Stefan Bean seeks election as OC schools superintendent

Stefan Bean, the appointed Orange County Superintendent of Schools, is seeking election to the post. The nonpartisan race on Nov. 3, 2026, determines who leads the Orange County Department of Education.

Bean has said his priorities include academic excellence in reading, writing and math, local control of school policies, and expanding parental involvement in curriculum decisions, according to his campaign website.

Candidate information

Office sought: Orange County Superintendent of Schools

Party: Nonpartisan race

Education: Bachelor's degree in business administration, University of Southern California (1993). Master's degree in administration and master's degree in organizational leadership, Loyola Marymount University (2010). Certificate in special education, Loyola Marymount University. Doctorate in education with a focus on organizational leadership, California State University, Fullerton (2020). Education details according to BallotReady profile data and Bean's campaign website.

Personal background: Born in Saigon during the early 1970s as Nam Le Thanh, Bean was stricken by polio and abandoned by his parents, according to the OCDE Newsroom. He was brought to the United States as part of Operation Babylift, a humanitarian mission during the Vietnam War to evacuate orphans. He entered the U.S. foster care system at age 4 and was later adopted by the Bean family.

His experiences as an English language learner and a student with a disability have shaped his educational philosophy, according to the OCDE superintendent page.

Experience and public service

Bean has worked in education for over two decades. He was a teacher at Long Beach Unified School District, according to his campaign website. He served as an education consultant and trainer at the Success For All Foundation from 2002 to 2005, then as principal at Cornerstone Academy from 2005 to 2009, according to BallotReady profile data.

He later held roles as lead principal and associate superintendent at Aspire Public Schools, according to the OCDE Newsroom. BallotReady data lists him as area superintendent at Aspire from 2018 to 2021. He also served as an associate professor at California State University-Dominguez Hills from 2014 to 2017 and as executive director at Irvine International Academy from 2022 to 2024.

Bean ran for the seat in the June 7, 2022 primary. He received 45.1% of the vote to incumbent Al Mijares' 54.9%, according to Ballotpedia.

The Orange County Board of Education voted unanimously to appoint Bean as the county's 12th superintendent in June 2024, following Mijares' resignation due to health issues, according to the OCDE Newsroom. Bean took office on July 1, 2024.

On the issues

The following positions are drawn from Bean's responses posted on his campaign website.

Academic standards: Bean said he believes the number one mission in education is to provide academic excellence for all students. "They must have an accurate teaching of all subject matters, especially reading, writing and math," Bean said in his questionnaire response.

Local control and parental rights: Bean said school policies and programs should be controlled at the local level, where parents and school leaders can better align on decisions. He said parents have the right to know what their children are being taught and to participate in decisions on content and curriculum. He said parents should never be mandated to do anything that goes against their own values.

School choice: Bean said he believes parents have the right to choose the best educational setting for their children, including charter schools, independent study and home schools.

Career and technical education: Bean said Career Technical Education, or CTE, should be offered to all students, with a particular emphasis on access for the most vulnerable students. He also said an emphasis on science, technology, engineering, arts and math competencies will build interest, increase skills and foster learning.