K-12 Education

Newsom proposed shifting oversight of the Department of Education from the superintendent to the State Board of Education. The move would concentrate more power over K-12 schools with the governor, who appoints the school board.

The move is intended to simplify California’s convoluted education governance, which policy analysts have said can be inefficient, redundant and sometimes at cross purposes.

By basing funding on enrollment, not attendance numbers, schools would lose the incentive to get students to show up every day, a new report finds.

California is one of 32 states that doesn’t require 5-year-olds to attend school.

California schools are likely to face continuing threats of funding cuts and more uncertainty.

The law creates an array of measures to educate school staff, beef up reporting requirements and stop teachers credibly accused of abuse from getting jobs at other districts.

A century-old program pays for schools, roads and other services in 39 California counties.

Trump has cut funding to Medicaid, which pays for many services for students with disabilities. He also gutted the Office of Civil Rights, which helps enforce disability law.

The new law aims to educate school staff and investigate discrimination complaints. It stems from a surge in antisemitic incidents in California following the Israeli attacks on Gaza in 2023.

Test scores improved, but absenteeism and English learner progress stalled in the latest Dashboard.