On March 31, the National Governors Association released a commentary reviewing the education issues that were called out in the governor’s State of the State addresses.

As the NGA reported, “Many have used the moment to elevate recent milestones in their states’ education systems, while others have outlined new strategies to help students succeed.”

There were five major trends identified in the commentary:

• “At least 35 Governors discussed student achievement and ways to boost outcomes for learners, focusing especially on literacy, math, attendance, and graduation rates.”  The report quoted Oregon Governor Tina Kotek as saying, “Our focus is simple: Student outcomes. If something works, we invest more. If it doesn’t, we change course. Because innovation must exist not just in labs—but also in classrooms.”

• “At least 32 Governors addressed funding for K-12 education, whether recognizing new investments or calling for changes to the state’s funding formula.” In Maine, for example, Governor Janet Mills indicated that she planned to include “$46 million in her supplemental budget to fulfill the state’s commitment to pay 55 percent of the cost of education.” And “Vermont Governor Phil Scott devoted significant attention to K-12 funding in his remarks, spotlighting Act 73—a new law that consolidates school districts, modernizes the state’s funding formula, and introduces a more uniform statewide property tax framework with the goal of putting Vermont’s education system on more sustainable footing.”

• “At least 31 Governors spoke about programs designed to prepare students for the workforce and postsecondary education, including Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses, dual and concurrent enrollment, and apprenticeships.” A powerful example came from Governor Brian Kemp of Georgia who “noted that while in office, the state has invested more in education and workforce training programs than ever before and proposed additional funding for programs to develop the state’s healthcare workforce.”

• “At least 26 Governors discussed childcare and educational opportunities for their state’s youngest learners.” Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear called “for the commonwealth to fund Pre-K for All, citing projections that this program could expand the workforce by up to 70,000 people and deliver a tenfold economic return on investment. And “In South Carolina, Governor Henry McMaster lauded the statewide expansion of the full-day four-year-old kindergarten program and affirmed that low-income children enrolled in this program are better prepared to succeed in kindergarten.”

• “At least 25 Governors addressed the educator workforce, including teacher recruitment, retention, and compensation.” In Florida, for instance, “Governor Ron DeSantis noted that the state’s average minimum teacher salary is the highest in the region, adding that over the course of his administration, more than $6 billion has been put toward efforts to improve educator compensation.”

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