Oregon Public Broadcasting

Oregon’s first and only Latina elected to statewide office is looking to stay for another four years. Rob Manning reports on state schools’ superintendent Susan Castillo’s bid for a third term.

Castillo came out of the state senate to unseat a scandal-plagued incumbent in 2002. She coasted to re-election four years later.

No one has officially declared against her yet for 2010.

As Superintendent of Public Instruction, Castillo doesn’t write the education budget, but she has been in the thick of legislative debates over funding schools.

Castillo points to Oregon’s new graduation requirements – some of which were recently postponed – as one of her key accomplishments.

Susan Castillo:  “I’ve worked very closely with the state board of education and our districts, on setting this new aspiration for our state. And now, we’re in the implementation stage, and I want to be around to help with that.”

Castillo says she’s also pressed her Department of Education and Oregon school districts to use student test data and technology to guide better instruction.

She also created a privately-funded award for schools that have helped struggling students significantly improve.