Merced County Superintendent of Schools​

Dr. Steve M. Tietjen serves as the 29^th Merced County Superintendent of Schools. An educator of more than 40 years, Dr. Tietjen was appointed as County Superintendent in 2017 and won the elections to serve four-year terms in 2018 and 2022. Dr. Tietjen began his career in 1980 as a history teacher in Visalia and served as school superintendent in Woodlake Unified and Los Banos Unified. As County Superintendent, he is the leader of the Merced County Office of Education and its 1,400 employees.

The main role of the County Superintendent is to create a network of support for students in all 20 school districts in Merced County. The County Superintendent does not directly oversee the local school districts or their superintendents; each local board of education is elected and charged with that responsibility.

Some of the duties shared by all 58 County Superintendents in California are oversight of school district budgets, approval of district Local Control and Accountability Plans, and supervision of the education for incarcerated students.

Charged with the responsibility to provide support for districts as they implement the latest curriculum frameworks adopted by the State Board of Education, the County Superintendent is also the most recognized advocate for youth when it comes to keeping Sacramento and local elected officials aware of students' needs.

Today's County Superintendent must understand current pedagogy and support the science of improvement and be willing to take on tough issues in dealing with poverty and how it impacts student performance.​​