Policy & Finance

Topic

Elections and Education

Elections have a major impact on California education. Voters have passed ballot measures such as Proposition 98 in 1988, which set the level of state education funding, and Proposition 227 in 1998, which banned bilingual education until voters reversed the ban with Prop. 58 in 2016. Voters also elect the state superintendent of public instruction and local school board members for the state’s nearly 1,000 districts. Perhaps most significantly, they elect governors who have the most control over what happens to education in terms of funding, in appointing members to the State Board of Education and to the UC Board of Regents and the CSU Board of Trustees.

November 14, 2019

Pension costs feed resistance to higher school taxes in California county, study finds

An increase in mandated costs has frustrated voters in Marin County, where passing school parcel taxes had been a safe bet until 2016.

John Fensterwald

November 7, 2019

For better or worse, school construction bond on March 2020 ballot will be Prop. 13

Backers and opponents of a $15 billion K-12 and college construction bond are wondering if association with infamous Prop. 13 will affect the vote.

John Fensterwald

November 4, 2019

Should non-citizens vote in Los Angeles school board elections?

Los Angeles, home to more immigrants than any region in California, could become the state’s second city to let non-citizen parents vote.

Michael Burke

October 25, 2019

Elizabeth Warren’s K-12 plan could bring billions to California schools

Sen. Warren’s plan for K-12 schools, which focuses on low-income students, would be paid for by a “wealth tax.”

Carolyn Jones

May 22, 2019

Jackie Goldberg pushes parcel tax measure at LAUSD board swearing-in ceremony

Swearing-in ceremony to a seat on the Los Angeles school board becomes opportunity for Jackie Goldberg to urge support for parcel tax.

Michael Burke

May 15, 2019

Jackie Goldberg wins L.A. Unified school board seat in special election

Veteran lawmaker and activist Jackie Goldberg returns to the LAUSD school board after a decisive win.

Michael Burke

May 13, 2019

Runoff election for Los Angeles school board has long-term implications for future of California's largest district

A win for Jackie Goldberg would create a more union-friendly board and an uncertain future for charter schools. Heather Repenning says she occupies middle ground between the teachers’ union and the California Charter Schools Association (CCSA).

Michael Burke

April 27, 2019

Statewide survey: most Californians support teacher strikes for higher pay

Public Policy Institute asked about some of the most hotly debated issues in its annual Californians and Education statewide survey.

Diana Lambert

April 2, 2019

Newsom names two to state’s education board: former superintendent and early ed advocate

Kim Pattillo-Brownson, vice president for policy and strategy at First 5 Los Angeles, and Matt Navo, former superintendent of much studied Sanger Unified, will join the 11 member policy-setting board.

John Fensterwald And Zaidee Stavely

March 25, 2019

California school district among latest to change board elections to better reflect diversity of community

West Contra Costa Unified is one of the latest California school districts to agree to switch from at-large to by-district elections in 2020. The goal is to have the board reflect the community's diversity.

Theresa Harrington

January 29, 2019

After eight years, Democrats assume power over education policy in House of Representatives

Rep. Bobby Scott, the new chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, says he will seek bipartisan support for reauthorizing the Higher Education Act.

Louis Freedberg

January 28, 2019

Sen. Kamala Harris calls for universal preschool and 'debt free' college education

The former California attorney general and San Francisco district attorney also touches on gun violence in schools and law enforcement practices that could have fatal consequences for young people.

Louis Freedberg

January 7, 2019

Tony Thurmond sworn in as California's new superintendent of public instruction

He becomes the second African-American state schools superintendent in California history.

Louis Freedberg

December 18, 2018

Final results for the California State Superintendent of Public Instruction race

Justin Allen, Yuxuan Xie, And Daniel J. Willis

December 9, 2018

Final count shows Thurmond winner of California schools chief race by 187,000 votes

Over 4.5 million more Californians cast a vote for state superintendent for public instruction in mid-term elections than did in 2014, the last time the position was on the ballot.