Professor Bill Koski weighs in on the differences, or lack thereof, between the candidates in CA's School Superintendent race in this Los Angeles Times article. 

In the most expensive political race in California, incumbent Tom Torlakson held the lead late Tuesday night over Marshall Tuck in the contest for state superintendent of public instruction.

Shortly before midnight, Torlakson cautiously predicted victory, calling the contest “the toughest election in my career.”

…

“They agree on a good number of the basic education policies,” said Bill Koski, a professor of law and education at Stanford University. “The contest has to do more with a sense of tone and tenor for the direction of education policy.”

The political and education establishment “will perceive a Torlakson win as saying: 'We're not ready to do incredibly disruptive reform,'” Koski said. A win for Tuck would send a message “that we need to do more to change the status quo.”