California residents looking for their chance to sound off on charter schools, open enrollment between districts, and other major education reforms will find an opportunity on the June ballot.

The race for the state's highest elected education official, Superintendent of Public Instruction, is shaping up to be a referendum on much-debated school reforms, as well as a test of the enduring power of California's teachers unions.

The race pits reform-minded Democrat Sen. Gloria Romero, who has long represented parts of the San Gabriel Valley, against her Democratic colleague, union-backed Assemblyman Tom Torlakson, who represents a district in the Bay Area.

"This is an early and significant test case of a Latino

Tom Torlakson (Courtesy Photo)
Democrat willing to take on the unions versus a traditional Democrat backed by the unions," said Bruce Fuller, a University of California at Berkeley professor of education and public policy.

Romero, who heads the Senate Education Committee, has been one of the biggest advocates of controversial education reforms backed by President Barack Obama, including increasing the number of charter schools and linking teacher evaluations to student performance.

She has also pushed legislation to allow parents to pull their children out of failing school districts and enroll them in other districts. And last week, over the objections of some of her Democratic colleagues, Romero helped advance a measure that would allow districts to

lay off teachers based on effectiveness, instead of just seniority, as currently allowed.

The state's teachers unions have objected, to varying degrees, to these reforms. As has Torlakson, winning him the endorsements of the California Teachers Association, California Federation of Teachers, and California School Employees Association.

"He is in line with our philosophy of providing additional resources to the most struggling schools. In contrast, Romero has bought into outcome-based competition for schools, where you have schools competing. And if they perform better, they get rewarded, which takes resources away from the schools that need it most," CTA spokesman Frank Wells said.

Though Wells called Romero's relationship with the education community "adversarial," she isn't going at it alone. Romero has the support of EdVoice, a reform advocacy group with deep pockets - backed by reform-minded philanthropists as well as various Latino activists.

Romero also has significant name recognition, after having served as Senate Majority Leader, and a long history of support among Latino voters.

This gives her an edge, despite the lack of union support, according to University of Southern California