Governors

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt answers a question while taking part in a panel discussion during a Republican Governors Association conference, Nov. 16, 2022, in Orlando, Fla.
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt answers a question while taking part in a panel discussion during a Republican Governors Association conference, Nov. 16, 2022, in Orlando, Fla. The governor recently opposed a rule from the state's superintendent of public instruction requiring proof of citizenship in school enrollment.
Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP
States Proof of Legal Status to Enroll in an Oklahoma School? It's Complicated
Public schools don’t track the number of undocumented students enrolled due to a 1982 U.S. Supreme Court decision.
Ileana Najarro, February 28, 2025
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4 min read
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter waves to the congregation after teaching Sunday school at Maranatha Baptist Church in his hometown of Plains, Georgia on April 28, 2019. Carter, 94, has taught Sunday school at the church on a regular basis since leaving the White House in 1981, drawing hundreds of visitors who arrive hours before the 10:00 am lesson in order to get a seat and have a photograph taken with the former President and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter.
Former President Jimmy Carter waves to the congregation after teaching Sunday school at Maranatha Baptist Church in his hometown of Plains, Ga., on April 28, 2019. He died Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, at age 100.
Paul Hennessy/NurPhoto via ZUMA Press
Federal Jimmy Carter's Education Legacy Stretched From the School Board to the White House
The 39th president helped create the U.S. Department of Education. He had also been a school board member and an education-minded governor.
Mark Walsh, December 29, 2024
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19 min read
This combination of photos shows Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump, left, and Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris during an ABC News presidential debate at the National Constitution Center, Sept. 10, 2024, in Philadelphia.
Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris speak during an ABC News presidential debate at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia on Sept. 10, 2024. The presidential contest isn't the only one on ballots this fall with major implications for K-12 schools.
Alex Brandon/AP
Policy & Politics Interactive Results: Education Week's Guide to the 2024 Election
Results from 2024 contests up and down the ballot could have major implications for K-12 schools.
Libby Stanford, September 26, 2024
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4 min read
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz listens as Maryland speaks to reporters after meeting with President Joe Biden, Wednesday, July 3, 2024, at the White House in Washington.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz listens as Maryland Gov. Wes Moore speaks to reporters after meeting with President Joe Biden on Wednesday, July 3, 2024, at the White House in Washington. Vice President Kamala Harris has chosen the Minnesota governor as her running mate in the 2024 presidential election.
Jacquelyn Martin/AP
Federal Tim Walz, a Former Teacher, Is Kamala Harris' Running Mate
Kamala Harris has chosen Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a former high school teacher and football coach, for the No. 2 slot on the Democratic ticket.
Libby Stanford, August 6, 2024
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4 min read
Vice President Kamala Harris embraces President Joe Biden after a speech on healthcare in Raleigh, N.C., March. 26, 2024. President Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 race for the White House on Sunday, July 21, ending his bid for reelection following a disastrous debate with Donald Trump that raised doubts about his fitness for office just four months before the election.
Vice President Kamala Harris embraces President Joe Biden after a speech on health care in Raleigh, N.C., on March 26, 2024. Biden on Sunday announced he wouldn't run for reelection and endorsed Harris as his replacement.
Matt Kelley/AP
Federal What We Know About Kamala Harris’ Education Record
Harris is the frontrunner for the top of the ticket. A look at her record on K-12, along with those of other Democratic contenders.
Libby Stanford, July 21, 2024
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8 min read
A school building rests on vanishing columns of rolled hundred dollar bills. Vanishing property tax support for schools.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week + Getty Images
Education Funding A State Considers a Future in Which Schools Can't Rely on Property Taxes
How would school districts fill the gap if a governor gets his wishes?
Mark Lieberman, July 9, 2024
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10 min read
Heidi Griebel and Josie Wahl participate in carpentry class at Career and Technical Education Academy in Sioux Falls, S.D., on Jan. 7, 2019.
Heidi Griebel and Josie Wahl participate in carpentry class at Career and Technical Education Academy in Sioux Falls, S.D., on Jan. 7, 2019. CTE programs were a core theme of several governors' state addresses in 2024.
Loren Townsley/The Argus Leader via AP
States Republican and Democratic Governors Both Are Touting This K-12 Priority
Workforce readiness and career and technical education were the most common education themes in governors' state of the state addresses.
Evie Blad, March 20, 2024
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6 min read
Gov. Brad Little provides his vision for the 2024 Idaho Legislative session during his State of the State address on Jan. 8, 2024, at the Statehouse in Boise.
Idaho Gov. Brad Little outlines his priorities during his State of the State address before lawmakers on Jan. 8, 2024, at the capitol in Boise.
Darin Oswald/Idaho Statesman via AP
States What's on the K-12 Agenda for States This Year? 4 Takeaways
Reading instruction, private school choice, and teacher pay are among the issues leading governors' K-12 education agendas.
Mark Lieberman, January 30, 2024
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6 min read
Left: California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks at a press conference in Beijing on Oct. 25, 2023. Right: Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis speaks at a Town Hall event at Tempesta's in Keene, N.H., on Nov. 21, 2023.
Left: California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks at a press conference in Beijing on Oct. 25, 2023. Right: Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis speaks at a Town Hall event at Tempesta's in Keene, N.H., on Nov. 21, 2023.
Left: Ng Han Guan/AP; Right: Kristopher Radder/The Brattleboro Reformer via AP
States DeSantis vs. Newsom: How K-12 Schools Fared in the 'Red vs. Blue State Debate'
The Florida and California governors sparred over book bans, school closures, and parental rights during their Fox News debate.
Libby Stanford, December 1, 2023
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5 min read
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear speaks during an election night rally after he was elected to a second term in Louisville, Ky., on Nov. 7, 2023. At right is his wife Britainy Beshear.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear speaks during an election night rally after he was elected to a second term in Louisville, Ky., on Nov. 7, 2023. At right is his wife Britainy Beshear.
Timothy D. Easley/AP
States Liberals Win Hotly Contested School Board Races in Backlash to Conservative Control
A Democrat who championed teacher pay raises was also reelected Kentucky's governor and Democrats won legislative majorities in Virginia.
Libby Stanford, November 8, 2023
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6 min read
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine speaks about his plans for the coming year during an interview at the Governor's Residence in Columbus, Ohio, on Dec. 13, 2019.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine speaks about his plans for the coming year during an interview at the Governor's Residence in Columbus, Ohio, on Dec. 13, 2019. An overhaul that gives the governor more power over state education policy has run into legal obstacles.
John Minchillo/AP
States Why Governors Are Exerting More Control Over Schools
Ohio has become the latest state to award the governor more control over schools. But the change has run into legal challenges.
Libby Stanford, November 2, 2023
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7 min read
An overflow crowd attends a Temecula Valley Unified School District board meeting July 18, 2023, at which a proposed social studies curriculum was again debated and rejected.
An overflow crowd attends a Temecula Valley Unified School District board meeting July 18, 2023, at which the board again debated and rejected a proposed social studies curriculum.
Will Lester/Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG via TNS
States What California Gov. Newsom's Fight With a School District Says About Local Control
Newsom threatened to fine the Temecula Valley school board after it rejected a curriculum that mentioned gay rights leader Harvey Milk.
Libby Stanford, August 11, 2023
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8 min read
Illustration of hand placing stacked coins.
iStock / Getty Images Plus
Education Funding A Governor Boosted School Funding for the Next 400 Years. But the Reality Is More Complex
Wisconsin's governor enshrined mandatory K-12 funding increases in law until 2425—but the move may not be transformative for districts.
Mark Lieberman, July 12, 2023
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4 min read
Image shows a multi-tailed arrow hitting the bullseye of a target.
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
Social Studies Opinion DeSantis’ Take on AP African American Studies Was Principled. The Media’s Response Was Not
News coverage characterized the concern as an unwillingness to teach about racism rather than how to teach it.
Rick Hess, March 13, 2023
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5 min read
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