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Senators weigh governor’s plan to create appointed education commissioner, critics warn it skirts the constitution
Summary
A joint Senate hearing heard administration and analyst arguments that an appointed education commissioner would clarify accountability at the California Department of Education, while critics — including the state superintendent and several senators — warned the change could weaken the elected superintendent’s role and sidestep the constitution during an election year.
Brooks Allen, executive director of the State Board of Education and an education policy advisor to Gov. Gavin Newsom, told the Senate Education and Budget committees the governor’s proposal would replace a ‘‘double-headed’’ system that fragments authority with a clearer administrative chain by making an appointed education commissioner the day-to-day manager of the California Department of Education (CDE).
Allen said the change aims to ‘‘bring greater accountability, clarity, and coherence’’ and to ‘‘allow the state to be held accountable for carrying out its roles in support of education delivery.’’ He framed the proposal as a statutory solution informed by decades of reviews and compared California’s model to more coherent systems in states such as Connecticut and New Hampshire.
The Legislative Analyst’s Office recommended the committee adopt the structural shift but urged…
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