States Collection

Capitol Recap

Virginia House budget conferee Delegate Chris Jones, a Republican, left, talks to Senate Majority Leader Richard Saslaw, a Democrat, on the floor of the Senate during budget negotiations at the Capitol in Richmond in February.
Virginia House budget conferee Delegate Chris Jones, a Republican, left, talks to Senate Majority Leader Richard Saslaw, a Democrat, on the floor of the Senate during budget negotiations at the Capitol in Richmond in February.
Steve Helber/AP
Education Funding Text Process Referred to Board
After the discovery of errors in two history textbooks set off a controversy, Virginia lawmakers debated a measure that would have revised adoption procedures, but decided to refer the question to the state board of education, which has authority over textbook approval.
Catherine Gewertz, April 26, 2011
1 min read
College & Workforce Readiness College Help for Immigrants Passes
Lawmakers in Maryland approved a hotly debated bill that allows undocumented immigrants to enroll in community colleges at in-state tuition rates if they can prove they attended state high schools for three years and their parents pay state taxes.
Catherine Gewertz, April 26, 2011
1 min read
A state law sharply curtailing the scope of ethnic-studies classes has ramped up conflict amid blowback from a new immigration statute.
A state law sharply curtailing the scope of ethnic-studies classes has ramped up conflict amid blowback from a new immigration statute.
Paul Connors/AP
Teaching Arizona Law Puts Tight Rein on Ethnic Studies Classes
A ban on courses designed primarily for students of a particular ethnicity sparks controversy as the state copes with protests over a tough, new immigration law.
Mary Ann Zehr, May 14, 2010
5 min read
Budget & Finance Furloughs Bedevil Hawaii Lawmakers
| Hawaii | Faced with a $142.6 million hole in the education budget for the 2011 fiscal year, which prompted the state to declare 17 furlough days for both the current and upcoming school year, educators and officials in Hawaii are struggling to find solutions to restore the lost instructional time.
Katie Ash, May 11, 2010
1 min read
Education Funding Alaska Ramps Up Education Funding
| Alaska | Funding for K-12 education in Alaska won an increase in this year’s legislative session, which wrapped up April 19.
Katie Ash, May 11, 2010
1 min read
School & District Management Ethics Bill Highlights Ga. Session
The measure would let the governor remove local board members for ethics violations.
Ian Quillen, May 11, 2010
1 min read
School Choice & Charters Education Bills Die in Ky. Legislature
| Kentucky | Both major education reform bills introduced in the course of Kentucky’s 2010 regular session died after passing one chamber of the legislature but failing to advance in the other.
Stephen Sawchuk, April 27, 2010
1 min read
Education Funding Continued Fiscal Woes Force Idaho Ed. Cuts
A major revenue shortfall forced Idaho lawmakers to cut K-12 education programs by 7.5 percent.
Alyson Klein, April 20, 2010
1 min read
Teaching Profession Nebraska Approves Performance Pay, K-12 Funding Boost
Teacher performance pay may soon be coming to the Cornhusker State.
Dakarai I. Aarons, April 20, 2010
1 min read
Education Tenure Rules Tightened as Md. Gears Up for Race to Top Bid
Teachers would have to put in three years, instead of two, to earn tenure, under recently passed legislation.
Catherine Gewertz, April 20, 2010
1 min read
Education Funding Stimulus Allows Hike in Education Subsidy
Pennsylvania earned the distinction in 2009 of being the state with the longest budget impasse.
Catherine Gewertz, January 5, 2010
2 min read
States New Governor Backs Charters, Vouchers
The Garden State begins 2010 with a new governor, Chris Christie, a Republican who ousted one-term Democratic incumbent Jon S. Corzine in November.
Catherine Gewertz, January 5, 2010
2 min read
Federal Charter School Lid Removed in Illinois
Lawmakers eased a cap on charter schools and committed to establishing a system to collect longitudinal data on student progress.
Sean Cavanagh, September 22, 2009
1 min read
School & District Management Hawaii Chief Eyes Next Year
Schools Superintendent Patricia Hamamoto says she will ask legislators to change state law to give her more power to restructure failing schools.
Sean Cavanagh, September 22, 2009
1 min read