States

Education news, analysis, and opinion about state education policy, officials, and advocacy.
  • 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. Texas's state school board has approved a curriculum with Bible-infused lessons, the latest of a wave of state policies challenging the church-state divide in schools.
    David J. Phillip/AP
    States More States Are Testing the Limits Around Religion in Public Schools
    A wave of state policies mixing public education and religion are challenging the church-state divide in public schools.
    Brooke Schultz, November 25, 2024
    4 min read
    Students arrive for classes at Taylor Allderdice High School in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh on Jan. 23, 2024.
    Students arrive for classes at Taylor Allderdice High School in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh on Jan. 23, 2024. As part of a recent court settlement, Pennsylvania will no longer require school districts to follow its set of guidelines that sought to confront racial and cultural biases in education.
    Gene J. Puskar/AP
    States A State Changed Anti-Bias Guidelines for Teachers After a Lawsuit. Will Others?
    The lawsuit filed by a conservative law firm took issue with state guidelines on examining biases and diversifying curriculum.
    Brooke Schultz, November 21, 2024
    5 min read
    Ryan Walters, Republican state superintendent candidate, speaks, June 28, 2022, in Oklahoma City.
    Ryan Walters, Republican state superintendent candidate, speaks, June 28, 2022, in Oklahoma City.
    Sue Ogrocki/AP
    States Oklahoma Superintendent Prays for Trump in Video He's Requiring for Students
    Two of the state's largest districts say they won't show the video, in which Superintendent Ryan Walters prays for the president-elect.
    The Associated Press, November 18, 2024
    2 min read
    Image of a board room.
    Collage by Laura Baker/Education Week (Images: DigitalVision Vectors; E+; iStock/Getty)
    States In Deep-Red Florida, Voters Reject Partisan School Board Races
    Florida voters rejected a constitutional amendment to make school board races partisan.
    Evie Blad, November 6, 2024
    2 min read
    N.C. State Superintendent democratic candidate Mo Green speaks during a debate with fellow candidate Michele Morrow at the Heart Institute at East Carolina University in Greenville, N.C., on Sept. 24, 2024.
    Mo Green, the Democratic candidate for schools chief in North Carolina, speaks during a debate with GOP candidate Michele Morrow at the Heart Institute at East Carolina University in Greenville on Sept. 24. Green defeated Morrow.
    Scott Davis/The Daily Reflector via AP
    States Democrat Defeats a State Schools Chief Candidate Who Called for Public Executions
    A candidate's past calls for Democrats' executions thrust one of this year's four state superintendent races into the national spotlight.
    Alyson Klein, November 6, 2024
    3 min read
    Photo of child practicing cursive writing.
    iStock / Getty Images Plus
    States The Number of States That Require Schools to Teach Cursive Is Growing
    Here are the states that require schools to teach cursive handwriting.
    Brooke Schultz, November 6, 2024
    1 min read
    Pencil drawing a checkmark in a box. U.S.A. ballot measures voting in elections.
    DigitalVision Vectors
    States 5 Ways You Didn't Know the Election Will Affect K-12 Schools
    Voters will weigh ballot items that affect funding for electric school buses, tax revenue for state education budgets, and more.
    Mark Lieberman, October 31, 2024
    8 min read
    Ryan Walters speaks at a rally, Nov. 1, 2022, in Oklahoma City. Republican State Superintendent Walters ordered public schools Thursday, June 27, 2024, to incorporate the Bible into lessons for grades 5 through 12, the latest effort by conservatives to incorporate religion into classrooms.
    Oklahoma state Superintendent Ryan Walters speaks at a rally on Nov. 1, 2022, in Oklahoma City. Walters is now facing scrutiny from GOP lawmakers, who seek an investigation into his stewardship of education funding and his agency's transparency.
    Sue Ogrocki/AP
    States Oklahoma GOP Lawmakers Demand Investigation of Education Chief
    They have concerns about Ryan Walters' stewardship of federal and state funds and his transparency on meetings and open-records requests.
    Brooke Schultz, August 15, 2024
    4 min read
    Illustration of dollar being used to fill gap in bridge.
    DigitalVision Vectors
    States Some School Workers Now Get Unemployment Over the Summer. Here's How It Works
    Districts are scrambling as some states now allow non-instructional school employees to collect summer unemployment checks.
    Mark Lieberman, August 13, 2024
    9 min read
    Image of books, money, calculator, and graduation cap.
    cnythzl/DigitalVision Vectors
    States Why This State Will Take a Class Requirement Off the Ballot—And Why It Matters
    Asking voters to decide on a curriculum issue could set a tricky precedent, experts say.
    Evie Blad, July 1, 2024
    2 min read
    Image of a bible sitting on top of a school backpack.
    Canva
    States How States Are Testing the Church-State Divide in Public Schools
    A new order to teach the Bible in Oklahoma is the latest action to fuel debate over the presence of religion in schools.
    Evie Blad, June 28, 2024
    7 min read
    North Dakota Superintendent of Public Instruction Kirsten Baesler announces the gathering of a task force to look into future options the state has for the assessment of students during a press conference May 8, 2015, at the state Capitol in Bismarck, N.D.
    North Dakota Superintendent of Public Instruction Kirsten Baesler announces the gathering of a task force to look into future options for student assessment during a press conference May 8, 2015, in Bismarck, N.D. Baesler, the nation's longest-serving state schools chief, is running for a fourth term, facing opponents with no experience serving in public schools.
    Mike McCleary/The Bismarck Tribune via AP
    States The Surprising Contenders for State Superintendent Offices This Year
    Two elections for the top education leadership job feature candidates who have never worked in public schools.
    Libby Stanford, June 17, 2024
    8 min read
    Human hand holding a magnifying glass over open holy bible book of Exodus verses for Ten Commandments, top view
    Marinela Malcheva/iStock/Getty
    States Does a Ten Commandments Display in Classrooms Violate the Constitution?
    Louisiana is poised to become the first state to require all schools to post the Ten Commandments in classrooms.
    Libby Stanford, June 13, 2024
    7 min read
    Missouri Commissioner of Education Margie Vandeven talks to students participating in Future Farmers of America during an event in February 2024, in Jefferson City, Missouri.
    Missouri Commissioner of Education Margie Vandeven talks to students participating in Future Farmers of America during an event in February 2024, in Jefferson City, Mo. Vandeven is stepping down from her position after more than eight years on the job.
    Courtesy of the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
    States Q&A 'Politics Does Not Belong in Education,' Says a Departing State Schools Chief
    Improving student outcomes requires finding common ground, says Missouri's long-serving education commissioner, Margie Vandeven.
    Libby Stanford, June 4, 2024
    9 min read
    A man stands behind a row of electronic voting machines covered with yellow privacy shields as he uses a touch screen to vote.
    A lone voter casts his ballot for Super Tuesday at a polling station in the Van Nuys section of Los Angeles on March 5, 2024.
    Richard Vogel/AP
    States Should Voters Decide What Schools Teach?
    Californians may vote to require a new high school finance course. Critics argue it sets a bad precedent.
    Evie Blad, May 30, 2024
    6 min read