Former California Superintendent Eastin Passes Away

Sacramento, CA — Delaine Eastin, a former Assemblymember, and the first and only woman to serve as California’s State Superintendent of Schools, has died at the age of 76.

Representatives shared that she passed away surrounded by loved ones this week and will be “remembered for her boundless intellect, infinitely compassionate spirit, sharp sense of humor, and courageous leadership in local, state, national, and international realms.”

No additional details about her death were shared, but a public celebration of life will be announced in the coming weeks.

Eastin served two terms as Superintendent of Schools, from 1995-2003.

Clarke Broadcasting interviewed Eastin in August of 2017 when she was a guest speaker at a fundraising dinner in Twain Harte put on by the Tuolumne County Democratic Central Committee. At the time she was running for Governor in a race that was eventually won by Gavin Newsom. During the interview, she praised the work of then-Governor Jerry Brown, but noted that his weakest suit was likely education because he hadn’t made the issue a top priority. She was proud that during her time as Superintendent, the state’s per-pupil spending on education went from 47th in the nation to 27th.