Californians working in the state’s education sector are warning against what they describe as an “undemocratic power play” by Gov. Gavin Newsom to strip authority from the state’s superintendent of Public Instruction.
Assembly Bill 181, passed as a budget trailer bill for the 2026â27 fiscal year, shifts day-to-day managerial power from the state superintendent to a newly created position: the education commissioner. Unlike the independently elected superintendent, the new commissioner will be appointed by and report directly to the governor. The structural overhaul was finalized as part of budget negotiations between legislative leaders and Newsom.
“As a teacher and voter, I am completely against this undemocratic power play,” Steve Campos, who taught for more than 30 years in California, told Fox News Digital.
Newsom on Thursday delivered remarks on the day of the bill signing for their budget for public education, noting that organizations have been advocating for “change” for decades.
“As it relates to governance reform, change has its enemies. I’m for change. I’m not arguing for the status quo,” Newsom said. “I couldn’t be more proud that the legislature and the people of the state demanded a new approach, and I was proud to attach my signature to a new approach.”
Newsom touted the changes earlier this year, saying in a statement, “California can no longer postpone reforms that have been recommended regularly for a century. So we are going to modernize the governance system by unifying the policy-making State Board with the Department of Education that implements those policies. And were empowering the State Superintendent of Public Instruction to help align our education policies from early childhood through college. These critical reforms will bring greater accountability, clarity, and coherence to how we serve our students and schools.”
Campos, who currently serves as a member of the Perris Union High School District board of trustees and teaches physical education, voiced deep concern over the timing of the legislation.
“As a school board member, I am extremely disappointed in the fact that he is trying to take away the will of millions of voters who are parental rights supporters,” Campos said. “Californians deserve the opportunity to elect someone who supports their values statewide, since the passage of AB 1955 took away some of their local control. The governor was also in support of taking away their local voice through AB 1955. My hope is that the governors plan will be legally challenged and overturned.”
Sonja Shaw, the school board president for the Chino Valley Unified School District, echoed those frustrations. Speaking to Fox News Digital, Shaw accused Newsom of orchestrating “the most brazen power grab in California history, bypassing the voters and using a backdoor budget bill to s
