About Susan

Susan Castillo was first elected Oregon’s Superintendent of Public Instruction in May of 2002.  She oversees a public school system with close to 565,000 students and over 200 school districts and education service districts.  Susan is a passionate supporter of public education and has helped lead the fight against school budget cuts across Oregon.

Superintendent Castillo has pledged to continue to focus on four key areas to help our public schools:

1. Leading the fight to make class sizes manageable, keep teachers in the classroom, and protect education programs that are vital for our students.
2.  Setting clear, high expectations for our students so that every child in Oregon has an opportunity to get a good job or go on to college. 
3.  Making sure students who are struggling get the help they need early on so they can be successful in school.
4.  Ensuring that every teacher and educator in Oregon has the 21st Century tools they need to help their students achieve. 

Susan is a board member of the Council of Chief State School Officers and in 2008 was invited by then candidate Barrack Obama to lend her expertise to an education roundtable he hosted in Pennsylvania.  She has also been named one of the “100 Most Influential Hispanics” by Hispanic Business.  Locally, Susan is a proud board member of “Birth to Three,” which is dedicated to strengthening families and nationally recognized for teaching parenting skills and helping Oregon families; she received their “Champion of Children” award in 2007.

Superintendent Castillo was a State Senator from 1997-2002 and served as the Vice-Chair of the Senate Education Committee; she was the first Hispanic woman to serve in the Oregon Legislature.  Prior to entering public office, she enjoyed a career as an award-winning reporter covering education issues and the Legislature for KVAL-TV in Eugene.

A graduate of Oregon State University, she is married to Paul Machu and lives in Eugene.