California Law Moves Education Authority from Superintendent to Governor

The measure transfers executive authority over the California Department of Education from the elected Superintendent of Public Instruction to a governor-appointed official. Under the new law, the appointed executive will oversee the department's operations, including management of thousands of employees and administration of state grants, contracts, and education programs.

The elected Superintendent keeps constitutional duties but functions primarily in an advisory and oversight capacity.

Background on the legislation Assembly Bill 181 moved through the Legislature as a budget trailer bill rather than through the standard committee process. Because the Superintendent's office is established in the state Constitution, it cannot be eliminated without voter approval.

Republican candidate for State Superintendent Sonja Shaw, who led the June primary with 1,737,377 votes, said the change reduces the office's authority before the November runoff. "Newsom couldn't win at the ballot box, so he changed the rules," Shaw told the California Post.

Political strategist Matt Klink said the timing raises questions about accountability. "The State Superintendent would still be elected, but the real management authority over the California Department of Education would shift to a governor-appointed director," he told the Post.

Supporters of the measure said it separates policymaking from daily administration and clarifies executive accountability. Shaw said the focus should remain on student performance, noting that fewer than half of California's K-12 students read and write at grade level.