California is not only the nation’s most populous state; it’s also the nation’s most economically, ethnically, culturally and geographically diverse state.
That uniqueness has its virtues, but it makes governing California uniquely difficult. Competitive interests, clamoring for attention, tend to block the consensus that’s vital for effective policymaking.
As a result, major issues go unresolved, despite promises by those seeking office to act boldly and effectively if elected. Obvious examples include homelessness, poverty, the water supply, housing shortages and — most importantly — the low levels of academic achievement in a public school system that purports to educate nearly 6 million children.
As we all should know by now, national achievement tests have revealed that California’s students do poorly in comparison to those in other states. Reading comprehension among California’s fourth-graders ranked 37th among the states in the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress testing, with just 29% showing proficiency, down 2 percentage points from 2022.
Doing something about low reading scores was a political football for years until, just recently, the state finally declared a preference for using phonics to teach reading — a rare bit of progress.
Nevertheless, the state still lacks a binding commitment to improving academic achievement, bolstered by accountability. Instead, we have many levels of partial authority, ranging from local school board members to the governor, and a debate that usually begins and ends with wrangling over money.
As he prepares to vacate the governorship — and embark on a presidential campaign — Gavin Newsom is proposing to downgrade the elected state superintendent of schools to an advisory role and give his successor as governor the leading role in education.
Whether that would improve educational governance and accountability or merely rearrange the organizational boxes is uncertain. Meanwhile, the California School Boards Association is proposing that the state make the commitment to academic improvement that has been lacking.
“California’s educators are working tirelessly to support students, but the state has never had a unified plan to help close achievement gaps,” Assemblymember Darshana Patel, a San Diego Democrat, said as a four-bill package was unveiled Tuesday.
She is authoring Assembly Bill 2225, which requires creation of a “comprehensive statewide strategy with clear goals, measurable benchmarks and annual performance targets so the state can provide local school districts the support needed for student success.”
The other bills would have the Legislative Analyst’s Office study how the plan aligns with the state budget (AB 2149), devise a dashboard to inform the public about progress (AB 2514) and empower a new commission to oversee the plan (AB 2202).
“School districts and county offices of education are expected to deliver results for students every day,” Debra Schade, president of the school boards organization, said in a statement. “The SOS for Student Achievement legislative package recognizes that the state must also be accountable for ensuring its own policies, programs and funding are aligned to support local efforts.”
The package may not be the answer to the wheel-spinning that has marked education reform for so many years. But it’s at least an attempt to gain traction on an issue central to the state’s economic and societal prosperity — and to the futures of its children.
There’s nothing more important.
Dan Walters’ commentary is distributed by CalMatters, a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how California’s state Capitol works and why it matters.
