Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday previewed a significant schooling system overhaul that might give the subsequent governor extra authority over state college insurance policies and redefine — and nearly definitely diminish — the function of the elected state superintendent of public instruction.
The governor’s workplace indicated Thursday that main parts of the proposal, to be included within the state funds plan Friday, are primarily based on a December 2025 report from Coverage Evaluation for California Schooling (PACE), a nonpartisan middle that brings collectively researchers from Stanford, UC Berkeley, UCLA, UC Davis and USC.
The central facet of the PACE plan requires eradicating the state superintendent as the top of the California Division of Schooling. As an alternative, that division can be run by an appointee of the state Board of Schooling. Members of the state board are appointed by the governor to fastened four-year phrases.
The PACE report envisions the “governor because the chief architect and steward liable for aligning and advancing California’s schooling system.” In keeping with the report, the “governor might develop long-term plans and use the funds as a strategic lever to advance them.”
A launch from the governor’s workplace asserted that the state’s schooling system operates as “a fragmented set of entities with overlapping roles that generally function in battle with each other, to the detriment of academic providers supplied to college students.”
This schooling initiative, if permitted by the Legislature, might show a defining ingredient of Newsom’s schooling agenda for his final yr in workplace. He wouldn’t get to train these new powers, which might fall to his successor.
State Supt. of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond instantly raised considerations, whereas additionally praising Newsom’s file on schooling.
“Gov. Newsom has carried out an unbelievable job on schooling, top-of-the-line governors we’ve had on schooling … and I feel we’ve been extra aligned than any state superintendent and governor in latest instances,” mentioned Thurmond, who’s operating to succeed Newsom as governor. “On this one situation, I don’t suppose we could possibly be extra misaligned.”
Listed here are the main points and why Newsom desires to maneuver ahead with this plan.
Who controls what occurs in California’s colleges?
Authority over schooling is distributed amongst totally different officeholders.
The Legislature passes legal guidelines associated to schooling. The governor chooses which to signal. The governor additionally proposes what to pay for in schooling via his funds plan. The Legislature can amend the plan and has the duty to approve it.
The elected state superintendent runs the state Division of Schooling and serves as the executive lead for the state Board of Schooling. The superintendent doesn’t have a vote on the board. In some areas, he solutions to the authority of the state board; in others, he doesn’t.
The governor appoints the state board, which approves the wording of state schooling insurance policies. The board additionally approves curriculum and grants waivers to highschool districts in search of exemptions from state guidelines.
What’s the drawback Newsom says he’s making an attempt to repair?
The PACE report says the system is simply too difficult. It’s not clear who’s in command of what and who’s accountable for outcomes.
This has not stopped state officers from taking credit score for constructive developments or favored insurance policies. Each Newsom and Thurmond take credit score for creating the brand new grade of transitional kindergarten for 4-year-olds and for offering two meals at college every day for all college students.
Each had a job in supporting and executing that coverage, though neither would have occurred with out Newsom’s favor.
Some components of the schooling system should not faring so effectively. Statewide pupil check scores and absenteeism charges — though bettering — are worse than in 2018-19, earlier than the COVID-19 pandemic. Fewer than half of California college students meet state requirements in English language arts and math.
As a part of its work, the PACE analysis staff carried out interviews with 16 former and present policymakers, researchers and schooling leaders. Collectively they rated the efficiency of the state’s schooling system someplace between honest and poor on the subject of strategic pondering, accountability, capability, data governance, stakeholder involvement and systemwide perspective.
What would the state superintendent do underneath the Newsom plan?
A information launch from the governor mentioned his plan would “develop and strengthen the State Superintendent of Public Instruction’s means to foster coordination and alignment of state schooling insurance policies from early childhood via post-secondary schooling.”
Thurmond shouldn’t be persuaded, primarily based on his evaluate of the PACE report, which might take the Division of Schooling away from the superintendent.
That report reimagines that state superintendent as a pupil “champion” who would analyze and report on the effectiveness of the state schooling system and in addition tackle an advocacy function.
The PACE analysts famous that the Legislature would wish to supply funding and staffing for the superintendent, on this new function, to be efficient. Thurmond mentioned that even underneath the present construction, underfunding of the state Schooling Division limits its effectiveness.
Thurmond mentioned it could make extra sense to offer the elected state colleges chief extra authority over schooling spending and extra assets, provided that particular person’s particular give attention to schooling.
Why not simply remove the elected state superintendent?
The state’s voters have rejected that possibility prior to now. So have the highly effective academics unions, which have seen the workplace as a test on the governor’s energy and an outpost through which they might marketing campaign to put in an ally.
How does this play out politically?
Newsom has taken credit score for a lot in schooling, together with profession and mentoring packages, funding for instructor coaching and expanded group colleges, which serve the broader wants of a whole household.
“Simply this yr, we’ve seen improved tutorial achievement in each topic space, in each grade stage, in each pupil group,” Newsom mentioned in his ready State of the State remarks, “with larger positive factors in check scores for Black and Latino children.”
He additionally took credit score for state schooling spending per pupil on the highest stage thus far.
However he or his representatives have, at instances, distanced himself from Division of Schooling tips which have expanded the rights of transgender college students, together with, for instance, the proper of transgender college students to play on women’ sports activities groups.
California Supt. of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond has considerations about Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposal to alter how the state’s colleges are managed.
(Josh Edelson/For The Occasions)
Underneath the proposed system, a future governor can be extra accountable for these and different insurance policies.
Thurmond mentioned that Newsom’s constructive file proves that the governor already is essentially the most highly effective official within the state on the subject of schooling — and that extra energy doesn’t should be concentrated in that workplace.
What’s the governance mannequin in different states?
If California have been to undertake a mannequin through which the state board appoints the top of the Schooling Division, “it could align with the plurality of states that comply with this governance method,” the PACE report states.
In 20 states, together with Massachusetts, New York, Florida and Mississippi, state boards of schooling straight appoint their chief state college officers. Twelve states, together with California, choose their chief state college officer via direct election.
Thurmond countered that even in some states with an appointed superintendent, the function has extra authority than the elected superintendent in California.
