What do U.S. governors care about when it comes to education? The Education Commission of the States analyzed the 43 State of the State addresses given so far in 2020 to find out. These were the top education issues that came up in these addresses:
- K-12 career and technical education and workforce development (34 states)
- Financing K-12 schools, particularly those serving populations in need (30 states)
- Affordable post-secondary education (25 states)
- Teacher compensation and benefits and general investment in teaching (25 states)
- Early childhood learning (19 states)
- Student health and its effects on their performance (18 states)
The full report includes examples of specific proposals governors made and links to additional information about state policies in these areas.
Source: Kelley, B. & Whinnery, E. (2020, March). Governors’ top education priorities in 2020 State of the State addresses. Denver, CO: Education Commission of the States.
