California\u2019s Superintendent of Public Instruction will no longer oversee the Department of Education. That\u2019s per a new law legislators passed last week.<\/p>\n
The new education commissioner, which the next governor will appoint, will instead oversee the department and California\u2019s public schools. The superintendent will still serve on multiple state education boards.<\/p>\n
Newsom originally floated the change during his State of the State address in January, following recommendation made in a report by Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE), based at Stanford University.<\/p>\n
\u201cCalifornia can no longer postpone reforms that have been recommended regularly for a century. So we are going to modernize the governance system by unifying the policy-making State Board with the Department of Education that implements those policies,\u201d Newsom said in a statement.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Proponents argue reorganization of the state\u2019s education governance will streamline the implementation of statewide education policy, in turn improving student college and career readiness.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs students’ performance continues to lag and doesn’t improve regardless of who has been in office, it’s important that we look at and review some of the reasons as to why our educational system is not performing how it should,\u201d said Democratic Assemblymember David Alvarez of San Diego, who authored the budget bill.<\/p>\n
But, the two candidates running for superintendent disagree with how lawmakers enacted the change.<\/p>\n
Richard Barrera, who\u2019s on board of the San Diego Unified School District, is one of them.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t like the way that the Governor and the legislature went about this,\u201d said Richard Barrera, who sits on the San Diego Unified School District Board and is running for superintendent. \u201cIt was rushed and done through the budget negotiations rather than what really should\u2019ve happened is taking a change of this magnitude to the voters.\u201d<\/p>\n
By going through the budget process, the policy bypassed certain committee hearings in the legislative process.<\/p>\n
But, Barrera added, the superintendent will still be responsible for connecting local school districts with the state to craft cohesive education policy \u2013 a process he says should start at the local level.<\/p>\n
Chino Valley Unified School Board Member Sonja Shaw, who is also running for California superintendent, has heavily criticized Newsom and lawmakers for the change.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s an assault on our constitution and our system of checks and balances. I believe he orchestrated the most brazen power grab in California history,\u201d said Shaw.<\/p>\n
The change will go into effect under a new governor in January of 2027. Gubernatorial candidates, Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton, haven\u2019t weighed in on the restructuring.<\/p>\n
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