California Education Power Shift | Oakland News

Oakland News Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now! · Jul 10, 2026 · 1m

California just poured $2.4 billion into special education programs, ensuring every school district gets a share and boosting per-student funding — separate from the $15 billion already earmarked for K-12 schools. But this financial boost comes amid a political firestorm: lawmakers just passed a bill shifting control of the Department of Education directly to the governor’s office, creating a new gubernatorial appointee — the education commissioner — to replace the elected state superintendent. Critics, including State Controller candidate Herb Morgan, call it “shameful” and undemocratic…