State Legislatures

Photo of U.S. flag in classroom.
iStock / Getty Images Plus
States More States Consider Partisan School Board Races as Education Debates Intensify
Most states don't allow party labels in school board races. With education debates cleaving down party lines, there's a push to change that.
Evie Blad, April 27, 2023
5 min read
Illustration of students and hands.
Robert Neubecker for Education Week
States Opinion A Bipartisan Agenda for Schools Is Absolutely Possible
A set of opportunity-to-learn principles can guide policymakers, write a current Iowa state senator and a former Arkansas state senator.
Joyce Elliott & Amy Sinclair, April 26, 2023
3 min read
An empty classroom is shown at A.G. Hilliard Elementary School on Sept. 2, 2017, in Houston.
An empty classroom is shown at A.G. Hilliard Elementary School on Sept. 2, 2017, in Houston.
David J. Phillip/AP
School Climate & Safety Texas Lawmakers Could Make It Easier to Kick Students Out of Class
The bill would allow a teacher to remove a student based on a single incident of unruly or disruptive behavior.
Talia Richman, The Dallas Morning News, April 14, 2023
6 min read
A crowd of high school students stands in front of the Tennessee State Capitol holding protest signs calling for an end to gun violence.
Students protest gun violence in schools in front of the Capitol on April 3, 2023, in Nashville, Tenn. The protest was held one week after six people were killed by a shooter at The Covenant School, a private Presbyterian school, in Nashville.
Mark Humphrey/AP
School Climate & Safety After the Nashville Shooting, School Safety Proposals Echo Past Efforts
State and federal lawmakers have proposed increasing school police and arming teachers in response to a shooting at a private school.
Evie Blad, April 6, 2023
8 min read
Close up shot of some money overlapping a partial paystub revealing some blurred numbers and the words Total Pay, Taxes, and Deductions.
iStock/Getty
Teaching Profession Lawmakers Target How Teachers’ Unions Collect Dues
Teachers often opt to have union dues deducted from their paychecks. Republicans in some states are fighting to change that.
Madeline Will, April 6, 2023
8 min read
Young female teenager sitting hugging her knees and looking sad.
iStock/Getty
Curriculum 'Don’t Say Period’ Bill Is Latest Example of States’ Efforts to Limit Sex Education
Experts say these new efforts run counter to research on effective sex and health education.
Elizabeth Heubeck, April 5, 2023
5 min read
Addison Fleshman reads "Green Eggs and Ham" as students celebrate Dr. Seuss Week in Teresa Francis' kindergarten class Monday, Feb. 27, 2017, at Westview Elementary School in Jonesboro, Ind.
Addison Fleshman reads "Green Eggs and Ham" as students celebrate Dr. Seuss Week in Teresa Francis' kindergarten class on Feb. 27, 2017, at Westview Elementary School in Jonesboro, Ind.
Jeff Morehead/The Chronicle-Tribune via AP
Reading & Literacy What the Research Says Why Some Teachers' Unions Oppose 'Science of Reading' Legislation
Several state unions say the mandates could limit teachers’ professional autonomy in the classroom.
Sarah Schwartz & Madeline Will, March 28, 2023
11 min read
Dyslexia word formed with wooden blocks.
iStock/Getty Images
Reading & Literacy Most States Screen All Kids for Dyslexia. Why Not California?
The state teachers' union has historically been among those opposing a bill to screen students for signs of the disorder.
Elizabeth Heubeck, March 21, 2023
5 min read
Close-up image of pencils on a blueprint.
iStock/Getty
States State Ed. Systems Aren't Equipped to Address Schools' Big Challenges
A new report outlines a dire situation for state education agencies.
Libby Stanford, December 7, 2022
4 min read
Image of a paddle.
dannikonov/Getty
School Climate & Safety Q&A How a Student's Push to End Paddling in Schools Became a Yearslong Civics Lesson
A student advocate pushed to end corporal punishment in his state—and gained a passion for civic involvement in the process.
Evie Blad, November 22, 2022
7 min read
New Yorkers in Queens come out to vote early on Nov. 5, 2022, before Tuesday's final Election Day.
New Yorkers in Queens come out to vote early on Nov. 5, before the final opportunity to cast a ballot on Election Day. The midterm elections could mean major changes for K-12 schools.
GWR/STAR MAX/IPx via AP
Policy & Politics The 2022 Midterms: Why Educators Should Care What Happens
Education will play a major role in both statewide and congressional elections throughout the country.
Libby Stanford, November 7, 2022
6 min read
Image of young boy wearing a mask getting a bandage applied after a vaccine.
E+
Student Well-Being & Movement Anti-Vaccine Ideology Gains Ground as Lawmakers Seek to Erode Rules for Kids’ Shots
Experts say the movement has gained momentum amid the pandemic, boosting the reach of high-profile anti-vaccine activists.
Sandy West, Kaiser Health News, April 26, 2022
6 min read
Kara Klever holds a sign in protest in the hall outside of the Blue Room as Governor Kevin Stitt signs a bill into law that prevents transgender girls and women from competing on female sports teams at the Capitol Wednesday, March 30, 2022 in Oklahoma City, Oka. The bill, which easily passed the Republican-led House and Senate mostly along party lines, took effect immediately with the governor's signature. It applies to female sports teams in both high school and college.
Kara Klever holds a sign in protest as Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt signs a bill into law that prevents transgender girls and women from competing on female sports teams.
Doug Hoke/The Oklahoman via AP
States Beyond 'Don't Say Gay': Other States Seek to Limit LGBTQ Youth, Teaching
Legislators want to ban lessons on LGBTQ communities and require teachers to tell parents when students want their pronouns changed.
Stephen Sawchuk, April 6, 2022
9 min read
Demonstrators protest inside the Florida State Capitol as lawmakers acted on a bill to forbid discussions of sexual orientation and gender identity in schools.
Demonstrators protest inside the Florida State Capitol as lawmakers acted on a bill to forbid discussions of sexual orientation and gender identity in schools.
Wilfredo Lee/AP
States Here's What Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' and Anti-'Woke' Bills Actually Say
Two controversial bills involving instruction on issues including race and sexuality have been widely publicized and often mischaracterized.
Eesha Pendharkar, March 18, 2022
4 min read