K-12 Education

Governors are leading efforts across the country to ensure that students in their states graduate prepared to succeed in postsecondary, the workforce, and life. The NGA K-12 Education Team supports Governors in these efforts by regularly bringing together Governors’ education policy advisors to connect with and learn from each other and national and state experts in the field; providing ongoing responsive and proactive technical assistance; and through the development of resources and reports that spotlight promising practices and actionable strategies on timely topics, including addressing students’ academic needs and well-being and strengthening the educator workforce.

Latest


Major Initiatives 

Governors’ Education Policy Advisor Convenings

The NGA K-12 Education Team plans to host a national convening of Governors’ education policy advisors in September 2024 to support gubernatorial efforts on key K-12 policies and priorities, including academic growth, student well-being and educator recruitment and retention.  The convening will also provide Governors’ education policy advisors with an opportunity to connect with their peers from across the country.  See recaps of similar meetings in May 2023 and October 2023.


Technical Assistance Resources

In addition to ongoing responsive support, the NGA K-12 Education Team is currently supporting a bipartisan mix of nine Governors’ offices (four Republican, five Democratic) through the 2023-2024 Academic Supports and Student and School Staff Well-Being Project


Timely and Ongoing Resources

NGA’s K-12 Education Team regularly produces informative briefings, podcasts, and webinars featuring subject matter experts in the field, Governors’ staff and state education leaders.  The team’s webinar series spotlights State Strategies for Addressing K-12 Student Needs from state budgets to parent, family, and community engagement and supporting students with unique needs.  The State Snapshots for Strengthening the Educator Workforce podcast series covers a range of topics related to teacher and principal recruitment and retention.

State Strategies For Addressing K-12 Student Needs

A series of conversations with subject matter experts, state education leaders, and practitioners to explore gubernatorial strategies for addressing students’ academic needs and well-being, hosted by the NGA’s Center for Best Practices K-12 Education Team.


State Snapshots For Strengthening The Educator Workforce

A series of conversations with nationally recognized experts in the education field on strategies and promising practices for strengthening educator recruitment and retention, including for advancing school leadership policies and priorities at the gubernatorial and state level, hosted by the NGA’s Center for Best Practices K-12 Education Team. For additional information, research, and resources on principals and school leaders, please visit the Wallace Foundation Knowledge Center.


Meet The Team

  • Seth Gerson, Program Director
  • Devon Nir, Policy Analyst
  • Ekaan Ahmad, Policy Coordinator

K-12 Topics

Student and Staff Well-Being

NGA Hosts Expert Roundtables on K-12 Education Focus Areas  

NGA Hosts Expert Roundtables on K-12 Education Focus Areas  

National and state experts gathered to discuss gubernatorial strategies for addressing academic recovery and supports, educator recruitment and retention and student and staff well-being.  As the National Governors Association Center ...
Strategies for Cross-Agency Collaboration to Support Student Well-Being

Strategies for Cross-Agency Collaboration to Support Student Well-Being

This webinar discusses strategies for cross-agency collaboration, including children’s cabinets, in support of student well-being and whole child policy. Panelists offer lessons learned and best practices from states across the ...
Improving Student, Family and School Staff Well-Being

Improving Student, Family and School Staff Well-Being

NGA worked with a bipartisan group of six Governors’ offices to address the well-being of students and school staff during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. The National Governors Association (NGA) ...
Strategies for Addressing the Comprehensive Needs of Students and Families Through Community Schools and Wraparound Supports

Strategies for Addressing the Comprehensive Needs of Students and Families Through Community Schools and Wraparound Supports

This webinar discusses strategies to address the comprehensive needs of students and families through community schools and wraparound supports. Panelists explain the evidence in this field, discuss how community schools ...

Academic Supports

Governors discussed the impact of interrupted instruction on K-12 students and highlighted plans for additional academic supports, including afterschool and summer learning, during their State of the State addresses. By ...
State of the States: Academic Supports

State of the States: Academic Supports

Conversations with education leaders in Colorado and Ohio co-hosted by the National Governors Association and Chiefs for Change. This two-part webinar series co-hosted by Chiefs for Change and the National ...
Elevating Opportunities for Innovation: Education Leadership in Colorado and Ohio

Elevating Opportunities for Innovation: Education Leadership in Colorado and Ohio

This webinar highlights lessons learned for afterschool and summer learning programs during the pandemic and Summer 2021. Panelists offer recommendations regarding accelerating learning, re-engaging students, and effective use of federal ...
Lessons Learned from Afterschool and Summer Learning and Enrichment in 2021

Lessons Learned from Afterschool and Summer Learning and Enrichment in 2021

This webinar explores strategies for Governors to help school districts in addressing chronic absenteeism and reengaging students as they continue learning in pandemic-disrupted circumstances. The webinar offers lessons learned and ...
Strategies for Reengaging Students During and Beyond The COVID-19 Pandemic

Strategies for Reengaging Students During and Beyond The COVID-19 Pandemic


Educator Workforce

The National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) hosted a webinar, State Partnerships Advancing School Leadership, in partnership with NGA, Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and National ...
State Partnerships for Advancing School Leadership

State Partnerships for Advancing School Leadership

In this episode, Dr. Linda Darling-Hammond, Charles E. Ducommun Professor of Education Emeritus at Stanford University, Founding President and CEO of the Learning Policy Institute and President of the California State Board ...
Dr. Linda Darling-Hammond On Preparing And Developing Effective Principals & School Leaders

Dr. Linda Darling-Hammond On Preparing And Developing Effective Principals & School Leaders

Governors’ advisors met in Greensboro, North Carolina to discuss current challenges and state solutions in K-12 education policy. By Seth Gerson & Catherine Van Ness The National Governors Association (NGA) ...
Governors’ Education Policy Advisors Institute 2022

Governors’ Education Policy Advisors Institute 2022

Today, National Governors Association Chair New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy and Vice Chair Utah Governor Spencer Cox released the following statement regarding the administration’s efforts to address teacher shortages and ...
Governors Welcome Action to Address Teacher Shortages

Governors Welcome Action to Address Teacher Shortages


NGA K-12 Education Library

Best Practices in School Operations at the Governors Education Policy Advisors Institute

Best Practices in School Operations at the Governors Education Policy Advisors Institute

Early on at the 2024 Governors Education Policy Advisors (GEPA) Institute a Governor’s advisor pointed out that when it comes to education, states and territories are where “the rubber meets ...
Governors Work Together on Bipartisan Education Solutions

Governors Work Together on Bipartisan Education Solutions

Governors aren’t focused on whether ideas are red or blue; we’re focused on finding policy solutions that work. Colorado Governor Jared Polis and Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt As Chair and ...
Let’s Get Ready to Innovate

Let’s Get Ready to Innovate

The Let’s Get Ready! initiative examines a different facet of education at each convening, and the Las Vegas gathering focused on innovation. There is broad consensus it is time to ...
Let’s Get Students Ready for Success

Let’s Get Students Ready for Success

Ensuring all American high school students graduate with the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed following graduation is at the center of NGA Chair Colorado Governor Jared Polis’ “Let’s Get ...
Let’s Get Ready for AI in Education

Let’s Get Ready for AI in Education

As part of the Let’s Get Ready! Educating All Americans for Success initiative, NGA Chair Colorado Governor Jared Polis is hosting a series of regional convenings to support Governors as ...
Let’s Get Ready to Better Measure Success

Let’s Get Ready to Better Measure Success

Let’s Get Ready: Educating All Americans for Success is designed to support Governors in driving innovation to tackle opportunity gaps that limit economic mobility. It starts with identifying those gaps ...
Let’s Get Ready to Educate for Opportunity

Let’s Get Ready to Educate for Opportunity

NGA Chair Colorado Governor Jared Polis’ Let’s Get Ready initiative is working with educators, parents and families, students, researchers, and community and business leaders to identify the best education policies ...
Education for Life – A Conversation with Dr. Steven Levitt

Education for Life – A Conversation with Dr. Steven Levitt

Measuring outcomes is one of the primary goals of NGA Chair Colorado Governor Jared Polis’ “Let’s Get Ready: Educating All Americans for Success” initiative. How are we measuring outcomes to ...
Insights and Opportunities on Public Sector Skills Based Strategy Efforts

Insights and Opportunities on Public Sector Skills Based Strategy Efforts

Since 2021, Governors in more than twenty states have taken steps to remove unnecessary bachelor’s degree requirements for jobs in the public sector. This momentum for innovation, spurred by a ...
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