State Legislatures Back, With Last Year's Battles Still in Mind

Florida Gov. Rick Scott delivers his State of the State on Jan. 10 during the first day of the Florida legislative session in Tallahassee, Fla.

—Chris O'Meara/AP

Lawmakers and governors may push education initiatives, but warily in this election year

By Sean Cavanagh

As state legislatures go to work this year, one of the overriding questions is whether 2012 will bring a reprise of last year's frenzied work on education—much of it shepherded by newly elected Republican majorities and governors—or whether elected officials will take a more deliberate and cautious approach.

Last year, many governors and lawmakers set out to shape their states' education systems through bold and controversial expansions of private school choice, new efforts to link teacher pay and evaluation to student test scores, and, in some cases, the weakening of educators' collective bargaining rights.

Many observers say they expect this year's legislative sessions to bring a mix of far-reaching activity in some states and a careful recalibrating of policy in others. Governors and lawmakers may be inclined to avoid divisive issues, given that many will face elections in the fall, some suggest. State elected officials also may decide that they want new school policies to be allowed to work before...