Gavin Newsom ought to be pleased that the Legislative Analyst\u2019s Office has given its seal of approval to the governor\u2019s plan to streamline the state\u2019s education bureaucracy to improve accountability of K-12 test scores. The Newsom plan is indeed sensible, but it\u2019s big question whether some bureaucratic deck-chair moving can save California\u2019s educational Titanic.<\/p>\n
As LAO\u00a0explained<\/a>, \u201cSix major studies have examined California\u2019s governance structure over the past 30 years and identified several shortcomings.\u201d Mainly, studies suggest the State Board of Education, governor and Legislature must rely on the elected superintendent of public instruction \u201cto implement their policies, which may not align with the SPI\u2019s priorities.\u201d Yet the superintendent \u201cinfluences policies through their implementation, but has no formal policy role.\u201d<\/p>\n LAO agreed that the Newsom plan to shift control over the Board of Education from the superintendent to a gubernatorial appointee \u201cwould clarify confusion over who should manage the state\u2019s \u2026 education system.\u201d The current superintendent, Tony Thurmond, seemed blindsided by the Newsom proposal and complained, via\u00a0a spokesperson<\/a>\u00a0to CalMatters, that it\u2019s an \u201cunnecessary disruption.\u201d<\/p>\n Per the report, the Newsom plan tries to\u00a0answer<\/a>\u00a0a question asked by an influential education research center associated with California\u2019s top universities. \u201cThe question \u2018Who is responsible to whom, and for what?\u2019 remains unresolved in California\u2019s education governance system, resulting in blurred lines of responsibility and difficulty making systemic improvement,\u201d noted a report from the Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE).<\/p>\n Good for the governor, but we have trouble giving too much credit after watching him cave to teachers\u2019 unions and place\u00a0unnecessary limits<\/a>\u00a0on charter-school expansion given that such schools remain one of the state\u2019s bright spots given the benefits of competition. Other states, even poor ones such as\u00a0Mississippi<\/a>, have seen impressive jumps in test-score results.<\/p>\n