Whoever wins the governor's race on Nov. 3 will get a power no California governor has had: appointing a single official in charge of the state's K-12 schools.
What AB 181 does
Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed the realignment in January, and Assembly Bill 181 passed overwhelmingly in July, CalMatters reported. It creates a governor-appointed education commissioner who will oversee the California Department of Education and ensure Sacramento's policies are carried out in classrooms. It strips most duties from the voter-elected state superintendent of public instruction.
"We used to ask, who's in charge here? It was everybody and nobody," said Michael Kirst, former head of the State Board of Education. "Now we know. It's the governor."
Why researchers pushed for it
A Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE) report examined how authority is split among the elected superintendent, the governor and the State Board. Experts PACE interviewed rated the system's effectiveness 2.8 on a five-point scale — between "poor" and "fair."
What happens next
The next governor takes office Jan. 4 and will name the commissioner. By early June, the commissioner must deliver a draft report to the Legislature on reshaping the system, with a final report due in the fall. Researchers Heather Hough and Jason Willis argue the commissioner should simplify goals, tighten oversight and step in at persistently struggling schools.
The California Teachers Association opposed the plan, according to CalMatters.