Many important policies that affect K-12 education are decided at the state and local levels, meaning there is a lot of information to track in order to stay up to date about the state of education and parental choice. Thankfully, there are some reliable resources available for those of us who are wondering how our state is faring on education issues. Here are some recent reports available for donors and others:
- The State Policy Network (SPN) released a new report, “Spotlight on state legislative sessions: State think tanks working to improve education for students and their families” (SPN.org). It has also shared a more focused report about learning pods here: “Are learning pods legal in your state? A look at which states want to limit parent choices” (SPN.org). SPN’s vision is “an America where all people can flourish because collaborative, entrepreneurial leaders have secured lasting social change, personal freedom, and economic opportunity at the state and local level.”
- Another important resource comes from EdChoice, which has a “shared mission to advance a K-12 education system where all families are free to choose a learning environment that works best for their children.” The ABCs of School Choice shows which school choice options are available in each state as of January 6, 2021. Want to know whether a state has made Education Savings Accounts available? This resource provides that answer quickly.
- Finally, the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools (National Alliance) put out its twelfth annual model law ranking report. National Alliance, which works on both federal education policy and state charter policy and advocacy, notes that there hasn’t been much change from last year due to disruptions by the pandemic. There were, nevertheless, some developments, and National Alliance provided this brief overview to summarize those.
For funders who support K-12 causes, stay tuned for announcements about The Philanthropy Roundtable’s K-12 Forum to be held in San Antonio, Texas, this September—in person!
