SACRAMENTO, California — California’s elected superintendent of public instruction will no longer manage the state’s Department of Education under a sweeping governance reform negotiated between Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders and expected to pass as part of the 2026–27 state budget.
Pleasanton, situated in the Tri-Valley region about 40 miles east of San Francisco in Alameda County, has an estimated population of 80,000 and is a significant East Bay employment center, hosting the headquarters of Workday, Clorox, and Safeway’s corporate offices.
The change, detailed in Assembly Bill 181, creates a new director of education position appointed by the governor and confirmed by the state Senate. The director will assume all responsibilities and duties of the California Department of Education when the law takes effect on January 15, 2027. The elected superintendent will retain an independent oversight role, including a voting seat on the State Board of Education and membership on the Community College System Board of Governors.
“This represents one of the most significant education governance reforms in California’s history,” said Lupita Cortez Alcalá, executive director of PACE (Policy Analysis for California Education). “This law recognizes that improving education requires more than bold investments — it requires clear leadership, rigorous evaluation and a commitment to continuous learning.”
The reform ends a century-old split in authority between the governor and the independently elected superintendent that policy experts and advocacy groups have long argued creates inefficiency and confusion. Under the current system, governors and their appointed State Board of Education members create programs but cannot implement or monitor them — that responsibility belongs to the superintendent, who may have different priorities.
