Creates the department of education as an executive branch agency.

Creates the P-12 education council to advise the secretary of the department of education on broad policy issues affecting the state's education system.

Houses the superintendent of public instruction within the department of education, however the superintendent shall retain the supervisory duties pertaining to public schools granted under the state Constitution.

Transfers the powers, duties, and functions of the state school for the blind and the Washington state center for childhood deafness and hearing loss to the department of education.

Abolishes the department of early learning, the state board of education, and the professional educator standards board and transfers their powers, duties, and functions to the department of education.

Abolishes the office of the education ombudsman.

Eliminates the Washington state school directors' association, the early learning advisory council, the quality education council, and the achievement gap oversight and accountability committee.

Requires the governor to appoint a transition team to plan the technical and practical steps required to bring the current state-level education agencies and structures into the new department.

Requires the public employment relations commission to review the existing collective bargaining units within the department of early learning to determine if these units would be appropriate units within the department of education.

Requires the code reviser to prepare legislation for the 2012 session to correct obsolete references resulting from the enactment of the act.