SLO County superintendent of education candidate drops out of race
A man who announced his campaign for superintendent of San Luis Obispo County schools in January just pulled out of the race.
According to a Tuesday news release, SLO County Office of Education executive Michael Specchierla will not run for the top SLO County education office in November. Specchierla currently works in the county office as an executive supporting innovation in education and workforce training.
“After careful consideration, I have decided to withdraw from the race for San Luis Obispo County Superintendent of Schools and continue focusing my work on expanding career technical education and workforce pathways for students across our region,” Specchierla said in the release. “Connecting education to real careers has been the focus of my work for years, and I believe the greatest impact I can make right now is continuing to build and grow programs that prepare students for good-paying jobs here on the Central Coast.”
Specchierla expressed gratitude for the support he had received in the weeks since launching his campaign.
“I am optimistic about the future of our county’s education system, and know that our next leaders will continue to advocate for programs that move the needle locally,” he wrote.
Specchierla’s exit from the race leaves SLO County Office of Education executive Joe Koski as the remaining candidate for the office.
The position has been held since 2014 by longtime superintendent James Brescia, who announced he will retire at the end of his current term.
Koski also announced his bid for the elected office in January.
