Governors

Democratic Texas gubernatorial candidate Gina Hinojosa speaks to supporters at an election night event in Austin, Texas, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026.
Texas Gov.-Elect Gina Hinojosa speaks to supporters at an election night event in Austin, Texas, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. The Democrat pledged to repeal her state's private school choice program while on the campaign trail.
Ashley Landis/AP
School Choice & Charters After Elections, Democrats Will Run School Choice Programs They've Blasted
Democrats have criticized school choice for a long time. Now, they'll be in charge of some big programs.
Arianna Prothero, November 5, 2026
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6 min read
Mayor Michelle Wu and Gov Maura Healey arrive at the Otis Elementary School after Wu endorsed Healey in her reelection bid.
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey appears in Boston on Oct. 1, 2026, as part of her reelection campaign. Healey is one of five Democratic governors who sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent seeking more clarity on the new federal school choice program before deciding whether to opt her state in.
Stuart Cahill/Boston Herald
School Choice & Charters Democratic Governors Have Questions About the Federal School Choice Program
A letter from five Democratic governors signals some movement as state leaders decide whether to opt in.
Arianna Prothero, October 26, 2026
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5 min read
Maria Contreras, right, opens the door for her son, Ian Contreras, before taking him to school on Thursday, April 9, 2026, in Fort Worth, Texas.
Maria Contreras, right, opens the door for her son, Ian Contreras, before taking him to school on Thursday, April 9, 2026, in Fort Worth, Texas. Private school choice programs—such as Texas' education savings accounts—are shaping debates in close races in a handful of states.
Julio Cortez/AP
School Choice & Charters School Choice Could Prove Pivotal in Some Midterm Races This Fall
"The politics of school choice are being scrambled in real time," says one advocate.
Arianna Prothero, October 20, 2026
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8 min read
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker speaks at a Texas Democratic Party press conference ahead of the Republican Midterm Convention in Dallas on Sept. 9, 2026.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker speaks at a Texas Democratic Party press conference ahead of the Republican Midterm Convention in Dallas on Sept. 9, 2026. Pritzker is among 16 governors who have yet to announce whether their states will participate in the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit, the first national school choice program.
Gabriela Passos/AP
School Choice & Charters Democratic Holdouts Still Aren’t Committing to Trump’s School Choice Program
Sixteen governors still haven't said whether they'll opt in to the first national school choice program.
Matthew Stone & Arianna Prothero, October 14, 2026
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6 min read
Row of three school desks. Each has a different color seat. One is red, one is white, and the third desk has a blue seat. Each desk has a voting booth on top with the familiar voting "American flag" and the word "VOTE".
Illustration by Taylor Callery for Education Week
States EdWeek's Guide to the 2026 Elections: Where Education Is on the Ballot
Education Week reviewed what's on the ballot in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Matthew Stone, Emily Wright & Jennifer Vilcarino, September 24, 2026
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2 min read
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott speaks during a press conference on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, in Fort Worth, Texas.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott speaks during a press conference on July 29, 2026, in Fort Worth, Texas. Abbott wants to ban schools from using H-1B visas to hire international educator—a practice used to fill high-need roles teaching subjects like math and foreign languages.
Elvis Martinez-Cartagena/Fort Worth Star-Telegram/Tribune News Service via Getty Images<br/>
Recruitment & Retention Why This Governor Wants to Ban H-1B Visas for Teachers—and Why Schools Use Them
Gov. Greg Abbott wants to ban schools from using H-1B visas to hire international teachers, a strategy used to fill key staffing gaps.
Evie Blad, August 21, 2026
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4 min read
Little Boy learning Numbers and mathematics basics
Getty Images
Mathematics Parents Can Build Numeracy Skills at Home. These Governors Want Guidance on How
Governors want the American Academy of Pediatrics to issue guidance urging parents to use games to help children build numeracy skills.
Evie Blad, July 27, 2026
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3 min read
Vermont State House 24197596488760
The Vermont State House in Montpelier, Vt., on Friday, July 12, 2024. Vermont last week became the first state to enact rules restricting scholarships awarded under a new federal school choice program to public school and low-income students.
Ted Shaffrey/AP Photo
School Choice & Charters A State's New Law Sets Up Clash With Trump's School Choice Program Rules
A state passed new requirements if it opts in to the new federal scholarship tax credit program.
Matthew Stone, June 23, 2026
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6 min read
Gov. Tina Kotek speaks at a meeting of the Oregon Prosperity Council in Portland on Jan. 22 . In a new poll of Portland metro area voters, only a third of respondents said they have a positive opinion of Kotek.
Gov. Tina Kotek of Oregon speaks at a meeting of the Oregon Prosperity Council in Portland on Jan. 22. 2026. Kotek said Friday she wouldn't opt Oregon in to a new federal tax credit program that, starting next year, will bankroll scholarships for K-12 students that can cover private school tuition, home-school expenses in some states, and certain expenses for public school students.
Mark Graves/The Oregonian via TNS
School Choice & Charters Another Democratic-Leaning State Will Pass on the Federal School Choice Program
Thirty-one states are on track to participate in the first federal tax-credit scholarship program.
Matthew Stone, June 12, 2026
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4 min read
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul reads "Snowflakes Fall" to daycare children at the Department of Labor on Dec. 20, 2023, in Albany, N.Y. Hochul on Jan. 3, 2024, said she will push for schools to reemphasize phonics in literacy education programs, a potential overhaul that comes as many states revamp curriculums amid low reading scores.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul reads "Snowflakes Fall" to children on Dec. 20, 2023, in Albany, N.Y. Hochul became the latest Democratic governor to say she'll opt her state in to the federal tax-credit scholarship program that takes effect next year, and will direct federal taxpayer funds to private school scholarships.
Will Waldron/The Albany Times Union via AP
School Choice & Charters A Large Democratic-Led State Says Yes to Trump’s School Choice Program
Thirty-one states are on track to participate in the first major federal foray into private school choice.
Matthew Stone, May 8, 2026
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5 min read
A teacher and rising kindergarten students at Vose Elementary in Beaverton during story time on April 16, 2026. Gov. Tina Kotek asked the State Board of Education on Thursday to prohibit school districts from using student-contact days as furlough days to balance budgets, in order to preserve instructional time.
Story time in a kindergarten class at Vose Elementary School in Beaverton, Ore., on April 16, 2026. Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek has issued an executive order in hopes of blocking any further erosion of instructional time in a state that has one of the shortest school years in the country.
Mark Graves/The Oregonian via TNS
States A State With a Short School Year Wants to Stop the 'Bleeding' of Classroom Time
A new order aims to discourage districts from reducing instructional hours to fill budget gaps.
Mark Walsh, April 17, 2026
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4 min read
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A classroom is bathed in light in Colorado Springs, Colo., Feb. 12, 2026.
Kevin Mohatt for Education Week
States The K-12 Issues That Top Governors' Agendas
Governors' priorities include early literacy, career education, and teacher recruitment.
Evie Blad, April 17, 2026
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7 min read
Democratic Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek speaks at a news conference in Portland, Ore., on Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025, after Republican President Donald Trump said he would send troops to the city.
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek, a Democrat, speaks at a news conference in Portland, Ore., on Sept. 27, 2025. Kotek and three other Democratic governors initially said their states wouldn't participate in the first federal private school choice program. Now, three of those governors, including Kotek, are reconsidering their stances and say they haven't made up their minds.
Claire Rush/AP
School Choice & Charters They Said No to the Federal School Choice Program. Now, 3 Dems Are Reconsidering
Advocacy to get Democratic states to participate has ramped up both locally and nationally.
Matthew Stone, March 4, 2026
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4 min read
Attendees listen to a eulogy during a memorial for Charlie Kirk hosted by the University of Texas at Dallas chapter of Turning Point USA, Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025, in Richardson, Texas.
Attendees listen to a eulogy during a memorial for Charlie Kirk hosted by the University of Texas at Dallas chapter of Turning Point USA, Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025, in Richardson, Texas.
Elías Valverde II/The Dallas Morning News via TNS
States Texas Gov. Abbott Wants 'Disciplinary Action' for Schools That Resist Turning Point USA
He endorsed growing the footprint of the late Charlie Kirk's organization in the state's high schools.
Philip Jankowski, The Dallas Morning News, December 9, 2025
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1 min read