The Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) provides base funding and grants for low-income students, English learners, and foster youth, and allows local school systems to allocate resources as they see fit. The LCFFRC conducted a survey of 350 California superintendents to understand their experiences with and views of the law. Results inform policymakers and indicate areas where changes may be needed. The survey sample included districts of varying sizes and proportions of unduplicated students.

Getting Down to Facts is an extensive investigation of CA's public education system commissioned by a bipartisan group of CA leaders. The project aimed to describe California's school finance and governance systems, identify obstacles hindering resource utilization, and estimate costs to achieve student outcome goals. The project resulted in 23 reports by scholars, which highlight that the current school finance and governance systems fail to help students achieve state performance goals, particularly those from low-income families. The reports provide a framework for assessing reform options.

The U.S. ranks low in international education comparisons, but the discussion is misleading because it does not look at postsecondary education. The value added by the postsecondary education system, including community colleges, trade schools, and universities, is ignored. The U.S.'s strongest suit is probably its entire postsecondary education system in the international arena.

The passage of Proposition 13 in 1978 sent shockwaves through California's community colleges, affecting all aspects of their operations. The crisis exposed the colleges' lack of preparedness for such magnitude, leaving them grappling to cope with chaos. This article looks at California's experience and highlights critical elements necessary for recognizing problems and mitigating chaos. Educational leadership will need to be adept at ambiguity and conflict resolution as the future promises to be more complex and unpredictable. Finance, mission, and governance are the three key areas of focus.