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:
- Four Governors’ offices are addressing students’ academic needs (e.g., math, literacy, tutoring, chronic absenteeism, and summer learning and enrichment).
- Five Governors’ offices are supporting student and school staff mental health and well-being. This project builds off a 18-month, six-state Student and Staff Well-Being Technical Assistance Project completed in June 2022.
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
- Lily Klam, Policy Analyst
- Ekaan Ahmad, Policy Coordinator
K-12 Topics
Student and Staff Well-Being
Strategies for Parent, Family, Student and Community Engagement with K-12 Schools
Governors’ Education Policy Advisors Institute 2022
Improving Mental Health Services and Increasing Supportive Services in Schools
Governor Murphy Introduces Chair’s Initiative: Strengthening Youth Mental Health Care
Academic Supports
State Leaders Outline Strategies for Accelerating Student Learning Amid Pandemic
State Plans for Accelerating Student Learning: A Preliminary Analysis
Summer Camps and Summer Learning Opportunities
Governor’s Pocket Guide to Early Literacy
Educator Workforce
Community Renewal Task Force Meeting on the Educator Workforce
State Policy Levers to Support Principal Pipelines
State Highlight: Louisiana’s Efforts to Develop and Support School Leaders
School Leadership Under ESSA: State Highlights
NGA K-12 Education Library
Understanding Lapses in Learning
Let’s Get Ready to Improve the Value of Education
Education Themes in 2025 State of the State Addresses
Governors’ Top Education Priorities in 2025 State of the State Addresses
Let’s Get Ready to Improve Education and Support Rural Communities
Let’s Get Ready to Change Education’s Status Quo
Let’s Get Ready to Build Education to Workforce Pipelines
Let’s Get Ready to Partner on Education
