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States

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

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    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
    The Tennessee Capitol is seen on April 23, 2024, in Nashville.
    The Tennessee Capitol is seen on April 23, 2024, in Nashville. Twice since 2025, lawmakers in the state have failed to pass legislation limiting undocumented students' access to free, public education.
    George Walker IV/AP
    States How One State's Efforts to Limit Undocumented Students’ Rights Failed Again
    Tennessee lawmakers failed to create legislation directly challenging federal law.
    Ileana Najarro, May 22, 2026
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    3 min read
    Illustration of blue and red arrows merging for create purple arrow.
    Education Week + Getty
    States Opinion How Education Leaders Can Overcome Political Divisions
    "Bipartisan education policy is not only possible; it is already happening," say several leaders.
    Jose Muñoz, Charlene Russell-Tucker, Eric Mackey & Keven Ellis, May 14, 2026
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    4 min read
    Image of a student sitting on a stoop with a school bus in the distance. Ghosted in the background is the Capitol building.
    Illustration by Laura Baker/Education Week + Getty + Canva
    States With Federal Commitment Shaky, States Move to Codify Protections for Homeless Students
    Washington and Oregon have taken action, and others states are considering moves of their own.
    Evie Blad, April 23, 2026
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    4 min read
    Democratic Senator Raumesh Akbari hugs a young demonstrator as people gather to protest an immigration bill outside the Senate chamber at the state Capitol Thursday, in Nashville, Tenn. The bill would allow public school systems in Tennessee to require K-12 students without legal status in the country to pay tuition or face denial of enrollment, which is a challenge to the federal law requiring all children be provided a free public education regardless of legal immigration status.
    Democratic state Sen. Raumesh Akbari hugs a young demonstrator as people protest an immigration bill outside the Senate chamber at the state Capitol on April 10, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. The legislation is part of a broader push in Tennessee to require schools to collect students’ immigration status, raising concerns among educators about trust, access, and compliance with federal law.
    John Amis/AP
    States 'Not Our Job': Principals Decry a Proposal to Track Student Immigration Status
    A principals group has publicly opposed efforts to require schools to track immigration status.
    Ileana Najarro, April 17, 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
    MVCS 5100
    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
    Illustration of a child with a backpack looking at game pieces and board from THE GAME OF LIFE.
    Laura Baker/Education Week + iStock
    States 'Success Sequence' Urges Marriage, Then Parenthood. These States Want Schools to Teach It
    The decades-old concept is getting new attention, largely from Republican lawmakers.
    Evie Blad, April 3, 2026
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    6 min read
    Bryan Najera holds a sign during a House Education K-12 subcommittee meeting Tuesday, March 11, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn.
    Bryan Najera holds a sign during a House Education K-12 subcommittee meeting Tuesday, March 11, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. Tennessee lawmakers are debating amended legislation, originally introduced last year, to collect students' immigration information.
    George Walker IV/AP
    States A State Gets Closer to Challenging Undocumented Students' Free Access to School
    Lawmakers are debating legislation that would require schools to collect immigration information.
    Ileana Najarro, March 27, 2026
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    4 min read
    West De Pere High School is committed to sustainability and environmental stewardship, focusing on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and enhancing environmental literacy through facility upgrades such as LED lighting, motion sensors and advanced HVAC systems. To further explore energy, students have opportunities to explore alternative energy, including participation in the annual Wisconsin Public Service Solar Olympics Challenge. Going the extra mile, West De Pere hosts recycling drives that successfully collected 117 pounds of batteries and Christmas lights last year alone. The school's physical education program fosters a deep appreciation for the natural world, offering diverse activities like biking, fishing, and archery that emphasize physical health and lifelong skills. Additionally, West De Pere's involvement in the Farm to Table program highlights the importance of local produce, complemented by a school greenhouse that enhances hands-on learning. Through these initiatives, West De Pere High School is empowering students to become proactive stewards of the environment and advocates for sustainability in their communities.
    West De Pere High School in De Pere, Wis., was a 2025 honoree in the state's Green and Healthy Schools Wisconsin program. The state expanded that recognition program honoring schools' sustainability work after the U.S. Department of Education ended its Green Ribbon Schools program last year.
    Courtesy of Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
    States Q&A This State Stepped In When the Feds Stopped Honoring Schools' Environmental Work
    The Trump administration last year ended the Green Ribbon Schools recognition program.
    Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, March 19, 2026
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    4 min read
    New military recruits take the Oath of Office during a swearing in ceremony at a Salute to Service event at an NFL football game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Minnesota Vikings, Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024, in Jacksonville.
    New military recruits take the Oath of Office during a swearing-in ceremony on Nov. 10, 2024, in Jacksonville, Fla. States' education plans call for tracking students paths from the classroom to college, career, or the military, but they've struggled to access enlistment data from the U.S. Department of Defense. Through a new agreement, five states will pilot a data-sharing process with the Pentagon with hopes to expand to additional states.
    Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP
    States What Happens to Students Who Join the Military? A New Effort Aims to Find Out
    A pilot will allow states to use Pentagon data to track students from the classroom to the military.
    Evie Blad, March 18, 2026
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    3 min read