Education
California’s K-12 Public School System:
- 6.3 million students (approximately 48% Hispanic, 29% White, 8% Black, 8% Asian, and 6% other)
- 308,790 teachers
- 1056 school districts
- 9,557 public schools
The California Department of Education oversees the state's K-12 public school system. It is run by the State Superintendent for Public Instruction, a non-partisan elected position. Policies for the CDE are made by the State Board of Education. There is also a California Office of the Secretary of Education (OSE), appointed to advise the Governor on education issues.
See the Legislative Analyst’s Office most recent “Cal Facts” about K-12 spending and performance and Edsource’s most recent School Finance Overview.
Higher Education
California has three higher education systems:
- 109 Community College campuses (1.7 million students)
- 23
California State University campuses (405,000 students) - 10
University of California campuses (210,000 students)
Education on the ballot
There are no state propositions affecting Education in the June 3, 2008 election:
Additional resources
You may have different issues with education than these. Here are additional resources to help you shape and share your perspective about education:
- National Education information from the Public Agenda Foundation
- Look up information about your local school district and contact the people elected to serve your schools
- An adult student worksheet about education issues
- What should our children learn in school? is a 4-page guide designed to help facilitate a discussion of education issues
