/governance Governance en-US 2021 (c) Education Week Thu, 02 Nov 2023 20:33:37 GMT /policy-politics/why-governors-are-exerting-more-control-over-schools/2023/11 Ohio has become the latest state to award the governor more control over schools. But the change has run into legal challenges. Thu, 02 Nov 2023 20:33:37 GMT /policy-politics/why-governors-are-exerting-more-control-over-schools/2023/11 /leadership/houstons-sweeping-school-changes-will-they-be-a-case-study-or-cautionary-tale/2023/09 Houston's state-appointed superintendent has enacted an ambitious set of changes that affect nearly every part of the school day. Fri, 01 Sep 2023 20:18:59 GMT /leadership/houstons-sweeping-school-changes-will-they-be-a-case-study-or-cautionary-tale/2023/09 /leadership/tulsa-maintains-accreditation-averting-state-control-for-now/2023/08 But the district's school board president issued an unusual rebuke to Oklahoma's top education official. Thu, 24 Aug 2023 20:33:59 GMT /leadership/tulsa-maintains-accreditation-averting-state-control-for-now/2023/08 /leadership/oklahoma-wants-more-control-over-its-largest-district-students-are-already-protesting/2023/08 Gist cited her desire to avert state control—even as the looming vote has spurred teachers and students to activism. Tue, 22 Aug 2023 20:42:45 GMT /leadership/oklahoma-wants-more-control-over-its-largest-district-students-are-already-protesting/2023/08 /policy-politics/what-california-gov-newsoms-fight-with-a-school-district-says-about-local-control/2023/08 Newsom threatened to fine the Temecula Valley school board after it rejected a curriculum that mentioned gay rights leader Harvey Milk. Fri, 11 Aug 2023 23:18:41 GMT /policy-politics/what-california-gov-newsoms-fight-with-a-school-district-says-about-local-control/2023/08 /leadership/a-fading-school-reform-mayoral-control-is-ending-in-another-city/2023/06 Chicago will phase out mayoral control of its schools by 2027, becoming the latest city to drop the model. Tue, 27 Jun 2023 21:37:29 GMT /leadership/a-fading-school-reform-mayoral-control-is-ending-in-another-city/2023/06 /policy-politics/ron-desantis-is-running-for-president-what-will-that-mean-for-k-12-schools/2023/05 DeSantis has solidified himself as a force on school policy. His campaign will likely influence the role education plays in the election. Wed, 24 May 2023 23:46:00 GMT /policy-politics/ron-desantis-is-running-for-president-what-will-that-mean-for-k-12-schools/2023/05 /leadership/what-the-election-of-chicagos-new-mayor-says-about-the-political-power-of-teachers-unions/2023/04 Brandon Johnson, a former middle school teacher and teachers' union organizer, won the race for mayor of Chicago on Tuesday. Wed, 05 Apr 2023 21:52:46 GMT /leadership/what-the-election-of-chicagos-new-mayor-says-about-the-political-power-of-teachers-unions/2023/04 /leadership/opinion-how-to-build-a-more-effective-school-board/2023/03 Board members are well-intentioned, but they've been mis-trained into focusing on adult inputs rather than student needs. Thu, 16 Mar 2023 10:00:55 GMT /leadership/opinion-how-to-build-a-more-effective-school-board/2023/03 /leadership/whats-behind-texas-takeover-of-houston-schools/2023/03 State takeovers of districts began in the 1980s but have waned recently following limited evidence of academic benefit. Wed, 15 Mar 2023 20:44:10 GMT /leadership/whats-behind-texas-takeover-of-houston-schools/2023/03 /policy-politics/chicagos-next-mayor-will-be-a-former-educator/2023/03 Former Chicago schools CEO Paul Vallas and former teacher Brandon Johnson will face off in an April runoff. Wed, 01 Mar 2023 22:48:10 GMT /policy-politics/chicagos-next-mayor-will-be-a-former-educator/2023/03 /policy-politics/education-equity-expert-weve-gotta-give-up-the-notion-of-local-control/2023/01 David Sciarra, stepping down as head of the Education Law Center, says states have been let off the hook in the push for education equity. Mon, 23 Jan 2023 21:49:23 GMT /policy-politics/education-equity-expert-weve-gotta-give-up-the-notion-of-local-control/2023/01 /leadership/school-districts-are-limiting-public-comment-will-that-erode-trust/2023/01 School boards walk a fine line when they restrict public comment policies in a divisive political climate. Wed, 18 Jan 2023 21:49:47 GMT /leadership/school-districts-are-limiting-public-comment-will-that-erode-trust/2023/01 /policy-politics/charter-school-governance-shapes-those-schools-approach-to-equity/2023/01 New research finds that the entities governing charters influence the schools' commitment to equity. Thu, 12 Jan 2023 22:23:04 GMT /policy-politics/charter-school-governance-shapes-those-schools-approach-to-equity/2023/01 /leadership/state-policies-set-up-incarcerated-students-to-fail-report-finds/2022/06 When students are in juvenile justice centers, they often lose access to high-quality education. Wed, 22 Jun 2022 19:45:51 GMT /leadership/state-policies-set-up-incarcerated-students-to-fail-report-finds/2022/06 /leadership/opinion-school-boards-diversity-problem-goes-deeper-than-you-realize/2022/04 With few Black and brown members, some boards have amplified fringe voices, writes the head of the Leaders of Color organization. Fri, 29 Apr 2022 19:30:05 GMT /leadership/opinion-school-boards-diversity-problem-goes-deeper-than-you-realize/2022/04 /leadership/opinion-tired-of-uninformed-school-board-candidates-try-asking-these-questions/2022/04 Candidates who peddle fear mongering as the cornerstone of their platforms are often clueless about what really goes on in schools. Tue, 19 Apr 2022 15:16:55 GMT /leadership/opinion-tired-of-uninformed-school-board-candidates-try-asking-these-questions/2022/04 /policy-politics/fla-districts-that-required-masks-could-face-200-million-punishment/2022/02 School districts say they tried to keep students and their families safe when they required students to wear masks last year. Fri, 11 Feb 2022 02:19:19 GMT /policy-politics/fla-districts-that-required-masks-could-face-200-million-punishment/2022/02 /policy-politics/pivoting-to-remote-learning-why-it-is-harder-in-some-states-than-others/2022/01 In calling the shots on the switch back to remote instruction, states have very different rules, an Education Week analysis finds. Fri, 14 Jan 2022 00:37:48 GMT /policy-politics/pivoting-to-remote-learning-why-it-is-harder-in-some-states-than-others/2022/01 /policy-politics/mask-mandate-lawsuits-reflect-bigger-battle-do-states-or-local-districts-control-schools/2021/08 Some legal clarity is forming over whether governors may restrict school districts from enacting mask mandates to fight COVID-19. Fri, 27 Aug 2021 22:50:54 GMT /policy-politics/mask-mandate-lawsuits-reflect-bigger-battle-do-states-or-local-districts-control-schools/2021/08 /leadership/local-school-boards-are-also-banning-lessons-on-race-heres-how-that-looks-in-7-districts/2021/08 Districts' "critical race theory" bans have resulted in abandoned DEI initiatives, widespread confusion and, for Black parents, distrust. Wed, 25 Aug 2021 19:44:36 GMT /leadership/local-school-boards-are-also-banning-lessons-on-race-heres-how-that-looks-in-7-districts/2021/08 /leadership/florida-may-withhold-funds-and-remove-school-board-members-over-masks/2021/08 As more districts consider stricter mask mandates, the state education board is threatening severe penalties for two districts that tried. Wed, 18 Aug 2021 18:49:38 GMT /leadership/florida-may-withhold-funds-and-remove-school-board-members-over-masks/2021/08 /policy-politics/mask-mandates-put-local-control-of-schools-to-the-test/2021/08 Fights between states and school districts aren't new, but stark differences on masking present new tests. Wed, 11 Aug 2021 21:35:58 GMT /policy-politics/mask-mandates-put-local-control-of-schools-to-the-test/2021/08 /teaching-learning/who-decides-what-history-we-teach-an-explainer/2021/08 Education Week breaks down how politics has long been embedded in this decision, and how new laws may affect the process. Wed, 11 Aug 2021 17:25:06 GMT /teaching-learning/who-decides-what-history-we-teach-an-explainer/2021/08 /leadership/masks-or-no-masks-school-leaders-say-they-cant-make-anyone-happy/2021/04 More states are passing the buck on masking requirements to districts—and superintendents say their decisions are bound to displease someone. Thu, 29 Apr 2021 20:38:22 GMT /leadership/masks-or-no-masks-school-leaders-say-they-cant-make-anyone-happy/2021/04 /leadership/how-americas-leaders-have-failed-educators-on-covid-19/2020/07 Principals and superintendents are caught between politicians’ demands, an anxious public, and experts’ contrary advice about the path forward during the pandemic. The unspoken message: You’re on your own. Fri, 17 Jul 2020 01:51:03 GMT /leadership/how-americas-leaders-have-failed-educators-on-covid-19/2020/07 /leadership/superintendents-on-hot-seat-in-executing-school-closures/2020/03 Many are whipsawed by shutdown recommendations aimed at stemming the coronavirus, and the logistical and financial consequences of those actions. Tue, 17 Mar 2020 03:43:11 GMT /leadership/superintendents-on-hot-seat-in-executing-school-closures/2020/03 /leadership/face-it-school-governance-is-a-mess/2020/01 Centuries of fighting over racial justice, federalism, and taxation has left us a tangled web of K-12 governance. It’s time to start untangling. Wed, 08 Jan 2020 03:14:54 GMT /leadership/face-it-school-governance-is-a-mess/2020/01 /leadership/cosmetics-and-clothes-parents-misspent-700-000-in-arizonas-school-choice-program/2018/11 An audit by Arizona’s attorney general revealed that parents with children in the state’s education savings account program were making prohibited purchases with public money meant for educational purposes. Tue, 20 Nov 2018 02:52:41 GMT /leadership/cosmetics-and-clothes-parents-misspent-700-000-in-arizonas-school-choice-program/2018/11 /policy-politics/video-under-essa-whos-in-charge-of-education-policy/2018/06 The Every Student Succeeds Act reshapes the relationship between the federal government and states when it comes to education policy. But as we move into the implementation phase of this new federal law, state superintendents, boards, governors, and legislators are all jockeying over who gets to wield the new policy flexibility ESSA offers—who will be making the key decisions on where and how money should be spent? State policy reporter Daarel Burnette II discusses what lies ahead at the state level. This video was filmed following Education Week’s virtual summit on ESSA, where online participants submitted their questions about the upcoming implementation of the new federal law. Tue, 12 Jun 2018 14:04:53 GMT /policy-politics/video-under-essa-whos-in-charge-of-education-policy/2018/06