Sacramento’s Education Power Grab Will Hurt Families Like Mine

As the father of two daughters, I fought every day for more than 15 years to ensure they received a good education that would empower them to build a life even after I am no longer there to fight for them. One daughter has special needs, and like many families in Sacramento and across California, we struggled to find a school environment where she could thrive.

We finally found it in a public charter school.

In this school, she was no longer unheard, overlooked or left behind. She was supported. She was seen. And for the first time, she began to learn, to dream, and to succeed. That kind of personalized learning environment changed her life—and it’s done the same for thousands of other California students who need a different kind of support.

Now, all of that hope and all of that progress is being threatened by Sacramento politicians.

Assembly Bill 84, introduced by Assemblyman Al Muratsuchi (D-Torrance), would create an entirely new state bureaucracy to oversee public charter schools—adding layers of red tape and taking power away from parents, local educators and innovative therapists. But this bill doesn’t just create inefficiencies; it could directly harm students like my daughter by cutting funding to the very schools that are helping them thrive.

Let me be clear: AB 84 isn’t about better oversight—it’s about control.

Under the bill, Sacramento would take the reins from local communities and school boards, drain funding from classrooms, and impose a rigid one-size-fits-all model on schools that exist precisely to serve students who don’t fit that mold. Worse still, AB 84 sets up a system that would reduce funding for special education students who attend public charter schools.

That’s not reform. That’s regression. And it is cruel.

At a time when parents are crying out for more choices, more flexibility, and more support, AB 84 sends the message: “We know better, but you’re on your own.” It tells families like mine that because we found success outside the traditional system, our kids deserve less.

Let’s be honest about the politics at play. Muratsuchi is eyeing a run for State Superintendent of Public Instruction. He needs political and financial muscle to fuel that campaign. AB 84 would consolidate power in Sacramento and create a bureaucratic structure that weakens local voices and strengthens his political allies—at the cost of our most vulnerable students.

This is a power grab, not a path to equity.

Sacramento families want solutions for our kids, not more bureaucracy. We want funding to follow the student—not be tied to a political agenda or bureaucrat jobs for adults. And we want our elected officials to put kids first, not their careers.

Polling shows 76% of California voters would be less likely to support a candidate for state superintendent who backed cuts to special needs students. Legislators should take that seriously.

Education isn’t a campaign strategy. For families like mine, it’s a lifeline.

AB 84 puts bureaucracy before students, politics before parents, and ambition before fairness. I urge our lawmakers—and our community—to reject this harmful proposal and stand up for the families and students who depend on these schools to succeed.

About the Author: Tab Berg is the President of California Parents for Public Virtual Education. He lives in Fair Oaks with his wife and two daughters.