Top Takeaways Although state superintendents run on education issues, their primary job is to run the Department of Education, not to set policy. The department is understaffed and underfunded because it’s not entitled to the main state source of school funding. The 1849 state Constitution broadly defined the state superintendent; legislators can change the job, which is what Gov. Gavin Newsom proposes. The job of the state superintendent of public instruction may be very different a year from now. Last month, the nonprofit research organization PACE (Policy Analysis for California Education) released a report on school governance that recommended transferring the California Department of Education’s operations from the state superintendent to the governor and the State Board of Education, whose members are appointed by the governor. Gov. Gavin Newsom picked up the idea and is proposing to implement it in the 2026-27 budget. Relieved of management responsibilities, state superintendents would continue to advocate for issues they campaigned on but take on different missions: Newsom suggested the superintendent could serve as a statewide education coordinator, ensuring smoother transitions from early education through college and career preparation. The PACE report proposed that the superintendent become an independent evaluator of TK-12 programs and an ombudsperson for voters. Language in the governor’s education trailer bill, due by Feb. 3, will flesh out the proposal. There could be hearings and revisions before the state Legislature adopts the budget and then the trailer bill in late June. “There’s been confusion around who’s responsible for education in…
