Education set to be a prime focus of state lawmakers this year

Education is going to be a hot topic in the 2024 state legislative sessions that are kicking off across the country.  

The year is expected to bring fresh conversations on how artificial intelligence (AI) use in the classroom should be legislated, as well as debate on matters such as school choice and how to teach subjects including reading.  

“Certainly, the most activity around education will be in super-majority Republican states, particularly in the South and Midwest. These are states that for the last few years have really declared war on their public school systems,” said Carol Corbet Burris, executive director for the Network for Public Education.  

Here are the education issues most likely to pop up at the state level this year: 

School choice 

School choice proponents have had a successful few years since the pandemic, and they have no plans to slow down.  

While gains have been made in numerous states, advocates will be back for another round in Georgia and Texas, where they were unable to get the school choice legislation they were aiming for in 2023.  

The most popular move for school choice backers last year was education savings accounts (ESAs), which allow parents who do not want to send their children to public school to receive a certain amount of money from the government each year to spend on alternative options such as homeschooling and private school.  

In November, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee (R) introduced a school choice plan that would give more than $7,000 in ESAs to students. The program would begin with 20,000 slots for students who meet certain criteria such as disabilities or have families with incomes 300 percent below the federal poverty line. The program would then be expanded in the 2025-2026 school year to all students in the state.

This year could see a shift beyond ESAs, with Burris predicting the rise of tax credit programs for school choice becoming the go-to for Republicans.  

“For example, in Ohio, there is a tax credit where a parent can get up to $4,000 for each child in a private school, and that's an elementary school. I think it goes up to $15,000 at the high school level,” Burris said. “So we think that these kinds of vouchers are going to be popular. They're just a lot simpler and they have a lot fewer headaches.” 

Curriculum changes  

The science of reading has become the shining star in English-language curricula with numerous states passing laws to require the phonics-based teaching style to be the only one taught.  

And even states that have already moved to the science of reading will look to strengthen the programs in this legislative session.  

“Georgia, it looks like the state is considering providing more literacy coaches for teachers to help them when they have struggling readers in their classroom,” said Tom Greene, vice president of advocacy for Excel in Ed, a nonprofit that works with state leaders to transform education.

He added states including Oklahoma will also strengthen their reading curriculum.  

In Indiana, Republican lawmakers are looking to hold back third graders who can't read, ramping up their standards after adopting the science of reading last year.

“We want to make sure folks aren’t put at a disadvantage in grades 4, 5, 6 and on when they haven’t mastered that reading skill," Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb (R) said.

As lawmakers and educators fight growing learning loss among students, updates to how children are taught can mark a rare area of bipartisan agreement.

“We're seeing deep blue states like New York and New Jersey looking at passing comprehensive early literacy policies,” Greene said.  

“This is truly our powerful bipartisan plan when it comes to our literacy,” he added. 

AI 

AI took off last year as ChatGPT baffled college professors and K-12 teachers with concerns of cheating and how the technology could impact their students.  

At the end of last year, the House introduced the Artificial Intelligence Literacy Act to support AI skill development in schools. It would make AI literacy a crucial component and open more funding for AI initiatives in schools.  

“We’re seeing the emergence of AI and how states are looking at how to use AI to accelerate student achievement, support teachers, but also mitigate the harms and the perils that AI can bring,” Greene said.  

The Council of State Governments found 29 bills have been enacted in 17 states over the last five years that aimed at regulating AI. 

Although AI bills specifically related to education have not been of top concern in the past, it is likely more guidance will be given to schools in the future on how to incorporate the technology. 

Last year, California and Oregon released guidance for schools regarding AI, according to the Center on Reinventing Public Education. Eleven other states said they were putting together guidance for their schools: Arizona, Connecticut, Maine, Mississippi, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Vermont and Washington.

Teaching 

The teaching profession is beset with multiple ongoing problems, with a labor shortage being the biggest concern.  

Bills aimed at teachers' recruitment and retention have already popped up in Missouri and New York. Multiple states, including Wisconsin, Oklahoma and Indiana, have introduced bills that would reform teaching requirements and certifications that could make it easier for individuals to teach in their schools.  

In Wisconsin, a bill was introduced to remove a requirement for new teachers to complete an alternative teacher certification program that is operated by a nonprofit organization. This would make it so an individual trying to get an initial teaching license in the state would only need a bachelor's degree and satisfy other certain criteria.

Indiana and Missouri have already this year introduced bills addressing teacher pay, one of the big reasons why the teaching profession is having trouble attracting students.  

The bill in Missouri says teacher salaries in the 2025-2026 school year have to be a minimum of $38,000. For teachers with a master's degree and ten years of experience, the minimum salary has to be $44,000 in that school year and increase in the following years.

Last year, the National Education Association found 55 percent of educators wanted to leave their jobs earlier than they planned and 80 percent say they have to take on extra work due to unfilled positions at their district. 

The problem with teacher retention and pay is one reason why some schools have also switched to a four-day school week.