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 recovery and well-being and strengthening educator recruitment and retention.

Latest

Discussing Youth Mental Health at the 2023 Jed Policy Summit

NGA’s Jess Kirchner and Jillian Meinhardt highlighted the importance of youth mental health at The Jed Foundation’s 2023 Jed Policy Summit. Thank you to The Jed Foundation for inviting Jess ...

Lessons From the World’s High-Performing Education Systems

A Conversation With Andreas Schleicher of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. In this NGA webinar conversation, Andreas Schleicher, Director for Education and Skills and Special Advisor on Education ...

2023 Governors’ Education Policy Advisors Institute: K-12 Education Highlights

NGA convened Governors’ education policy advisors in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to share gubernatorial education strategies with each other and learn from national and state experts through panel conversations and small group ...

The National Governors Association and Education Commission of the States Host K-12 Education Summit

Governors’ education policy advisors convened in Phoenix, Arizona to share gubernatorial strategies in top K-12 education priority areas. Advisors learned from each other and national experts during group panels and ...

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.

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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.

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Meet The Team

Seth Gerson, Program Director
Jillian Meinhardt, Policy Analyst
Ekaan Ahmad, Policy Coordinator

K-12 Topics

Student and Staff Well-Being

The National Governors Association (NGA) Center for Best Practices Education, Health and Homeland Security and Public Safety divisions held a webinar on School Safety and Prevention on September 17, 2018 ...

School Safety and Prevention Webinar

On Jul. 9, 2018, the Education Division, in partnership with NGA's Health and Economic Opportunity Divisions, presented a webinar on Chronic Absenteeism. The session features national and state experts from ...

Chronic Absenteeism Webinar

In light of the devastating events at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, the NGA Education Division hosted a School Safety and Prevention Webinar for Governors’ Education Policy Advisors on Mar ...

Academic Supports

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Educator Workforce

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NGA K-12 Education Library

COVID-19 K-12 SCHOOL OPENING AND CLOSING POLICIES

Summary of Established State Thresholds (View/Download) Introduction As the country continues to battle the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring high-quality K-12 education while also minimizing the risk that students, teachers, and staff ...

Child Care for School-Aged Children

The need for child care for both young and school age children, who are learning from home during the day while adults work, has thus expanded to more families and ...

Letter Urging Congress to Extend Waiver Authorities for the COVID-19 School Nutrition Rules

"As districts and community programs prepare for the upcoming school year, it is becoming increasingly clear that most students will not be at school or be able to eat breakfast ...

Parts of a Whole: Critical Aspects to Support PreK to Grade 3

Virtual Convening | August 4-6, 2020 The education field is steeped in tough issues related to fall 2020. They face competing demands to address young students' academic needs, their social-emotional ...

School Nutrition and Meals Programs During K-12 School Reopening

(View/Download) Introduction Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and corresponding economic decline, the number of Americans experiencing food insecurity has skyrocketed in the United States. According to surveys administered by the ...

Governors and Education Leaders Call for Funding and Flexibility to Ensure Student Safety in Fall

In a letter to congressional leaders, the National Governors Association (NGA) and groups representing state K-12 education agencies, local school boards, universities, community colleges, educators and the special education community ...

Letter to Congressional Leaders Regarding Education Funding and Local Control

The Honorable Mitch McConnellMajority LeaderUnited States SenateU.S. Capitol Building, Room S-230Washington, DC 20510The Honorable Nancy PelosiSpeaker of the HouseUnited States House of RepresentativesU.S. Capitol BuildingWashington, DC 20515The Honorable Chuck SchumerMinority ...