The next state superintendent of public instruction won’t be managing the California Department of Education anymore.  The department’s control will shift in January to a new director of education, who will report to the governor, under a deal announced Friday as part of budget negotiations between legislative leaders and Gov. Gavin Newsom.  Related Reading Newsom proposes governor control the California Department of Education  January 8, 2026  The Legislature is expected to approve the plan, along with the 2026-27 state budget bills, on Monday or Tuesday. The details of the realignment are in a new bill, Assembly Bill 181, which combines Newsom’s plan and legislation proposed by two San Diego Democratic Assembly members, Darshana Patel and David Alvarez.  Newsom made the realignment of the TK-12 bureaucracy a priority in his last state of the state address and initial budget proposal for the 2026-27 budget in January. He acted on recommendations in an extensive analysis issued in December by Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE), a nonprofit research institute based at Stanford University.   Under the current system, governors and the State Board of Education members that they appoint create programs but lack the authority to implement and monitor them; that has been the responsibility of the state superintendent. The result, PACE said, contributes to inefficiency and ineffectiveness.   “This represents one of the most significant education governance reforms in California’s history,” said Lupita Cortez Alcalá, PACE executive director. “This law recognizes that improving education requires more than bold investments — it requires clear leadership, rigorous evaluation and a commitment to continuous learning.”