State Legislatures
Every Student Succeeds Act
Money Jitters Are Never Far Below the Surface for School Leaders
Talk to school and district leaders and you’ll hear worries about the next recession, spending restrictions, and a public that knows little about worries that lawmakers and elected officials who know little about their funding needs.
Education Funding
Gaping Holes in How States Track K-12 Spending
Flawed and outdated data systems frustrate policymakers and budget hawks alike when it comes to tracking and making the case for education funding.
States
Opinion
Teachers, Don't Just Shut Up and Teach
Our political system is out of balance, and teachers must prepare the next generation to do better, argues teacher-turned-legislator John Waldron.
States
When Lawmakers Tackle Barriers to Teaching and Learning in Piecemeal Fashion
A report from UCLA examined whether state lawmakers addressed education issues in a systemic or targeted way.
States
State Legislators Revamp Funding in Texas, Nevada
Several states this year sought to replace their funding formulas, a monumental fiscal and political feat, but only a handful of legislatures have been able to get proposals to their governors' desks.
School Climate & Safety
State Lawmakers Tackle Broad Basket of Issues on Parent Checklist
School safety, student data privacy, and the charter sector all drew significant attention in this year’s legislative sessions, most of which have now wrapped up.
School & District Management
Teachers-Turned-Lawmakers Learn Political Ropes in First Session
This spring, dozens of teachers who were elected to their state legislatures got a crash course in civics—and a wake-up call on the difficulties of moving well-intentioned ideas into laws.
School & District Management
Opinion
I Was an Angry Teacher Fighting for Better Education Policy. Now, I'm Shaping It
What goes on behind all the closed doors in politics? Most teachers never get a chance to find out, writes teacher-turned-politician John Waldron.
Education
Texas House Legislators Abandon Statewide Merit Pay Effort for Teachers
District superintendents called the proposal a violation of local control, while teachers said it would create incentives to teach to the test. The state is attempting to rewrite its school funding formula.
Teaching Profession
Video
Educators Who Ran for Office Share Their Lessons Learned
Teachers and other educators ran for office in record numbers this year, aiming to take their activism over pay and funding to the next stage. Education Week invited three of those educators to join us at “2020 Vision,” an event in Washington D.C. focused on K-12 politics and policy beyond the midterms. Reporters Daarel Burnette II and Madeline Will interviewed educators fresh off the campaign trail about what they heard from voters, how they fought to get their message across, and lessons for those who want to follow in their footsteps. Afterwards, they took questions from the audience.
Guests include:
• R. Travis Brenda, Math Teacher, Rockcastle County High School, Mt. Vernon, Ky., and Candidate for Kentucky's 71st House District seat
• Aimy Steele, Former Principal, Beverly Hills Elementary, Concord, N.C.; and 2018 Candidate for N.C. House District 82
• John Waldron, Social Studies Teacher, Booker T. Washington High School, Tulsa, Okla., and Candidate for Oklahoma State House
This includes a special video appearance by Jahana Hayes, the 2016 National Teacher of the Year who was recently elected to the U.S. House of Representatives for her home state of Connecticut.
Teaching Profession
Video
The Midterms Are Over. How Did Teachers Do?
Education Week Teacher's Madeline Will and Liana Loewus joined a Facebook Live recently to discuss how teachers fared in the midterm elections.
After the wave of statewide teacher protests last spring, many educators across the country decided to take their activism to the next level and run for office. Over the last several months, Education Week has been tracking current K-12 classroom teachers who launched bids for state legislative seats. Now that the midterm election is over, let's take stock of how these teacher candidates did—and where teacher political activism is likely to go from here.
States
Wisconsin Chief Tony Evers Upsets Incumbent Scott Walker in Governor's Race
The contest had been close from the start, with Evers campaigning on a promise to restore respect for the state's teachers and financially bail out its school system.
States
Why Is This Teacher Running for Office? To Help 'Students Get What They Deserve'
High school teacher Jenefer Pasqua is running for Wyoming's state legislature to fight against education funding cuts.
States
Meet the Indiana Teacher Running to Unseat the State's House Education Chair
"I'm running because I'm not happy with the state of education," said veteran educator Kevin Leineweber, who is one of several teachers running for the state's legislature this year.