A Closer Look at the Largest California Districts: Governance, Superintendents, Students, and Communities

• In Event: 61.068 - MTCC Roundtable Session 23
  In Roundtable Session: 61.068-1 - Restructuring and Reforming Educational Organizations

Abstract

This descriptive study, focusing on the largest 25 public school districts in California, is
an extension of our prior statewide research documenting demographic patterns among
school district governance structures. In this current work, we aim to take a closer look
into largest districts in California – the state with the highest national public school
enrollment factor – through an examination of how representative school boards and
superintendents are of the communities and educational systems they serve. Additionally,
in this work we take a closer look at the dynamics surrounding elections and
appointments of persons in charge. Preliminary results show that there remains a
disconnect between governance structures, students and their communities.

Author

• Irina S. Okhremtchouk, San Francisco State University