A new report from Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE) calls for major changes in how California manages its K-12 schools. The report highlights weaknesses in the state’s governance system that undermine student progress and recommends centralising authority under the governor and a governor-appointed State Board of Education to improve accountability and efficiency, as quoted by the EdSource.The 94-page report, titled TK-12 Governance in California: Past, Present, and Future, identifies systemic flaws in the California Department of Education (CDE) and recommends appointing an expert manager to oversee operations rather than relying on the elected state superintendent of public instruction. “California needs an independent evaluator to measure the effectiveness of school programs and spending,” Julie Marsh, professor of education policy at USC and co-author of the report, told the EdSource.Systemic weaknesses undermine student progressAccording to the report, weaknesses in local control and unclear lines of authority have hindered the success of state initiatives such as universal kindergarten and district support programs aimed at closing the achievement gap and reducing chronic absenteeism. “The current structure leaves districts overwhelmed and programs under-resourced,” Heather Hough, senior policy and research fellow at PACE, in conversation with the EdSource.The report emphasises that shifting authority over to the Department of Education would allow the state board to hire a director with expertise in education management. This, it states, would bring California in line with 20 other states, including Massachusetts, New York, and Florida, where state boards appoint chief state school officers. “We must meet the demands of this moment with strategic leadership,” Jeannie Myung, PACE director of policy research and lead author, quoted by the EdSource.Governor-led authority proposedA key recommendation calls for transferring control of the CDE from the elected superintendent to the governor, while redefining the superintendent’s role as an independent ombudsman and “chief champion for students.” The move aims to clarify lines of authority that have confused Sacramento for decades. “It’s crucial to know who is in charge of policy and who implements it,” Marsh told the EdSource.The report also highlights the department’s limited capacity and chronic underfunding, noting that Proposition 98 restricts administrative spending, forcing the CDE to compete for funds with other programs like Medi-Cal and higher education. Past efforts to work around these limitations, such as creating the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence, have only partially addressed these gaps, the report states.Historical context and past recommendationsThe PACE report traces the debate back to the 1920 Jones Report, which recommended abolishing the elected state superintendency in favour of a commissioner appointed by the state board. Subsequent studies, including the Legislature’s Committee to Develop a Master Plan for Education, reiterated similar proposals. “Voter initiatives to eliminate the office have historically failed due to political opposition,” Hough, in conversation with the EdSource, explained.The report graded California’s governance performance at 2.8 out of 6, indicating a range between poor and fair, based on six elements including strategic thinking, accountability, capacity, knowledge, engagement, and whole-of-system perspective. Experts interviewed for the report described the system as fragmented and under-resourced, with little capacity for long-term strategic implementation, as quoted by the EdSource.
