SACRAMENTO, CA — Assemblymember David Alvarez (D–San Diego) today announced that Assembly Bill 2117, the Education Governance Reform Act of 2026, passed the Assembly. This bill restructures California’s TK-12 education governance system by creating a new Education Commissioner to manage the California Department of Education, while redefining the elected State Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) as an independent evaluator of state education programs and expanding the Legislature’s oversight role.
“Our main goal with AB 2117 is to improve outcomes for California students,” states Assemblymember Alvarez, “We’re streamlining governance to cut through bureaucracy, but we’re doing it by adding oversight to the State Board of Education, requiring Senate confirmation of the Education Commissioner, and empowering the Superintendent to independently track how our kids are performing. A transparent transition, automatic evaluation of major new programs, and tough accountability rules make sure every part of this new structure is aimed squarely at delivering real results for students.”
Under California’s current governance structure, the State Board of Education, the Governor, and the Legislature all rely on the SPI to implement their policies. However, a recent Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE) report recommends reconceptualizing the role of the SPI and realigning other governance roles. In January, the Governor’s Budget included a proposal to address the issues identified in the report.
AB 2117 builds on Governor Newsom’s January proposal, and creates a governor-appointed, Legislature-confirmed Education Commissioner who will assume management of the California Department of Education on January 1, 2027, and must submit a restructuring plan to the Legislature within six months of appointment. The elected State Superintendent retains an independent office but instead takes on a new role as evaluator of state education programs. The bill also replaces four governor-appointed seats on the State Board of Education with legislative appointees, requires formal evaluation of any new education program spending $500 million or more annually, and makes specific ethics reforms.
“Governance of the state’s public schools has been debated by policymakers since our state was formed,” said Assemblymember Dr. Patel. “I applaud my colleagues for advancing AB 2117 yesterday ensuring that this collaborative and open policy discussion can continue in the Senate. I look forward to working with Assemblymember Alvarez and all the stakeholders to discuss and refine this policy so that our students and schools can have the leadership and accountability they deserve.”
California operates the nation’s largest public school system, educating nearly 5.8 million students across 937 school districts, 1,257 charter schools, and 58 county offices of education. Despite that scale, the state’s fragmented governance structure has left school districts navigating conflicting directives from multiple state entities. AB 2117 responds to these challenges by creating the coherence needed to effectively manage one of the largest education systems in the world, while preserving democratic accountability through an elected superintendent.
The bill is now moving to the Senate for further consideration. If passed by both chambers and signed by the Governor, the measure would take effect January 1, 2027.
