Policy & Decision Making at the State Level
What Decisions Are Made at the State Level?
The California State Legislature consists of two houses: CA State Assembly and CA State Senate.

CA Assembly
80 Members
Two Year Terms
Green Floor

CA Senate
40 Members
Four Year Terms
Red Floor
The California Department of Education (CDE) is run by the state superintendent of public instruction, who oversees funding, testing and accountability for all school districts and county offices.
There’s also an 11-member California Board of Education that’s appointed by the governor. This body sets the state’s education standards, reviews and adopts instructional materials — including textbooks — and creates regulations to implement education legislation.
The state makes decision about:
How Parents & Caregivers Can Make Their Voices Heard
There are several ways parents, guardians, and caregivers can get involved and have their voices heard by their various elected representatives:
- Registering to vote
- Attending public forums and meetings:
- School board meetings
- Community forums
- Community meetings
- Neighborhood council meetings
- LCAP review meetings
- Learning about current issues
- Volunteering in the community
- Serving on local, state or national boards and commissions
- Serving on Parent Teacher Association (PTA)
- School Site Councils
- School Site Governance Teams
- Writing letters to representatives