“If you believe in student-first leadership and strong public schools, please join me in this campaign.”
“If you believe in student-first leadership and strong public schools, please join me in this campaign.”
Priorities
As Superintendent of Schools, my focus will always be ensuring Ventura County has strong public schools. With your vote, we can deliver real results for our students, teachers, staff, and families.
Strong Public Schools with Real Accountability
Protecting local control while assisting with transparency and results, and being a supportive leader for local school districts – like a County Superintendent should.
A Thriving Educator Workforce
Recruiting, retaining, and supporting educators through competitive pay, collective bargaining, mentoring, and pipeline programs.
Whole-child, Whole-family Supports
Community schools, wraparound services, mental health and wellness, and strong nutrition/farm-to-school programs
Equity & Access for Every Learner
Timely, inclusive special education (IEP/504) and strong transition services that deliver long-term outcomes
Student Success & Readiness
Improved attendance and engagement, early literacy/academic acceleration, and robust CTE, dual enrollment, and career-connected pathways in safe, inclusive campuses and modern facilities.
About Karen
I am an award-winning educator with 30 years in the classroom, experience as California’s Statewide Director of Teacher Recruitment, and 12 years as a school board trustee for the largest school district in Ventura County.
I’m also a mom, teacher advocate, and lifelong public servant who believes deeply in strong public schools and putting students, families, and teachers & school communties first.
Ventura County is my home.
I attended Redwood Middle School and graduated from Westlake High School before spending three decades teaching middle school English in Oxnard. I’ve worked with educators and families across the county, from Fillmore to Simi Valley and Ojai to Port Hueneme, to deliver real results for students.
For the past three years, I’ve served as Director of Teacher Recruitment for the California Department of Education.
Our county needs steady, transparent leadership focused on outcomes for kids.
As Superintendent, my priorities include fully funded schools, supporting educators, whole-child supports, equity for every learner, and strong career pathways.
I’m ready to lead on Day One and put students first, always.
Tony Thurmond
California State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Fiona Ma
State Treasurer
Kathy Long
Ventura County Supervisor (ret.)
Christy Smith
State Assemblymember (ret.)
Josh Fryday
Chief Service Officer of California
Frank Lima
General Secretary-Treasurer
International Association of Fire Fighters
Josh Chancer
Ventura County Community College Trustee
Tie Gutierrez
Thousand Oaks City Council
Christina Reyes Villaseñor
Fillmore City Council & former Mayor of Fillmore
Bobby Martinez
City Council & Mayor of Port Hueneme (ret.)
Rachel Lang
Mayor Pro Tem of Ojai
Laura Hernandez
Mayor Pro Tem of Port Hueneme, former Mayor
Luis McArthur
Mayor of Oxnard & former School Resource Officer
Dr. Martha McQueen-Legohn
Mayor of Port Hueneme
Albert Mendez
Mayor of Fillmore
Carl Morehouse
Mayor of Ventura (ret.)
Dr. Martita Martinez-Bravo
Vice Mayor of Camarillo
Susan Santangelo
Camarillo City Council & former Mayor of Camarillo
Ryyn Schumacher
Ventura City Council
Ruth Luevanos
Simi Valley City Councilwoman (ret.)
Gabe Teran
Oxnard Mayor Pro Tem
Alesia Martin
Rio School District Trustee
Sofya Bagdasaryan
Simi Valley Unified School District Trustee (ret.)
Jess Lopez
Port Hueneme City Council & former Mayor Pro Tem
Dr. Joe Mendoza
Ventura County Office of Education, Director of Migrant Education (ret.)
Dr. Roger Rice
Ventura Unified School District Superintendent (ret.)
Pedro Chavez
Santa Paula Council & former Mayor
Sabrena Rodriguez
Ventura Unified School District Trustee
“Trustworthy, supportive, a true public servant, Karen Sher will work for our schools to ensure they succeed at their highest level. Karen’s passion for education is infectious as you hear whenever you meet her. She believes in the promise of a good education to enrich lives and change futures for the good. She fights for transparency in government at all levels, integrity as a core principle for leadership, and experience that is learned and earned. It’s time for a real change, a change for the future of our children. I am proud to support Karen Sher for Ventura County Superintendent of Schools.”
I’m proud to announce my support for Karen Sher’s candidacy for Ventura County Superintendent of Schools. Having served as both a District Superintendent and as Deputy Superintendent at the County Office of Education, I know the importance of providing the highest level of support to local schools and districts. During my research, I spoke to numerous current Superintendents and that is what they mentioned needing the most in these challenging times. I believe Karen will dedicate herself to making such support her top priority. That is why I am supporting Karen Sher for Ventura County Superintendent of Schools.
Her decades of experience as an educator and school board leader, combined with her commitment to equity and ensuring all students have access to quality education, make her the leader our communities need. Karen listens and leads thoughtfully, bringing the impact and direction Ventura County schools deserve, especially in critical times like these."
“Karen Sher is a dedicated veteran teacher and education leader. She is passionate about the students she serves, and works tirelessly to meet their needs. As a servant leader she is willing to do the hard work that our county needs and our students deserve. I am happy to endorse Karen Sher for Ventura County Superintendent of Schools.”
“Karen will bring a unique combination of a classroom educator, a local school board member, and a statewide policy maker to the role of County Superintendent. I have worked closely with Karen on issues including developing affordable housing for families and educators, to protecting our immigrant students, to recruiting and retaining high quality teachers. Karen is an innovator, a problem solver, and most importantly a champion for public education. Students throughout Ventura County will thrive with Karen as Superintendent.”
State Level
- Eleni Kounalakis, Lieutenant Governor of California
- Tony Thurmond, California State Superintendent of Public Instruction
- Al Maratsuchi, Assembly Member AD66, Chair, State Assembly Education Committee
- Josh Fryday, California Chief Service Officer & GO-Serve Director
- Fiona Ma, California State Treasurer
- Senator Ben Allen
- Assemblymember Gregg Hart
- Jane Kim
Alameda County
- Malia Vella, Alameda Vice Mayor (ret.)
Contra Costa County
- Abel Pineda, San Pablo City Council
Cupertino
- Ava Chiao, Cupertino Union School District Trustee
Glendale
- Telly Tse, Glendale Union School District Trustee
- Ingrid Gunnell, Glendale Union School District Trustee
Los Angeles County
- Christy Smith, Assembly Member AD38 (ret.)
- Malinda Hurley - Alta Loma School District Trustee
Orange County
- Tina Gustin-Gurney, Vice President, Westminster School District Trustee
Pasadena
- Patrice Marshall McKenzie, Pasadena Unified School District Trustee
Riverside County
- Nancy Young, Murieta School District Trustee
Salinas
- Nathalia Carrillo, President, Salinas Unified High School District Trustee
- Monica Lujan, Vice President, Salinas Unified High School District Trustee
- Angela De Ramos, Salinas City Elementary School District Trustee (ret.)
- Vanessa Robinson, Salinas City Elementary School District Trustee
San Diego
- Richard Barrera, President, San Diego Unified School District Trustee & Senior Policy Advisor to SSPI Thurmond.
- Miriam Aguilar Escobar, CTA State Council (ret.)
Santa Barbara
- Dr. Charlotte Gullap-Moore, DNP, Santa Barbara Community College District Trustee
- Cathy Murillo, Mayor of Santa Barbara (ret.)
Sonoma County
- Ever Flores, Santa Rosa City Schools BOE (ret.)
Ventura County
- Kathy Long, Ventura County Supervisor (ret.)
- Dr. Chuck Weis, VC Superintendent of Schools (ret.)
- Dianne McKay, Ventura County Community College District Trustee (ret.)
- Dr. Valerie Chrisman, VCOE Deputy Superintendent, Ed Services (ret.)
- Dr. Roger Rice, VCOE Associate Superintendent (ret.); Superintendent, Ventura Unified School District (ret.)
- Jeremy Resnick, VCOE Director of Curriculum and Instruction (ret.)
- Josh Chancer, Ventura County Community College District Trustee
Camarillo
- Dr. Martita Martinez-Bravo, Vice Mayor, City Council
- Susan Santangelo, City Council
- Bev Dransfeldt, Pleasant Valley Rec & Park Board of Directors
- Jordan Roberts, Pleasant Valley Rec & Park Board of Directors (ret.)
- Doug McDowell, Pleasant Valley School District Trustee
Fillmore
- Albert Mendez, Fillmore Mayor
- Christina Reyes Villaseñor, Fillmore City Council
- Brian Sipes, Fillmore City Council (ret.)
Ojai
- Betsy Stix, Mayor (ret.)
- Rachel Lang, City Council
- Kathi Smith, Ojai Unified School District Trustee (ret.)
- Shelly Griffen, Ojai Unified School District Trustee (ret.)
- Rebecca Chandler, Ojai Unified School District Trustee (ret.)
Oxnard
- Luis McArthur, Mayor
- John Zaragoza, Oxnard Mayor (ret.); VC Board of Supervisors (ret.)
- Gardy Borromeo, VP, CTA Asian & Pacific Islander Caucus
- Jason Hodge, President, Oxnard Harbor Commission
- Gabe Teran, Oxnard Mayor Pro Tem
- Michaela Perez, City Council
- Gabriela Rodriguez, City Council
- Gabriela Basua, City Council
- Genevieve Flores-Haro, Associate Director, Mixteco/Indígena Community Organizing Project; Oxnard Union High
- School District Trustee
- Linda Baker Torres, Oxnard Union High School District Trustee
- Dr. Gary Davis, Oxnard Union High School District Trustee & former OUHSD Superintendent (ret.)
- Denis O’Leary, Oxnard Elementary School District Trustee (ret.)
- Mary Anne Rooney, Port of Hueneme
- Dr. Joe Mendoza, VCOE Director, Migrant Education (ret.)
- Dr. Debra Salgado, Oxnard Union High School District, Asst. Sup., HR (ret.)
Port Hueneme
- Martha McQueen-Legohn, Mayor
- Laura Hernandez, Mayor Pro Tem
- Jess Lopez, City Council
- Bobby Martinez, Mayor (ret.)
Rio School District
- Alesia Martin, Rio School District Trustee
- Kristine Anderson, Rio School District Trustee
Santa Paula
- Pedro Chavez, Councilmember & former Mayor
- Nathan Ramos Rodriguez, Santa Paula Unified School District Trustee
Simi Valley
- Kristina Pine, Simi Valley Unified School District Trustee (ret.)
- Sofya Bagdasaryan, Simi Valley Unified School District Trustee (ret.)
- Ruth Luevanos, City Council (ret.)
- Joe Ayala, VP of Communications Workers of America, Local 53
Thousand Oaks
- Ashley Orozco, Conejo Rec & Park District Board of Directors
- Tie Gutierrez, City Council
- David Newman, Thousand Oaks Councilmember
- Lisa Evans-Powell, Conejo Valley Unified School District
- Bill Gorback, Conejo Valley Unified School District
- Brendan Callahan, Traffic & Transportation Commission
Ventura
- Bill McReynolds, City Council
- Liz Campos, City Council
- Ryyn Schumacher, City Council
- Doug Halter, Deputy Mayor
- Carl Morehouse, Mayor (ret.)
- James Forsythe, President, Ventura Unified School District
- Shannon Fredericks, VP, Ventura Unified School District Trustee
- Matt Almaraz, Ventura Unified School District Trustee (ret.)
- Velma Lomax, Ventura Unified School District Trustee (ret.)
- Jackie Moran, Ventura Unified School District Trustee (ret.)
- Kara Miller, Vice President, Ventura Unified Education Association
- Amber Thompson, Community Leader
- Deborah Meyer-Morris, Attorney / Disability Advocate
Organizations
- Oxnard Federation of Teachers & School Employees
- California Federation of Teachers
- IBEW Local 952
- Ironworkers Locals 416 & 433
- Sheet Metal Workers Local 104
- Central Coast Labor Council
- Latino Police Officers Association
- CAUSE Action Fund
- Indivisible: Conejo
- Indivisible: Simi
- National Organization of Women (CA)
- Moms Demand Action
- Western States Regional Council of Carpenters
- Tri-County Building Trades Council
Democratic Party & Clubs
- Ventura County Democratic Party
- Democratic Club of the Conejo Valley
- Women’s Democratic Club of Ventura County
- Greater Organization of Oxnard Democrats (GOOD Club)
- Camarillo Democratic Club
- Ventura Democratic Club
- Simi Valley Democratic Club
- Moorpark Democratic Club
- Stonewall Democratic Club
- United Democrats for Progress
- Ventura County Young Democrats
Note: all titles are used for identification purposes only and may not reflect the views of their organizations.