BY ADRIANA HERNANDEZ
Daily Post Staff Writer
A candidate running for San Mateo County schools superintendent shouldn’t appear on the ballot because she doesn’t have the required credential, according to a nonprofit association representing superintendents.
But candidate Chelsea Bonini says she has been given the OK to run by the county elections office, the state’s teacher credentialing commission and her advisors at San Francisco State University, where she got her master’s in Educational Administration and Leadership.
The California County Superintendents Association, which represents the 58 county superintendents of schools and county offices of education, says it is illegal for a candidate who doesn’t have the full credential held by principals, district superintendents and other school administrators to appear on the ballot, Senior Director Derick Lennox said in an interview.
What’s more, the candidate would likely lack experience, Lennox said.
How it works
Bonini, 53, has a “certificate of eligibility,” meaning she has completed the state’s credentialing program but hasn’t received the proper administrative credential, according to Lennox.
Someone can only get the proper credential after they’ve secured a job as an administrator. State law only candidates with a credential can run for county superintendent, Lennox said.
Bonini, a San Mateo resident, is a second-grade teacher in Los Altos and a member of the San Mateo County Board of Education.
Happened elsewhere
A candidate for county schools superintendent in Orange County was kicked off the ballot last month, according to local media reports. Anaheim Elementary School District Trustee Jeff Cole was removed after resident Mark Bucher sued the Orange County Elections Office for placing a candidate without the proper credential on the ballot. An Orange County judge ordered Cole be removed from the ballot.
No one has filed such a challenge in San Mateo County, where ballots are already being printed, according to Elections Officer Mark Church.
Church said Bonini qualifies to appear on the June ballot because she turned in the same paperwork as her opponent: Hector Camacho, 45, of South San Francisco.
The certificates that the two candidates submitted are nearly identical, and do not differentiate between Bonini’s “certificate of eligibility” and Camacho’s valid credential. The difference only appears if one looks up the candidates on the state’s credentialing site (See graphic above).
The elections office doesn’t verify candidate certifications or if they hold the qualifications for the position they’re running for, and only a court order can remove someone from the ballot, Church said.
Bonini says she was not told she needed a proper credential before running. While she was studying for her master’s, her mentors told her she was on the right path to run for superintendent, Bonini said.
San Francisco State University Professor of Educational Administration Irina Okhremtchouk, who taught Bonini, said she is more qualified than others who have only taken a test to receive a proper credential, unlike Bonini, who went through a lengthy training program to get her “certificate of eligibility.”
Bonini can apply to be an administrator at a school, Commission on Teacher Credentialing spokeswoman Anita Fitzhugh said. However, Fitzhugh said the commission doesn’t determine if someone can run for county superintendent.
Bonini is running against Camacho, who is executive director of equity, social justice and inclusion at the San Mateo County Office of Education. When asked about his opponent’s certification, Camacho compared the “certificate of eligibility” to a driver’s permit, not an actual driver’s license.
Camacho pointed to the same state law as Lennox, saying anyone seeking the position, not just Bonini, ought already have a proper credential before running. Camacho got his administrative credential in May 2025, according to the Commission on Teacher Credentialing.
Bonini said Camacho has the proper credential because he received help from former Superintendent Nancy Magee, who endorsed him. Camacho was moved to a position that cleared his credentials at Magee’s request, Bonini said.
“He’s getting a little push from the inside,” Bonini said.
The job
Bonini and Camacho are seeking a position with no term limits that oversees the Office of Education’s 291 regular and part-time employees and a budget of about $115 million. The superintendent receives a salary of $362,911, pay records show.
The superintendent of schools is a liaison between the state and 23 districts in the county regarding funding and other needs.
The county office also reviews expulsions and other disciplinary actions and provides instruction for students with severe disabilities and those who are wards of the juvenile court system. In addition, it handles appeals in disputes over whether to allow a charter school to start in a local district.
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