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State Chiefs' Races Blend K-12 Issues, State Politics

4 states to pick K-12 leaders

School finance, the role of standardized tests, and local control of education policy are among the hot issues as candidates vie for the top school leadership spot in four states next month, with three incumbent state superintendents running hard on their records as they seek another term in office.

The visibility of elections for top state education jobs has increased in recent years, as has the amount of money being spent on campaigns, said Chris Minnich, the senior membership director at the Washington-based Council of Chief State School Officers.

For example, in Indiana, incumbent Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Bennett, a Republican, had a campaign war chest of $779,000 at the end of the second quarter in June, the most recent quarterly report available from the secretary of state's office. His Democratic opponent, Glenda Ritz, reported...