Governor Gavin Newsom has made education funding one of his priorities during his final year in office. He also made an unexpected proposal during last week’s State of the State address — to bring oversight of the state Department of...
As part of his budget proposal, Gov. Gavin Newsom last week announced a new educational plan that sounds reasonable, as it streamlines regulatory authority and places more oversight in the governor’s office. Per Newsom’s statement, “California’s K-12 education system as...
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday previewed a major education system overhaul that would give the next governor more authority over state school policies and redefine — and almost certainly diminish — the role of the elected state superintendent of public...
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond said he was blindsided by Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposal Thursday to curtail the superintendent’s duties and he disagrees with it, although it’s unclear what he can do to stop it. “Tony Thurmond is...
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond said he was blindsided by Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposal Thursday to curtail the superintendent’s duties and he disagrees with it, although it’s unclear what he can do to stop it. “Tony Thurmond is...
Policy Analysis for California Education has released a new report, “TK–12 Education Governance in California: Past, Present, and Future,” that offers insights into long-standing structural complexities in California’s education system as well as recommendations for realigning roles and responsibilities to...
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday unveiled a sweeping proposal to overhaul how California’s education system is governed, calling for structural changes that he said would shift oversight of the Department of Education and redefine the role of the state’s elected...
Gov. Gavin Newsom is proposing to move the state Department of Education to the control of the executive branch as part of his spending plan for the upcoming fiscal year. Newsom’s office teased the proposal in a release early Thursday...
Gov. Gavin Newsom will announce Thursday that he will ask the Legislature to shift the operation and control of the California Department of Education from the state superintendent of public instruction to the governor and the State Board of Education...
This year’s budget proposes to implement recommendations of the Legislature’s 2002 report, California’s Master Plan for Education, to move oversight of the California Department of Education and ultimate responsibility for state oversight and support of local educational agencies under the...
For years, California schools have pushed to change the way the state pays for K-12 education: by basing funding on enrollment, instead of attendance. That’s the way 45 other states do it, and it would mean an extra $6 billion...
California’s school funding law hasn’t proven as equitable or effective as legislators envisioned when they passed the Local Control Funding Formula in 2013. So lawmakers and education advocates have been discussing several ideas to fix it, including adjusting the funding...
President Donald Trump has revived a longstanding Republican Party call to abolish the U.S. Department of Education. While the Cabinet-level department needs an act of Congress to be eliminated, the Trump administration is using its hiring and firing power to...
In the first major study on basic aid since California’s Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) was enacted in 2013, researchers determined that 139 districts, which serve 5.5 percent of the state’s TK-12 students, benefit from growing funding advantages.The principle behind...
California state officials and some education advocates joined others around the country in condemning a plan announced Tuesday by the Trump administration to disassemble the U.S. Department of Education. The plan creates partnership agreements between the Department of Education and...
When Congress failed to fund the government at the beginning of October, students seeking federal financial aid were plunged into a bureaucratic nightmare. As political leaders bicker over a spending bill, California students and families are left to navigate a...
A public-interest law firm filed a lawsuit Thursday against the state of California, charging that its program to subsidize school construction perpetuates vast inequalities for students in low-wealth communities. Public school students in some districts’ splendid campuses enjoy modern science...
California’s school funding system, overhauled in 2013 to make it more equitable, is contributing to more inequality, a situation felt most sharply in counties that have a combination of rich and poor districts, according to a new study released Monday...
There’s more to being a diligent school board member than attending a couple of meetings a month. Those meetings require preparation, research and one-on-one conversations with school leadership. There are school site visits. Many districts require regular board training. Sometimes...
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the vital role school systems play in daily life, from learning and socialization to nutrition programs, transportation, and mental health. In the absence of in-person instruction, countless new stressors impacted families, teachers, and administrators who were...
Since 2009, nearly every U.S. state has adopted specific standards and teaching frameworks for literacy and math. Yet, despite these efforts, the implementation of these standards in classrooms has often fallen short. As I reflect on my six decades in...
The Trump administration’s push to scale back the federal role in education could mean more autonomy for states. But this increased decision-making power will also make state K-12 accountability more important than ever. States must ensure education funding is used...
California’s system of financial oversight of school districts has mostly worked, having kept all but nine of them from seeking a state bailout loan to avert insolvency. The key to keeping school districts from financial disaster has been close oversight...
In recent weeks, Education Week Opinion has received scores of submissions from individuals in the K-12 field reacting to the current state of education in the United States and, in particular, the actions of the Trump administration. As the federal...
In March 2020, the Covid pandemic shut down schools, creating havoc, particularly among California’s most vulnerable children. Five years later, despite unprecedented funding from the state and federal governments, most districts continue to struggle to recover the ground they lost...