Newsom proposes shifting California K-12 education oversight to board

Newsom targets K-12 education governance in proposal

California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday proposed paring down the responsibilities of the state’s elected State Superintendent of Public Instruction and shifting more authority to the State Board of Education, according to the Associated Press.

Newsom said, “California can no longer postpone reforms that have been recommended regularly for a century,” in remarks tied to the proposal. He added that the changes would bring “greater accountability, clarity and coherence” to how California serves its students and schools.

The governor’s plan is intended to simplify California’s K-12 education governance, which policy analysts have said can be inefficient, redundant and sometimes at cross purposes. Newsom did not provide additional details about how the reorganization would be carried out.

How the proposal would change oversight

Under the proposal, the State Board of Education would take over the California Department of Education, the AP report said. The State Board of Education is described as an 11-member body appointed by the governor.

The State Superintendent of Public Instruction would have broader responsibility to “foster coordination and alignment of state education policies from early childhood through post secondary education,” the report said.

The report described California’s current system as a “web of authorities” involving both local and state actors. In Sacramento, the governor, the state superintendent, the State Board of Education and the Legislature all share policy-making duties, and responsibilities can shift depending on political conditions. The Department of Education, under the direction of the state superintendent, is supposed to carry out those policies.

Locally, school boards and county offices of education also hold power over schools. The AP report said county offices are charged, among other duties, with overseeing school district budgets—an area described as becoming more flexible for districts after the state switched to a funding system about a decade ago.

The report also said California is one of only nine states that elects a schools chief, while in other states the top education officer is appointed by the governor or the board of education, according to research by the Education Commission of the States.

Research group ties reform to “stronger, more coherent governance”

The proposal echoed a December report by Policy Analysis for California Education, which called for an overhaul of the state’s school governance structure, the AP report said.

The PACE authors wrote, “The need for stronger, more coherent governance has never been greater,” adding that schools are grappling with fiscal challenges alongside deepening inequities, persistent opportunity gaps, and lasting impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on student learning and well-being.

PACE authors suggested several solutions, including the reorganization Newsom put forth. Under the PACE recommendation, the Department of Education would be run by an administrator appointed by the State Board of Education, while the superintendent would act as an independent advocate with an eye on accountability; most of the power and responsibility would lie with the governor, the report said.

The AP report linked the timing to federal policy shifts as well. It said President Donald Trump is in the process of shuttering the federal Department of Education and spinning off its duties to the states and other federal agencies, and it described federal education funding as increasingly precarious, which it said gives states more direct responsibility for educating children.

Prior efforts and current superintendent’s term

The AP report said Newsom’s proposal is not the first time California has considered changing the role of the state superintendent. It said several ballot measures over the years sought to change the position, but none passed.

In 2023, the report said ACA 9, authored by former Assemblyman Kevin McCarty, would have made the superintendent position appointed by the governor. It said McCarty withdrew the measure amid opposition from the California Teachers Association, the California School Boards Association and other groups.

The report also described Tony Thurmond, the current superintendent, as winding down his second term and terms out in 2026. It said Thurmond is running for governor and that his tenure included expansion of literacy efforts, community schools, student wellness programs and other initiatives.

The AP report said Thurmond faced criticism for working side jobs and creating a “toxic workplace.”

Backers cite equity and accountability

The AP report said Newsom’s proposal has backing from a wide array of education players, including the Association of California School Administrators, the California Association of School Business Officials, Californians Together, and EdTrust-West.

Christopher Nellum, executive director of EdTrust-West, said the current system has contributed to persistent inequities affecting “low-income students, students of color and multilingual learners.” Nellum also said EdTrust-West “commends Governor Newsom for championing these essential reforms.”

This story was originally published by CalMatters and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press.