State Policy

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Recruitment & Retention Pay Raises and Pandemic Bonuses: Can They Keep Teachers in Classrooms?
Some states are proposing salary hikes and offering teachers one-time bonuses. Will the money have an effect on post-pandemic retention?
Sarah Schwartz, May 4, 2021
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8 min read
Conceptual image of money dropping into a jar.
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Education Funding States Are Waffling Over Billions in K-12 Federal Relief. Schools Are Getting Antsy.
Schools in some states have already started spending money from recent federal stimulus packages. Others don’t yet have the dollars in hand.
Mark Lieberman, April 29, 2021
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6 min read
Second grader Ernesto Beltran Pastrana puts on his face mask while attending class during the first day of partial in-person instruction at Garfield Elementary School in Oakland, Calif. on March 30, 2021.
Second grader Ernesto Beltran Pastrana puts on his face mask while attending class during the first day of partial in-person instruction at Garfield Elementary School in Oakland, Calif., in March.
Jessica Christian/San Francisco Chronicle via AP
School & District Management Masks or No Masks: School Leaders Say They Can't Make Anyone Happy
More states are passing the buck on masking requirements to districts—and superintendents say their decisions are bound to displease someone.
Stephen Sawchuk, April 29, 2021
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11 min read
Finance analysts analyze data collected online
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States Opinion How We Can Identify What Students Need to Catch Up on Learning
A strong recovery that prioritizes student learning demands transparency, data collection, and collaboration, writes Thomas J. Kane.
Thomas J. Kane, April 27, 2021
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4 min read
Image of a test sheet.
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Assessment Biden Administration's Level of Tolerance for Cutting Standardized Tests Comes Into Focus
A distinction has grown between states having to make tests available, and districts deciding it's not practical to make students take them.
Andrew Ujifusa, April 23, 2021
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8 min read
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States 8 States Debate Bills to Restrict How Teachers Discuss Racism, Sexism
Proposed bills in several states aim to ban "divisive concepts."
Sarah Schwartz, April 15, 2021
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8 min read
Woman applying "Welcome Back" sign to the school entrance
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States How to Talk About Next School Year Presents a Big Test for Education Leaders
State K-12 officials must clearly communicate plans for safety, academics, and mental health, while mixing urgency with nuance.
Andrew Ujifusa, April 12, 2021
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12 min read
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Equity & Diversity Opinion Trans Youth Are Under Attack. Educators Must Step Up
What can schools do in the face of the extreme hostility trans and gender-nonconforming young people now face across the country?
Harper B. Keenan & Z Nicolazzo, April 8, 2021
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4 min read
Advocates for transgender people march from the South Dakota governor's mansion to the Capitol in Pierre, S.D., on March 11, 2021, to protest a proposed ban on transgender girls and women from female sports leagues.
Advocates for transgender people march from the South Dakota governor's mansion to the Capitol in Pierre to protest a proposed ban on transgender girls and women from female sports leagues.
Stephen Groves/AP
States Two More States Pass Restrictions on Transgender Students. Will Others Follow?
States have considered dozens of bills on the rights of transgender students. They cover everything from sports to pronouns used in schools.
Evie Blad, March 26, 2021
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4 min read
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States Opinion How Jeb Bush’s ExcelinEd Is Tackling the Next 5 Years
Rick Hess talks with ExcelinEd CEO Patricia Levesque about the organization's goals to improve education after the pandemic and beyond.
Rick Hess, February 18, 2021
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7 min read
Students at Louisa County High School in Mineral, Va., sit behind plexiglass dividers to promote social distancing.
Students at Louisa County High School in Mineral, Va., sit behind Plexiglas dividers. Virginia lawmakers are considering a bill that would require all school districts to offer in-person instruction with COVID-19 precautions.
Erin Edgerton/The Daily Progress via AP
States Governors, State Lawmakers: Schools Should Reopen for In-Person Learning
After months of leaving the decision up to districts, state leaders are taking a more direct role in getting students back in classrooms.
Evie Blad, February 11, 2021
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10 min read
Image of a band aid being applied after a vaccination.
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Teaching Profession 'We’re Not Being Taken Care of': Many Teachers Still Ineligible for Vaccines
In parts of the country, teachers and child-care providers are still waiting their turn—and for some, there is no end in sight.
Madeline Will, February 5, 2021
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10 min read
A syringe is prepared with the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in Coral Gables, Fla, on Jan. 12, 2021.
A syringe is prepared with the COVID-19 vaccine in Coral Gables, Fla. Teachers in the state are back in buildings, but not yet eligible for shots.
Lynne Sladky/AP
Policy & Politics Some States Order Schools to Be Open. But Teachers Can't Yet Get the Vaccine
In places where teachers are required to be in school buildings, they need to be higher on the vaccine priority lists, many argue.
Sarah Schwartz, January 15, 2021
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4 min read
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States Interactive Where Teachers Are Eligible for the COVID-19 Vaccine
Education Week tracked plans for vaccinating K-12 educators across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
January 15, 2021
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2 min read
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