50 States Of Ed Policy A Breakdown Of Governors State Of The State

Leo Migdal

-Dec 3, 2025, 3:52 AM

50 states of ed policy a breakdown of governors state of the state

With nearly all 50 governors having delivered their 2019 speeches, we analyzed what they said about K-12 education and what it means for potential policies. This latest column focuses on some of the key takeaways from what's happened in state legislatures during the past month. Previous installments of The 50 States of Education Policy, along with an interactive map that breaks down policies in each state, can be found here. By the end of March, 48 of 50 governors will have delivered their 2019 State of the State addresses. For 19 of them — plus former educator and current Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz — this year's State of the State is their first since taking office.

And while there's variation among state officials and what they hope to conquer, as well as what their states already have, education is a common thread across the nation. An analysis by the Education Commission of the States (ECS) found that all 48 governors who have delivered a State of the State address so far this year mentioned education in some capacity, whether... Below are the biggest trends from this year's speeches and what they mean for state education policy: The United States has no single national education system. Instead, 50 distinct state systems operate with different priorities, funding mechanisms, and success measures. This arrangement stems from the U.S.

Constitution, which grants states primary authority over public education. The Education Commission of the States was formed in 1965 to help states navigate their responsibilities and serve as a strategic consortium for policymakers. Its creation responded to growing federal influence, strengthening state capacity to lead on education policy. For years, the No Child Left Behind Act imposed prescriptive federal mandates requiring states to meet nationally defined accountability standards. The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) in 2015 marked a shift, returning substantial authority to states. ESSA dismantled many rigid requirements and let state leaders design their own systems for measuring school performance, identifying struggling schools, and setting educational goals.

This renewed state control amplified existing differences. States now diverge on nearly every major policy aspect. They use vastly different funding models, creating wide resource disparities. They’ve built unique accountability systems reflecting specific values, measuring everything from college readiness to chronic absenteeism. States take widely varied approaches to academic standards, school choice, teacher workforce policies, and what is taught in the classroom. School finance methods determine resources available to students and reflect fundamental decisions about equity and local control.

Investment in a child’s education varies dramatically by zip code. Education Commission of the States is the trusted source for comprehensive knowledge and unbiased resources on education policy issues ranging from early learning through postsecondary education. Subscribe to our publications and stay informed. Need more information? Contact one of our policy experts. In a critical year for state education policy, State of the State addresses offer time for new and incumbent governors to outline policy priorities and elevate successes.

For the past 20 years, we’ve tracked, analyzed and identified education policy trends in governors’ State of the State addresses to help you understand trending education issues across states. This year’s Special Report includes 49 addresses and a detailed look at the top seven trends we found across state education-related proposals. We’ve also included an extra emerging trend that 17 governors mentioned in their address this year. As state legislative sessions get underway across the country, governors have outlined their K-12 education priorities in State of the State addresses, inaugural speeches and budget proposals. Their remarks provide critical insights into the policies likely to shape the future of education in 2025. This post summarizes and organizes governors’ student-centered K-12 education policy priorities, including literacy, math, funding, school accountability, public and private school choice, strengthening the teacher pipeline, college and career pathways and distraction-free school policies.

Here’s a breakdown of the education policy priorities governors are focused on this year. Early literacy remains a top priority across multiple states, with governors recognizing the importance of ensuring students are proficient in reading by the third grade. With growing bipartisan support for evidence-based reading policies, states are likely to continue prioritizing reforms that improve reading outcomes. “By the end of March, 48 of 50 governors will have delivered their 2019 State of the State addresses. For 19 of them — plus former educator and current Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz — this year’s State of the State is their first since taking office.

And while there’s variation among state officials and what they hope to conquer, as well as what their states already have, education is a common thread across the nation.” (more) Raquel Muñiz , Andrés Castro Samayoa, Shane Dunn Education is legally a responsibility of state government in the United States. The Tenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution states that "the powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution nor prohibited by it to the states are reserved to the states respectively or to the people." Because the Constitution... For most of the nation's history, the states have exercised these responsibilities gingerly and have been a weak link in the federal system.

It was not until the late twentieth century that the states have begun to proactively exercise their powerful legal responsibilities and great reservoir of unused power in the field of education. Most states, in congruence with the historical norms of local control of education, have traditionally delegated much of the operational responsibility for schools to local boards of education. This pattern of unaggressive state leadership changed dramatically in the last quarter of the twentieth century. Public education without question has become the nation's most salient domestic public policy issue. The country's influential business and political leadership (on a bipartisan basis) have become engaged in unprecedented ways in implementing their commitment to improved public education. Presidents, governors, corporate CEOs, and state and federal legislators all proclaim the need for high standards and academic achievement for all children.

This laser-like concern for and focus upon education has elicited escalating public demands and political pressure for the states to focus and discharge their legal responsibilities to improve the quality of education. State boards of education along with governors, legislatures, and state education agencies are integral components of the state policy system. State boards, which exist in all but two states (Minnesota and Wisconsin are the exceptions), are agencies with major general responsibilities for the development and management of public education within each state. Typically, the state board of education governs the state education department or agency. Although state boards have only recently become influential entities in a number of states, the aforementioned pressures to improve education will inevitably make them more visible and significant players in all jurisdictions. There is enormous variety among the forty-eight states that have approximately 500 citizens serving on state boards of education.

As Table 1 indicates, the states have numerous and wide variations in the manner in which members are selected, the size of their boards, and the length of terms of office. Education Commission of the States is the trusted source for comprehensive knowledge and unbiased resources on education policy issues ranging from early learning through postsecondary education. Subscribe to our publications and stay informed. Need more information? Contact one of our policy experts. Education Commission of the States tracks education-related proposals from governors’ annual State of the State addresses.

Click on a state in the map below to view annual state-specific proposals. (Purple indicates the 2025 summary is available.) Education Commission of the States has tracked, analyzed and identified trends in education policy accomplishments and proposals featured in governors’ State of the State addresses every year since 2005. Click on the links below the map to see past years' addresses, or read our full reports highlighting the education-related topics covered in governors’ State of the State addresses using these links:

50 States Of Ed Policy A Breakdown Of Governors State Of The State

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