Giving Compass' Take:

• New governors from the fall elections are making school choice a main focus of their education plans.  Carolyn Phenicie at The 74 points out the individual governors that provide an in-depth look at their school choice agendas. 

• How will education policy that centralizes on school choice affect school districts in those states? 

• Read an alternative viewpoint focusing on Florida's school system that offers school choice but not necessarily more opportunities. 

Elections this fall swept 20 new governors into office and saw another 16 re-elected, giving leaders fresh mandates to begin the hard work of K-12 policymaking.

The 74 reviewed beginning-of-the-year speeches — inaugural addresses, “state of the state” remarks, and a few budget proposals — from the governors of 43 states that had given them as of Jan. 18.

For School Choice Week, we examined them all to get an early read on the directions states might take on issues like charter schools. While all discussed education at least briefly, few offered specific policy ideas; several pledged more details when formal budget proposals are released in coming weeks.

The most common K-12 topics were teacher pay, school funding, and workforce training, including apprenticeships and career and technical education. A few discussed school safety, early learning, and teacher shortages. But only four governors — all Republicans, two just elected and two who won re-election last year — discussed school choice in depth.

Here are some key excerpts, along with background on the school choice situations in their states:

  • Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis: “In a large and diverse state, our education system needs to empower parents to choose the best possible school for their children. One size does not fit all."
  • Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey: “Arizona has been the leader in school choice. It’s good for parents, and most of all, it’s good for kids."
  • New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu: “I fully expect this legislature will have a rigorous and thorough discussion regarding funding for education."
  • South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem: “We need to do more to empower families. Every child has different needs and talents, and we all know that family involvement gets better results …"

Read the full article about school choice by Carolyn Phenicie at The 74