Talk at NGA Meeting Turns to Labor, Budget Woes

Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton, right, talks with U.S. Secretary of Education during the Education, Early Childhood, and Workforce Committee panel at the National Governors Association's winter meeting in Washington.

—Jose Luis Magana/AP

By Sean Cavanagh

Washington

When the nation’s governors gathered for their recent 2011 winter meeting, they found education issues at the forefront of the public debate—and not for reasons the state leaders would have hoped.

Protests by teachers’ unions have erupted in states across the country amid efforts to curtail bargaining rights and cope with the rising cost of workers’ benefits. At the same time, state governments face dire budget deficits that have forced some governors and lawmakers to propose freezing or making cuts to popular school programs and services.

Despite those glum conditions, attendees at the National Governors Association’s gathering on the last three days of February offered some positive news: They believe their economies...