Policy & Politics

States

Education news, analysis, and opinion about state education policy, officials, and advocacy.

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    Elliott Hart, 4, smiles at her dad, Michael Hart, on Oct. 29, 2026 while wearing a sticker on her face during a Get Out the Vote rally for Ohio Democrats. including Amy Acton, candidate for governor, Thursday, October 29, 2026, at the UAW Local 12 Union Hall in Toledo, Ohio.
    Elliott Hart, 4, smiles at her dad, Michael Hart, on Oct. 29, 2026 while wearing a sticker on her face during rally for Ohio Democrats. Amy Acton, who won the governorship in the state, has vowed to keep the state's focus on literacy and expand it.
    Jeremy Wadsworth/The Blade via AP
    States How the Midterm Results Could Reshape Some States' Reading Policies
    Newly elected Democratic governors say raising literacy achievement is a priority.
    Sarah Schwartz, November 5, 2026
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    8 min read
    Masaki Yoshikawa phone banks for Let's Go Washington, a group backing Washington State Initiative 638, which would prohibit transgender girls from competing in girls' sports, Monday, Oct. 19, 2026, in Bellevue, Wash.
    Masaki Yoshikawa phone banks for Let's Go Washington, a group backing Washington state's Initiative 638, which would prohibit transgender girls from competing in girls' sports, on Oct. 19, 2026, in Bellevue, Wash. The measure was one of four on state ballots Tuesday concerning transgender student-athletes.
    Lindsey Wasson/AP
    States Trump's Education Agenda Gets a Boost on an Otherwise Punishing Night for the GOP
    Four states are poised to bar transgender girls from female sports or broaden existing bans.
    Mark Walsh, November 4, 2026
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    5 min read
    People walk from the Office of the Supervisor of Elections during early voting in the 2026 midterm elections, Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026, in Doral, Fla.
    People walk from the Office of the Supervisor of Elections during early voting in the 2026 midterm elections, Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026, in Doral, Fla. Voters are making decisions with major implications for the nation's schools this election season.
    Lynne Sladky/AP
    States The 4 Big K-12 Questions This Election Day
    The answers will help to determine what's next for education policy.
    Matthew Stone, October 31, 2026
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    7 min read
    Students raise their hands in Lindsey Wuest's Science As Art class at A.D. Henderson School in Boca Raton, Fla., Tuesday, April 16, 2024. When teachers at the K-8 public school, one of the top-performing schools in Florida, are asked how they succeed, one answer is universal: They have autonomy.
    Students raise their hands in Lindsey Wuest's Science As Art class at A.D. Henderson School in Boca Raton, Fla., on April 16, 2024. Florida is one of 32 states that requires at least 180 days of instruction per school year. Instructional time requirements vary by state, ranging from 160 days in Colorado to 186 days in Kansas.
    Rebecca Blackwell/AP
    States How Much Time Do Students Spend in School? It Depends on the State
    State laws vary from 160 to 186 required school days per year.
    Caitlynn Peetz Stephens & Maya Riser-Kositsky, October 27, 2026
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    1 min read
    An, " I Voted Today," sticker is stuck to an information sign at Olbrich Gardens, Aug. 11, 2026, in Madison, Wis.
    An "I Voted Today" sticker on a sign on Aug. 11, 2026, in Madison, Wis. The race for control of Congress is the highest-profile election battle underway this fall. But there's a lot on the ballot in every state that matters for schools, the policies they have to follow, and their budgets.
    Nam Y. Huh/AP
    States Which Education Issues Are on the Ballot? Look Up Your State in Our Guide
    Education Week reviews what’s on ballots in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
    Matthew Stone & Emily Wright, October 13, 2026
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    1 min read
    School building at the center against a green grid background. Neighborhood homes are on both sides of the school and are made up of tax forms that are collaged together. Some of the forms show things like "School District Residency" and "File a separate form SD 100 for each taxing school district in which you lived during the taxable year".
    Illustration by Taylor Callery for Education Week
    States A Unique K-12 Ballot Initiative, and Other 2026 Election Highlights
    One state would require 'Spar-Spangled Banner' broadcasts in schools. Others would limit taxes.
    Matthew Stone, October 7, 2026
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    10 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
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    Books in a Minneapolis high school classroom are seen on Jan. 22, 2026.
    Caroline Yang for Education Week
    States Court Lets a State Law Limiting Race, Gender Classroom Discussions Take Effect
    The 2021 Oklahoma law was part of a wave of state laws limiting classroom race and gender discussions.
    Curtis Killman, Tulsa World, Okla., September 11, 2026
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    2 min read
    Hudson, 7, left, Callahan, 13, middle, and Keegan Pruente, 10, right, stand outside their school on their first Monday home during the new four-day school week on Monday, Sept. 11, 2023, in Independence, Mo. Hundreds of school systems around the country have adopted four-day weeks in recent years, mostly in rural and western parts of the U.S. Districts cite cost savings and advantages for teacher recruitment. Still, some experts question the effects on students who already missed out on significant learning during the pandemic.
    Three siblings stand outside their school on their first Monday home during a new four-day school week in Independence, Mo., on Sept. 11, 2023. Four-day school weeks have risen in popularity in recent years, though states have started to limit when school systems can switch to the abbreviated schedule.
    Nick Ingram/AP
    States States Start to Crack Down on 4-Day School Weeks
    Measures limiting when schools can adopt shortened schedules center on maintaining academic achievement.
    Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, July 28, 2026
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    4 min read
    20260703 AMX US NEWS AFTER NEWSOM COULDNT STOP IT 1 SA
    Gov. Gavin Newsom makes a point at the opening of the San Quentin Learning Center in San Quentin, Calif., on Feb. 20, 2026. Newsom has championed a move that will place the California education department under the authority of a governor-appointed education commissioner starting next year.
    JOSÉ LUIS VILLEGAS via TNS
    States The Elected Superintendent in This State Will Have Little Power Over Schools
    The nation's largest state is the latest to give its governor more power over its schools.
    Jennifer Vilcarino, July 9, 2026
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    5 min read
    California Gov. Gavin Newsom, gives his last May revise in the Swing Space on Thursday, May 14, 2026 , in Sacramento, Calif.
    California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks in Sacramento, Calif., on May 14, 2026. Newsom and legislative leaders pushed for a policy passed as part of the state budget that will scale back the authority of the elected state superintendent.
    Hector Amezcua/The Sacramento Bee via TNS
    States The Nation's Largest State Strips Most Power From Elected Schools Superintendent
    The state superintendent's authority will transfer to an appointee of the governor starting next year.
    Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, July 2, 2026
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    5 min read
    Katherine Alfaro works with students at Russellville Elementary School, in Russellville, Ala., Aug. 9, 2022. Alfaro is an aide for English Language Learner students, many of whom speak Spanish at home. Russellville schools have the highest percentage of English Language Learners of any district in the state, and officials there have invested in aides and teachers who know how to work with those students.
    Katherine Alfaro works with students at Russellville Elementary School, in Russellville, Ala., Aug. 9, 2022. Alfaro is an aide for English learners, many of whom speak Spanish at home. English-learner education is not immune to anti-DEI policies and politics, according to a new research study.
    Rebecca Griesbach/AL.com via AP
    States Anti-DEI Efforts Reshape How States Serve English Learners
    A new research study shed light on how anti-DEI policies affect English-learner education.
    Ileana Najarro, June 30, 2026
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    5 min read
    A waterfront home, photographed on Tuesday, May 5, 2026, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Governor DeSantis has pushed property-tax reform for over a year. “The property tax has become a big, big burden for millions of people in this state,” he said on June 1 in highlighting his proposal, which would expand the homestead exemption for property taxes from the current $25,000 to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028.
    A waterfront home in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., photographed on Tuesday, May 5, 2026. Gov. Ron DeSantis called a special legislative session this month to consider a major property-tax reduction measure. Lawmakers scaled it back to shield property taxes that make up almost half of school budgets statewide.
    Phelan M. Ebenhack via AP
    States A State Puts Property-Tax Cuts on the Ballot This Fall—But Shields Schools
    Florida lawmakers turned down a more sweeping property-tax reduction plan, leaving school taxes alone.
    Mark Walsh, June 8, 2026
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    3 min read
    The State Board of Education meeting room is pictured on Sept. 26, 2022 inside the William B Travis Building (which houses the Texas Education Agency) in downtown Austin, Texas .
    The Texas State Board of Education meeting room is pictured on Sept. 26, 2022, inside the William B. Travis Building in downtown Austin, Texas. The board will vote later this month on revised standards and a required reading list that include biblical passages.
    Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News via TNS
    States Texas Considers a Bigger Role for Christianity in Schools This Month. Here's How
    The state board will vote on a required reading list that includes biblical passages.
    Silas Allen, The Dallas Morning News, June 5, 2026
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    7 min read
    Internal View of the State Capitol. on May 29, 2025, in Albany, New York.
    An internal view of the state capitol in Albany, N.Y., on May 29, 2025. Gov. Kathy Hochul has signed a budget into law that lowers the retirement age for teachers to collect a full pension.
    Kena Betancur/AP
    States New York Teachers Win Lower Retirement Age as Lawmakers Pass Pension Reforms
    New York teachers can retire five years earlier under pension changes included in a state budget package.
    Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, May 27, 2026
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    3 min read