Office of Education executive to run for SLO County superintendent of schools
Michael Specchierla, the executive director at the San Luis Obispo County Office of Education, announced on Tuesday his campaign for SLO County superintendent of schools.
Specchierla is a longtime educator and education leader, a Tuesday news release said. He oversees innovations in education for the county office and is the founder of SLO Partners, an initiative within the office that aims to fill local workforce needs.
Under his campaign slogan “From Preschool to Paycheck — A Future in SLO County,” Specchierla intends to create smooth education pathways that allow students to stay on the Central Coast after they exit the school system.
“When we align early education, K–12 schools and career pathways, everybody wins — students, families, employers and our local economy,” he said in the release. “With the Central Coast’s high cost of living, we must build an educational system that works from preschool to paycheck, so our kids can stay, work and succeed in SLO County.”
If elected, Specchierla would fill the shoes of current superintendent James Brescia, who first stepped into the role in 2014.
Brescia will not seek reelection in November, he confirmed to The Tribune on Tuesday.
Superintendent candidate’s background, goals
Specchierla is an Arroyo Grande resident and a longtime educator, the release said. His two sons graduated from public schools in SLO County.
He founded and serves as the executive director for the SLO Partners initiative, which helps students get extra training to help fill gaps in the local workforce. According to the release, SLO Partners has trained more than 1,000 local residents, resulting in an estimated $15 million in economic impact for SLO County.
He also serves as a board member for the SLO career-technical education foundation, a nonprofit housed under the county office.
If elected, Specchierla would focus on expanding access to career-technical education and dual credit programs, expanding the early childhood learning workforce and ensuring that communities retain local control over their students and classrooms, the release said.
Specchierla’s campaign said he plans to focus on metrics like graduation rates, college enrollment rates and wages.
He also wants to build collaborative relationships with schools, teachers and families to carry out his goals through nonpartisan leadership, his website said.
Those efforts would be in pursuit of creating better outcomes for students and retaining graduates on the Central Coast after they leave school.
“I’ve spent my career working with job creators to build educational systems that connect students with economic opportunity,” he said in the release. “As our next superintendent, I will continue to align our K-12 system with regional economic opportunities — making sure every SLO County student has the ability to find success. That’s what ‘From Preschool to Paycheck’ means — education tied to actual economics and generational success.”
