Evaluating the "Crazy Quilt": Educational Governance in California

Broadly interpreted, “governance” includes the institutions that are part of the educational decision-making and delivery system, the constituencies that interact with these institutions, and the ways the parts of the system relate to one another. Policies, laws, regulations, and informal practices are part of this framework and are reflected, one way or another, in the behaviors of all involved. Needless to say, California’s educational governance structure is extremely complex, encompassing many organizational entities: schools; school
districts; and county, state, and federal agencies. It also involves thousands of individuals from state legislators and other policymakers to school board members, superintendents,
principals, and teachers. The organizational structure is multidimensional, characterized by bodies that have overlapping responsibilities across executive, legislative, and judicial jurisdictions.