[1][2][3] A professor by education, she was the first woman to be elected California State Superintendent of Public Instruction (1995–2003) since the office was first held in January 1851.

After her father completed his career in the Navy, the family moved to San Francisco where her mother had been born and raised.

As a corporate planner, she worked on the team that advocated expansion into a then-new technology area, cellular phone service, resulting in PacTel Mobile, finally acquired by Vodafone.

In the fall of 1995, Superintendent Eastin launched the "Challenge Initiative," a groundbreaking reform effort to raise standards and accountability.

Fifty-six school districts, covering nearly 500,000 students, embraced the Challenge and agreed to set high standards for every subject area in all grade levels.

Later, Vice President Gore said his experience that day motivated him to suggest an e-rate tax to help schools nationwide enter the digital era with proper wiring and technology.

She oversaw a series of curriculum guides on how to teach the academic content standards in the context of nutrition, gardening, and cooking.

Subsequently, she was the honorary chair of the successful Proposition 10, written to support the health, welfare, and education of children from 0–5 through a tax on tobacco products.

[11] After leaving office as State Superintendent, Eastin became the first executive director of the National Institute of Educational Leadership in Washington, D.C., from 2002 to 2005.

[12] From 2008 Eastin was a speaker and board member on education policy, nutrition, and electing women to public office issues.

[20] In March 2021, Eastin announced her candidacy for chair of California Democratic Party, challenging incumbent Rusty Hicks.