California Gives $2.4 Billion for Special Education: A Super Simple Explanation

What Just Happened?

• On Thursday, California’s Governor Gavin Newsom signed a new law (called a bill).
• This law gives $2.4 billion (that’s 2,400 million dollars!) to special education.
• Special education means extra help for kids who learn differently or need more support (like those with disabilities).

Important: Every school agency in California will get equal access to this money. The aim is to increase how much is spent on each student.

Even More Money for Regular Schools

• This $2.4 billion is extra money, on top of other plans.
• Newsom had already promised more than $151 billion for public schools from transitional kindergarten (the step before regular kindergarten) up to 12th grade (high school) in the 2026 budget.
• So schools are getting a big boost overall, and this comes amid criticism about other education changes described below.

A Separate Big Change: Who Runs the Education Department?

While this money news came out, there was also fuss about a different law that changes who is boss of the California Department of Education (the group that makes school rules). Here’s the step-by-step:

1. In late June, state lawmakers quickly advanced (moved forward) and passed a law that both main political parties agreed on (bipartisan).
2. This law moves more control of the Department of Education to the governor’s office.
3. It creates a new job: an education commissioner. The governor will choose this person.
4. The commissioner will take on most of the duties that used to belong to the state superintendent.
5. Normally, the superintendent of public instruction is a job elected by voters (nonpartisan, meaning not tied to a party) and is written into the state’s constitution.

Important: The current superintendent, Tony Thurmond, was critical of this change and wasn’t at the money announcement. His job is supposed to be chosen by the people, not appointed by the governor.

Why Did Newsom Support These Changes?

CBS News Sacramento asked Newsom about the changes. He said he and lawmakers are answering requests from across the state to reform (improve) the public school system.

Here’s what he said (in his own words):

"You know, change has its enemies, and I’m for change… I’m not defending the status quo with respect to the individual. You mentioned," Newsom told CBS News Sacramento in response to a question about State Superintendent Tony Thurmond, who was critical of the move, not being in attendance at the announcement. "He and I have a fundamental disagreement, and 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 that new approach."

In kid terms: Newsom says he likes change, doesn’t want to keep the old way, he and Thurmond disagree, but he’s happy because the lawmakers and people wanted a new plan and he signed it.

Some People Think This Is Wrong

Not everyone is cheering.

• Herb Morgan, a Republican candidate for California State Controller (a job about managing state money), called the changes "shameful" and a threat to democracy (the system where people vote).
• He said:
  

  "They tried four times to make these changes at the ballot box and they failed four times. So what do you do when the Democrat, the electorate, the people of the state of California, vote down what you want to do as a dictator? You then go around the voters."

• CBS also asked Thurmond’s office to respond to Newsom’s comments. Thurmond repeated what he said earlier: this decision should have been left to the voters.

Summary

Let’s recap the key points:

• $2.4 billion new money for special education, shared equally, to help per-student spending.
• This adds to $151 billion+ already planned for TK-12 public schools in 2026.
• A recent law shifts education department control to the governor, creating an appointed commissioner.
• Newsom says it’s what the state wanted; critics like Morgan and Thurmond say voters should have decided.

FAQ

Q1: What is special education?
A: It’s schooling with extra help for students who need it, like kids with learning differences or disabilities. The new funds support that.

Q2: What does "bipartisan bill" mean?
A: A law proposed that both major political groups (Democrats and Republicans) supported and passed together.

Q3: Who is the education commissioner?
A: A new role created by the law. The governor picks this person, and they do most of the old superintendent’s jobs.

Q4: Why are critics upset about the new commissioner?
A: Because the superintendent was an elected position (by voters) per the state constitution. Morgan says leaders tried 4 times to change it by vote and failed, so doing it by law "goes around" voters.

Q5: What did Superintendent Thurmond say?
A: He criticized the move and said it should have been left to voters. He was not at the bill-signing event.