This story was originally published by EdSource.
A superintendent from a tiny school district in Kern County, working with only a dozen volunteers over three months, garnered at least 670,000 votes in her bid for California superintendent of public instruction, despite taking no campaign contributions.
Wendy Castañeda Leal, 42, superintendent and principal of Semitropic Elementary School District in Wasco, came in fourth place in the primary, beating out six other candidates, including three veteran state legislators…