John Mockler

John Barry Mockler (October 2, 1941 – March 3, 2015) was Secretary of Education in California and former Executive Director of the California State Board of Education. Mockler was the chief architect of California Proposition 98.

Life and political career Mockler was born in Chicago, Illinois. After his father returned from active duty in World War II, his family moved to Harbison Canyon, California, a small town outside San Diego.

In 1965, Mockler began the Sacramento, California, phase of his political career. He joined the staff of Senator Fred Farr as a legislative assistant and went on to become a Consultant to the California State Legislature, including the Assembly Education and Ways and Means committees. From 1983-85, he served as Deputy Chief of Staff to Speaker of the California State Assembly Willie Brown. Mockler founded and served three years as Director of the Independent Analysis Unit of the Los Angeles City Board of Education. From 1974-77 served as Senior Executive Staff to the Superintendent of Public Instruction Wilson Riles. He was the founder of Mockler and Associates, an educational consulting firm based in Sacramento.

On April 27, 2015, section 41200 of the California education code, the part of California Proposition 98 that became law, was renamed The John B. Mockler School Finance Act.

Death Mockler died on March 3, 2015, in Sacramento from pancreatic cancer, aged 73.