Historically, the Department of Education has operated on the assumption that mandating statewide reforms could solve problems in public education and that the state’s job was to police districts to ensure that the state requirements, which define those programs or reforms, were met. This created a basic compliance mind-set and organizational culture in the department. It also created a perception that the people in Sacramento knew better than the professionals in the districts. The state has focused on inputs to districts rather than helping them improve their outputs to children.
