FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, May 20, 2026
Contact: Matt Roman, [email protected], 617-835-3167
Over 950 Organizations Across California Demand Education Governance Reform
The Children’s Movement campaign shows broad and diverse support for a system that works better for kids
OAKLAND, CA — Today, through The Children’s Movement of California, over 950 organizations signed on to this statement sent to all California legislators, urging them to reform California’s education governance system to better address students’ needs.
“Reforming our education governance system has been desperately needed for over a century,” said Ted Lempert, President of Children Now, which coordinates The Children’s Movement. “With overwhelming support from more than 950 organizations across California, it’s time we reform our education governance system to have clear accountability for delivering support to students.”
The collection of supporting organizations features a broad array of parent, student, civil rights, business, faith, and community groups and covers 49 of the state’s 58 counties. Alongside a coalition of 27 education equity groups that support education governance reform, the signers include the Association of California School Administrators, the California County Superintendents Association, the California Association of School Business Officials, and others representing school leaders throughout the state that work directly with the Department of Education and rely on it every day for support.
The Statement of Support highlights that for over a century, the state-level institutions overseeing California’s public education system have been fraught with split leadership and unclear roles, making it difficult to respond effectively to student needs. It then calls on the California Department of Education to be aligned under a more logical leadership structure to provide clearer guidance for schools and hold state leaders accountable for delivering results.
Governor Newsom has proposed this reform and is pushing for it to be adopted in this year’s state budget. Under his proposal, the state Department of Education would be aligned under the state Board of Education, with a gubernatorially appointed Education Commissioner responsible for day-to-day management.
“Sensible education governance is foundational and a pre-requisite to the other major reforms needed to improve student performance,” said Lempert. “This collective demand of more than 950 organizations sends a clear message that we need a system where everyone knows who is accountable for getting results.”
By employing a game-changing, whole-child (pre-natal to age 26), antiracist, connector model, Children Now harnesses collective power to achieve transformational and systemic results for California’s kids, so that all children have the services and supports they need to reach their full potential. Children Now also coordinates The Children’s Movement of California, the strongest and most diverse kids’ advocacy network in the country, with over 6,200 organizations across the state that want to see kids prioritized in policymaking and help drive policy changes through collective action campaigns.