Creates the department of education as an executive branch agency.

Creates the P-20 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, or transfers the powers and duties of the superintendent of public instruction to the department of education, depending on the outcome of the constitutional amendment eliminating the superintendent of public instruction as a statewide elected official.

Transfers the powers, duties, and functions of the state school for the blind, the Washington state center for childhood deafness and hearing loss, the office of the education ombudsman, and the professional educator standards board to the department of education.

Abolishes the department of early learning, the state board of education, the state board for community and technical colleges, and the higher education coordinating board and transfers their powers, duties, and functions to the department of education.

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 a 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.

Provides contingent effective dates.