Contra Costa County, CA - Dr. Jag Lathan, an educator whose career has spanned nearly every level of public education, is seeking to become the next Contra Costa County Superintendent of Schools.
Photo credit: Dr. Jag Lathan’s website
Drawing on decades of experience as a teacher, principal, county office administrator, and school board president, Lathan says her campaign is rooted in a lifelong commitment to helping students succeed.
Born and raised in Oakland, Lathan spent much of her childhood moving throughout the Bay Area, living in Hayward, Tracy, Livermore, Union City, and, for the past five years, Antioch. Her passion for education stems from her own experience as a struggling student.
As a young elementary school student, Lathan struggled to read and write while watching other classmates not struggle as much. A teacher named Ms. Stead helped her.
“Ms. Stead sat with me one-on-one and patiently broke down letters, sounds, words, and writing until everything finally began to make sense,” Lathan said. “That experience taught me that when people believe in you, they invest in you, support you, and help you succeed.”
Today, Lathan says that lesson continues to guide her work as an educator and leader, noting how when she sees students struggling, she thinks about who will be the ‘Ms. Stead’ in their lives.
Throughout her career, Lathan has worked across multiple educational roles, including special education teacher, general education teacher, gifted and talented education coordinator, principal, county office leader, and school board president.
Her experience spans school districts and county offices in San Diego, Los Angeles, Alameda County, and Contra Costa County, where she has worked with students and families from a wide range of backgrounds and income levels.
After spending seven to eight years as a principal, Lathan moved into county-level leadership. She served as an executive director at the San Diego County Office of Education and later as Chief of Learning and Accountability at the Alameda County Office of Education.
During her time in Alameda County, she launched a teacher residency program, led a large department, and helped establish countywide initiatives focused on educator development and student achievement. She also founded what she says was the first equity department at a county office of education in 2018. In San Diego County, she created an Equity Action Plan and Blueprint for Action designed to help districts improve student outcomes.
“I love county office work,” Lathan said. “I've worked at two different county offices. I started the first equity department at a county office of education in 2018 and later worked at Alameda County Office of Education as Chief of Learning and Accountability. I started a teacher residency program there and led a large department.”
Currently, Lathan serves on the Antioch Unified School District Board of Education and is the board president. She said her service on the board helped her better understand the role county offices can play in supporting local school districts.
Lathan believes her broad experience makes her uniquely qualified for the position.
“A student's outcomes should not be determined by their race, home language, where they live, or their family's income, but too often they are,” Lathan said.
At Antioch Unified, she helped bring equity audits to the district to better understand why certain student groups were struggling and identify strategies for improvement.
Additionally, an example of her leadership came in 2024 when concerns surfaced regarding staff bullying within the district. Lathan said she pushed for an investigation after hearing concerns from employees.
“There was an employee who was engaging in behaviors that were very harmful to the people he supervised,” Lathan said. “Employees did not feel heard by the district.”
After she and another board member began asking questions, they learned bullying was occurring.
“That is unacceptable,” she said. “People should feel safe at work and be able to focus on their responsibilities. I could not keep quiet because we need to create safe environments for adults and children to learn.”
If elected, Lathan plans to focus on literacy, innovation, student support systems, mental health services, special education, and school district collaboration. She believes one of the county office’s most important responsibilities is helping districts work together and share resources.
Budget challenges remain among her top concerns.
“In terms of budgeting, I've already started working with different groups who want to advocate at the state and federal level for increased funding and changes to the funding formula,” Lathan said.
She pointed to rising costs, staff salary demands, and the expiration of one-time pandemic funding as major financial challenges facing school districts.
During the pandemic, districts received temporary funding for technology, staffing, and student support programs. While those funds have largely disappeared, many of the associated costs remain.
“Districts need strategies to right-size their budgets while minimizing harm to staff, but we also need more funding overall,” Lathan said. “A lot of factors are creating the perfect storm.”
She said her approach to budgeting centers on keeping students at the forefront of decision-making while balancing financial realities.
Lathan also hopes to help create emotionally safe learning environments and establish accredited counselor and educator preparation programs through the county office.
Supporting students with disabilities is another priority. Lathan advocates expanding special education training for all teachers.
“Students with disabilities deserve the highest quality education, and general education teachers should receive training in special education strategies,” she said. “I hold both a special education credential and a general education credential, and I know how valuable that combination can be.”
Photo credit: Dr. Jag Lathan’s website
Throughout her career, Lathan said she has learned that lasting change depends on building teams and bringing people together around common goals.
“Once you have that guiding coalition, other people often join because they see positive results,” Lathan said.
Ultimately, she hopes to strengthen the county office’s role as a resource for school districts across Contra Costa County.
“Districts should know they can turn to the county office for support, training, and resources,” she said.
Those who have worked alongside Lathan describe her as a collaborative and transformative leader.
Julie Goldman, who has known Lathan for more than a decade and worked with her at the San Diego County Office of Education, said Lathan consistently demonstrated strong leadership skills.
“When we worked together, we had a California grant called a continuous improvement process equity model, and she guided a whole project team,” Goldman said.
Goldman said she watched Lathan manage both internal teams and district partners while helping schools make improvements.
Jessica Smith, who also worked with Lathan in San Diego County, described her as both kind and humble.
“I don't think people put enough emphasis on the ability of leaders to actually educate and change the practice of adults, and I think that's really important,” Smith said.
Smith said Lathan's ability to support both students and educators sets her apart.
“She’s not just a person for the students, but also a person for the adults,” Smith said. “That makes her a person for everyone.”
To add to or correct any information in this report, please email me at yashi.s@lead4earth.org or leave a comment below.
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