Education Policy

Requires schools to adopt comprehensive safety policies addressing student-staff boundaries and facility supervision by July 2026. Establishes a statewide database to track school employee misconduct and investigation reports by July 2027. Expands mandated child abuse reporting requirements to include all school employees, volunteers, and contractors. Mandates annual training for school staff on preventing abuse and maintaining appropriate professional boundaries.

Expands career technical education programs by requiring updated industry standards and apprenticeship opportunities. Mandates schools to offer work-based learning programs with credit for students starting in grade 10. Establishes a state framework for youth apprenticeships that combine classroom instruction with paid work experience. Creates an interagency workgroup to develop guidelines and standards for career education programs by 2026.

Expands California school evaluations to include Cambridge International examinations as authorized assessment tools. Requires schools to include Cambridge International programs in educational counseling for grades 6-12. Authorizes school districts to provide financial assistance for Cambridge exam fees to students in need. Establishes Cambridge International Education as a recognized pathway for college preparation in California schools.

Establishes new civil penalties for social media platforms that enable hate crimes or discrimination. Imposes fines of up to three months of platform revenue for intentional violations. Holds platforms legally responsible for harmful content delivered by their algorithms. Doubles penalties when violations affect minors on social media platforms.

Expands high school American government and civics from one semester to one year starting in 2032-33. Requires schools to develop comprehensive civics curriculum covering federal, state, local and tribal governance. Mandates a standalone personal finance course for graduation starting in 2030-31. Creates pathway for students to earn State Seal of Civic Engagement through expanded civics coursework.

Allows middle and high school students one excused absence per year for career technical education activities. Requires students to notify schools in advance of career technical education absences. Permits school administrators to approve additional career technical education absences beyond the annual limit. Mandates students complete all missed assignments and tests to receive full credit.

Requires auditors of school districts to complete 24 hours of education in school-specific auditing by 2026. Mandates quality control reviews of charter school auditors every three years to ensure compliance. Establishes stricter peer review requirements for firms conducting school financial audits. Authorizes suspension of auditors who fail to meet professional standards for up to three years.

Modifies charter school renewal standards to require evidence of academic improvement or strong college outcomes. Requires use of verified data for evaluating low-performing charter schools until new growth models are ready. Authorizes two-year renewals for struggling schools and five-year terms for higher-performing charters. Mandates state reimbursement to local agencies for costs of implementing these new requirements.

Requires California high schools to adopt new ethnic studies standards and curriculum by January 2028. Mandates that ethnic studies courses be free from bias and appropriate for students of all backgrounds. Establishes an expert advisory committee to guide development of ethnic studies content and materials. Requires schools to submit their ethnic studies curricula for state review by June 2026.

Extends Paradise Unified School District's exemption from administrative staffing penalties through 2027. Requires Paradise Unified to submit a detailed staffing ratio report by September 2026. Provides immediate relief to help the district recover from the Camp Fire's impact.

Prohibits landlords from requiring tenants to subscribe to specific internet service providers. Allows tenants to deduct forced internet subscription costs from their monthly rent. Expands tenant rights to ensure freedom of choice in selecting internet providers.

Requires schools to process special education plans within 30 days for transfer students. Mandates schools to accept unofficial records from military families during student transfers. Expands residency rights for military families with special education students. Requires electronic enrollment systems for military families transferring to California schools.

Expands parental access rights to include both official and unofficial school records of their children. Maintains existing protections that prevent access when prohibited by court orders. Preserves parents' rights to question and receive responses about inaccurate information in records.

Undeveloped "intent bill" that aims to fund transitional kindergarten programs in basic aid districts and small schools. Proposes funding mechanisms to prevent budget cuts in other educational programs.

Establishes a state fund to provide interest-free loans for school districts to develop staff housing projects. Provides loans up to $200,000 to school districts based on their student attendance numbers. Requires districts to identify surplus land and funding sources to qualify for housing development loans. Designates a nonprofit organization to assist schools with housing project planning and implementation.

Expands student rights to wear cultural and religious adornments at graduation and related school events. Prohibits schools from requiring pre-approval for wearing cultural or religious adornments. Allows students and families to determine what qualifies as traditional regalia or cultural objects. Exempts students from wearing graduation caps when incompatible with their cultural adornments.

Establishes new criteria for reclassifying English learner students as English proficient starting July 2026. Requires English learners to achieve a score of 3H or higher on the state English proficiency test for reclassification. Maintains requirements for teacher evaluation, parent input, and basic skills assessment in reclassification decisions.

Adds immigration enforcement activities to the list of emergencies that qualify schools for attendance-based funding protection. Requires schools to document decreased attendance from immigration activities through governing board affidavits. Ensures schools receive full funding as if attendance had not been impacted by immigration enforcement.

Requires schools serving grades 5-12 to create annual climate reports starting in the 2026-27 school year. Mandates schools to develop improvement plans when climate deficiencies are identified. Requires schools to present climate reports at public board meetings and post them online within 30 days.

Authorizes school districts to offer teacher certification programs for English learner and bilingual education. Requires district-run teacher programs to meet the same standards as university-based programs. Expands pathways for teachers to earn English learner and bilingual teaching credentials.

Establishes a system for schools to develop housing on their property through a new state notification process. Requires the state to create an online form by January 2027 for schools to declare interest in housing projects. Provides technical assistance to schools for housing development, including legal advice and funding guidance. Prioritizes support for schools in high-need areas or those facing housing and staffing shortages.

Expands dual enrollment programs by allowing regional occupational centers to establish middle college high schools. Provides grants up to $250,000 for establishing middle college high schools and dual enrollment partnerships. Requires collaboration between community colleges and regional occupational centers to support student success. Revises migrant education services to include more educational agencies and nonprofit organizations.

Requires school districts to pay classified employees their regular rate for all mandatory training time. Mandates in-person training for topics like sexual harassment and child abuse reporting. Ensures contracted workers receive equivalent health and retirement benefits as direct employees. Requires real-time question-and-answer sessions during all employee training programs.

Establishes a Pay-It-Forward program allowing UC and CSU students to attend college without paying upfront costs. Requires graduates to repay a percentage of their income instead of taking traditional student loans. Creates a dedicated fund from graduate repayments to support future students' education costs. Mandates UC and CSU campuses to enroll at least 10,000 students in the program by 2030.

Establishes a statewide database to track misconduct investigations of non-teaching school staff by July 2027. Requires applicants for non-teaching school positions to disclose all previous school employment. Mandates schools to check the database for misconduct reports before hiring non-teaching staff. Requires schools to report staff misconduct investigations within 10 days of starting or completing them.