies that I am eligible. It also references a prior court ruling that upheld my candidacy, asserting that election statutes should be interpreted in favor of ballot access.

Further, in 2022, the Santa Barbara Superior Court (Case No. 22CV01113, Hon. Colleen M. Sterne) rejected an identical challenge to my credentials, denied a petition for writ of mandate, and allowed my candidacy to proceed.

That ruling remains persuasive and is consistent with California law requiring that election statutes be liberally construed in favor of ballot access, with any doubts resolved in favor of the candidate and voters.

The authors demanded reinstatement by April 6, 2026, warning that failure to comply will lead to legal action, including possible recovery of legal fees.

Joe Holland’s Response

Holland states that, per Elections Code Section 13.5, candidates must submit documentation that demonstrates they meet all qualifications established for the office. He posited that the amended Education Code requires county superintendents to possess either a preliminary or clear administrative credential, but that I had only submitted a Certificate of Eligibility, which does not meet this requirement.

The letter further details the minimum requirements for obtaining an administrative credential and highlights that a Certificate of Eligibility is issued only when a candidate has completed all but one requirement, which involves securing an employment offer in an administrative role.

What Holland fails to acknowledge is that if I am elected that is the offer of employment. There is no further requirement for me to fulfill the role of Superintendent.

Petition for Writ filed April 6. Court Hearing April 8.

The document is a Petition for Writ of Mandate filed by me and represented by Julianne Fleischer from the Advocates for Faith & Freedom, seeking to include my name on the ballot for the June 2, 2026, Statewide Direct Primary Election as a candidate for County Superintendent of Schools in Santa Barbara County.

Key Points

1) Background: I submitted my declaration of candidacy and supporting documents, including a Certificate of Eligibility for administrative services, but was disqualified by County Registrar Joseph Holland on March 9, 2026.

2) Legal Basis: The petition argues that I meet all qualifications under California Education Code § 1208 and that my Certificate of Eligibility qualifies me to seek election. The petition asserts that the decision to disqualify me is erroneous and must be reversed.

3) Priority of the Case: Under California Election Code §13314(a)(3), this petition is entitled to priority over other civil matters due to its nature involving ballot placement.

4) Qualifications: The petition details my educational background and extensive experience in teaching, emphasizing my qualifications for the position. It also states that a Certificate of Eligibility should be considered valid for candidacy. It was valid for both me in 2022 and for Abernathy vs. Tuolumne County Registrar of Voters in 2022, when Mr. Abernathy sued the Registrar of Voters because they did not accept his Certificate of Eligibility.

In the Abernathy case, he won his lawsuit, got his name on the ballot, and won his election by 100 votes.

5) Judicial Precedents: The document references a previous court case (Culver v. County of Santa Barbara) which upheld my candidacy on similar grounds, arguing that the current disqualification contradicts that ruling in 2022.

6) Request for Relief: The petition requests a writ of mandate to order the inclusion of my name on the ballot, as well as an award of costs and attorney fees if the petition is opposed.

7) Conclusion: The petition emphasizes the importance of my right to seek public office and argues that failure to reinstate me will cause irreparable harm.

Outcome

Judge Colleen Sterne shifted from her previous position of keeping my name on the ballot in 2022 – with the exact same qualifications for the exact same position – to denying the Writ of Mandate for the Registrar of Voters to “allow” me to run. Judge Sterne did not give clear reasoning, but simply stated that “something must have changed,” so she went along with the Registrar of Voters. The judge took the easy road, did not look into the details of the case, did not deliver justice, and did not do the right thing for me or the voters of Santa Barbara County.

The question is:

Why?

Joe Holland also did not do the right thing, and did not serve justice. He did the easy thing. He is listening to whoever is advising him and he is going along with it.

Is this what the people of Santa Barbara County elected Joe Holland to do?

In 2022, the Santa Barbara Superior Court (Case No. 22CV01113, Hon. Colleen M. Sterne) rejected an identical challenge to my credentials, denied a petition for writ of mandate, and allowed my candidacy to proceed.

That ruling remains persuasive and is consistent with California law requiring that election statutes be liberally construed in favor of ballot access, with any doubts resolved in favor of the candidate and voters.

Holland did not do that.

Furthermore, both the Registrar of Voters and the elections office have refused to refund the $3191.00 filing fee, even though they refused to accept my application to run for Superintendent.

As of now, Ms. Salcido gets to hold on to her position and the Registrar of Voters gets to hold on to my money, without opposition, as Susan Salcido will be the only name on the ballot.

But this isn’t ending here.

My fight continues.

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On March 6th, I filed to run for Santa Barbara County Superintendent of Schools. I paid the $3,191 filing fee. Almost immediately, Elections official Joe Holland notified me that I was disqualified.

My credential was suddenly “invalid” because of rules changed in 2024.

This is the second time the system has tried to erase me for exposing what they’re doing to our kids.

Back in 2021, I spoke out at board meetings against vaccine mandates and hidden failures in the schools. They issued a Letter of Reprimand; accused me of lying.

I wasn’t.

The principal and assistant principals at Dos Pueblos High School made my life hell—until finally I was given a “constructive termination,” as lawyers called it.

In January 2022, I released a video revealing the “Password Protected Portal”—Santa Barbara Unified’s secret DEI, CRT, and LGBTQ curriculum hidden from parents of preschoolers through high school seniors. The video went viral, hit one million views. Laura Ingraham featured it on Fox News and interviewed me.

That’s when the real retaliation began.

They blocked my requested transfer to Adams Elementary despite my seniority. An administrator’s wife leaked my private sick-leave details to the local paper. HR denied every transfer request to open positions I qualified for. In August 2022, they involuntarily “resigned” me for not returning to a hostile Dos Pueblos.

My career, benefits, and retirement—gone.

I put out dozens of applications for principal and teaching jobs across the county.

The result: silence.

I dared to challenge the status quo.

The status quo came out for blood.

When I first ran for County Superintendent in 2022, a cannabis lobbyist sued to remove me from the ballot, fronting for insiders tied to the county superintendent’s office.

We won in Superior Court.

Judge Colleen Sterne ruled that my credential would activate if elected. I even helped another candidate in another county win the same fight and his election.

Now the same Joe Holland—who was a defendant in that lawsuit—has booted me off the ballot again, citing a post-2024 rule tweak as the excuse.

This isn’t about qualifications. I am fully qualified for the position. It’s punishment for blowing the whistle on the insidious indoctrination and parental exclusion the current administration is promoting. It’s about redirecting millions of dollars out of the untouchable bureaucracy’s pockets to be refocused on meaningful educational outcomes.

Parents everywhere recognize this playbook:

Hide the curriculum,

Punish the truth-tellers,

Protect the machine.

Teachers who put kids first get destroyed. Career sabotage and repeated ballot blocks scream one message: “Shut up, or we’ll ruin you.”

But I won’t “Shut up.”

Santa Barbara County schools belong to families, not ideologues and their political protectors. Schools belong to communities and families whose children are entrusted to their care.

Publicly funded schools don’t belong to the radicalized teachers’ union. They don’t belong to smug and untouchable bureaucrats who manipulate their highly paid positions for their own selfish ends, rather than for improvements in educational standards so sorely lacking. Results that this nest of incompetent “administrators” has failed to deliver, particularly over the past decade.

From this teacher, the Salcido administration and a compliant teachers’ union have tried to take everything they can. But I am not backing down and I am not cowering. I am here to fight for our children’s futures.

I am asking for your help.

Here’s what I need:

Legal assistance with the courage to go up against a sclerotic bureaucracy that will do anything to hang on to its power and privilege. Legal assistance willing to challenge my ballot disqualification and fight for my – and everyone else’s – right to run for elected office.

If they can rig the ballot against me again, it will prove to them that they can silence any parent or educator who publicly objects to the radical curriculum they’re pushing.

The fight for our children’s minds starts with rejecting these self-serving gatekeepers.

I welcome any financial support, shares, and encouragement from those who believe parents deserve a voice. Above all, I ask for your prayers that justice and truth will prevail.

You can reach out to me at Vote4christylozano@gmail.com or (805) 252-3785.

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Santa Barbara County schools have immense potential, yet the school system and its all-but-useless administration continues to fail its residents and tragically, its schoolchildren. After nearly a decade under the current “leadership” (if one could call it that), why would anyone vote to keep the status quo?

Our county oversees 70,000 students across 20 districts and 10 charters, with a County Office budget of $85 million (expanding to $150 million including pass-throughs). Yet despite this substantial funding, academic outcomes remain pathetic, bureaucracy has ballooned and is out of control, and resources are misdirected toward administrative perks and padded payrolls rather than to classrooms.

Look At The Numbers

In Santa Maria-Bonita, English proficiency sits at just 25%, with math even lower—disproportionately harming majority-Hispanic families who rely on public schools for upward mobility.

In Santa Barbara Unified (61% low-income students), recent data shows English proficiency at around 52% and math at 41%, with glaring disparities (for example, 68% at La Colina Junior High vs. 33% at Santa Barbara Junior High).

Hispanic students in SBUSD achieve only 22% English proficiency. Post-pandemic recovery? Minimal—a mere 2% gain in English amid a decade-long enrollment drop of 2,000 students.

College and career readiness lags badly: 60% in SBUSD and just 41% in Santa Maria Joint Union High, with Santa Maria High near the national bottom.

Although graduation rates seem acceptable (92% in SBUSD, 90% at Santa Maria High), too many of those graduates leave school unprepared for college, career, or even life beyond high school.

Where is the money going? SBUSD’s $229 million budget equates to about $17,160 per pupil, yet only $77 million goes to teachers’ salaries;

$30 million funds administrative support,

$36 million covers benefits,

$18 million pays for “consultants.”

Indirect costs have risen 29%, siphoning over $2 million away from direct student needs. At the County Office (833 employees), top administrators earn up to $407,228 annually, while entry-level teachers start at $55,000–$60,000 (averaging $118,000 countywide). This top-heavy structure prioritizes bureaucratic expansion over academic results.

Add in neglected maintenance of buildings and grounds—schools crumbling while dollars flow to overhead—and costly scandals that drain millions: a $25 million settlement from the Justin Sell sexual abuse case in SBUSD (where warnings were ignored and implicated administrators were promoted), plus a 2024 lawsuit alleging negligence in Steven Schapansky‘s secret recordings of children over six years, implicating SBUSD, a charter, and county oversight. These failures erode trust and waste funds that could and should support teachers and students.

We’ve Had Enough.

Santa Barbara County deserves a superintendent who solves problems, not one who manages decline.

As a 20-year veteran public school teacher in our county classrooms, a U.S. Air Force veteran, and a dedicated mother, I’ve spent my career helping students unlock their strengths and overcome obstacles

As your County Superintendent, I’ll cut the fat: slash redundant administrative roles and indirect costs, redirect those savings directly to classrooms. We’ll raise entry-level teacher pay to $70,000+ with targeted bonuses for high-need schools (like Santa Barbara Junior High or Santa Maria elementaries), reduce class sizes, expand evidence-based tutoring, upgrade technology, and implement proven programs like the science of reading and early math interventions—aiming to push countywide proficiency above 60%.

Safety and well-being come first: stronger protections against abuse, expanded mental health services, clear smartphone limits, and transparent curricula that involve parents as true partners without division. We’ll prioritize building and grounds maintenance so students learn in safe, functional environments—not crumbling facilities.

My classroom experience—from coaching soccer at San Marcos High to inspiring students like Felix (who ran 100 miles as a first-grader) and Melody (who conquered a 5K through grit)—proves engagement works when leadership supports it. We’ll build on that with positive strategies, involved students, and strong family partnerships.

Santa Barbara County is unique. Our schools should be world-class—not stuck in mediocrity. After decades in education, I’m ready to deliver results, not more excuses. Our children’s futures depend on bold change.

I’m running for County Superintendent of Schools to end the excuses and deliver real results through transparency, accountability, and a laser focus on students and teachers.

Join me. Vote for fresh leadership that puts students and teachers first.

Learn more at www.ChristyLozano.com. Or reach out to me directly at Vote4christylozano@gmail.com or (805) 252-3785

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Community Calendar:

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Santa Barbara Conservative Republican Club Features Former Democrat Speaker

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Identity Politics is the basis of unfathomable division, confusion, and polarization in the USA today. The central propagators of this massive subterranean political movement are our state and local public schools, especially here in Santa Barbara. Most people are unaware of the conditioning and brainwashing that takes place in modern education that rad…

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Is anyone seriously interested in solving the epidemic of student sexual abuse at Santa Barbara Unified?  If so, we need to start asking uncomfortable questions and digging much deeper into “The Dirty, Disgusting Dozen”, the 12 publicly disclosed cases o…

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A jury recently awarded $25 million in civil damages against Santa Barbara Unified, the largest sexual abuse school settlement in Santa Barbara history. And more such mega suits  may be on their way. Over the past 15 years, nearly a dozen known sexual abuse allegations involving Santa Barbara Unified School District teachers and/or e…

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