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If the Governor’s Office Is Taking Over Education, What Should Parents Expect?
If No One Defines Success, Can Anyone Be Held Accountable?
California's latest education overhaul may prove to be the right decision.
Or it may not.
The problem is that no one seems able to explain how we'll know it.
Find out what's happening in Sacramentofor free with the latest updates from Patch.
As part of this year's budget, Governor Gavin Newsom and the Legislature shifted oversight of the California Department of Education from the independently elected State Superintendent to the governor's office, effective in 2027. Even Superintendent Tony Thurmond says he wasn't consulted about one of the biggest governance changes in decades.
Another comment was even more surprising. Assembly Education Committee Chair Dr. Darshana Patel acknowledged she couldn't guarantee the change would improve student outcomes, while adding that "what we're doing right now isn't working.”
Find out what's happening in Sacramentofor free with the latest updates from Patch.
On that point, many Californians would likely agree. Too many students are struggling to read at grade level, and math scores have fallen. Parents continue to question whether education dollars reach the classroom.
Change is needed. But is there a plan? What are the goals? What benchmarks should parents expect to see in six months, one Year, and two years?
Will more children read proficiently by third grade? Will math scores improve? Will more funding reach classrooms instead of administration? How will success be measured, and who will publicly report those results?
Perhaps the most important question is this: Who is accountable?
If authority is moving to the governor's office, responsibility should move with it. Will parents receive regular updates, transparent metrics, and a clear explanation of what this restructuring is expected to accomplish?
Government reorganizations should never be judged by how many boxes move on an organizational chart. They should be judged by whether students learn more, teachers are better supported, and taxpayers receive better results.
Parents deserve to know exactly what success looks like and when they should expect to see it.
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Hector Barajas is a public affairs and strategic communications professional and the founder of Amplify360, Inc. His work places him at the forefront of high-level policy discussions involving lawmakers, political candidates, regulators, and industry leaders. These articles aim to illuminate information, context, and implications that are often discussed privately and frequently left out of the public debate.
