This week, W/A’s co-founder and Chief Advocacy Officer, Anna Kimsey Edwards, is filling in for Ben.

Greetings from the annual National Governors Association Winter Meeting in D.C., a “Super Bowl” event for education and workforce policy nerds.

This year’s meeting has generated no shortage of media attention, prompting NGA Chair Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt and Vice Chair Maryland Gov. Wes Moore to reinforce the fact that, across the states, bipartisan leadership and collaboration is still alive and well.

Inside the hallways and sessions, the conversations—for the most part—put pragmatism over politics. That spirit of bipartisan gubernatorial leadership was on full display in this week’s release of The Future Is High School, a new 50-state analysis from the XQ Institute that examines the policy conditions enabling the reinvention of high schools nationwide. And what they found gives reason for optimism.

According to XQ’s analysis:

  • 32 states have now removed seat time as a barrier to demonstrating student mastery.

  • 38 states and D.C. are providing access for all high school students to earn postsecondary credit while in high school.

  • 46 states and D.C. are creating meaningful work-based learning opportunities that carry real currency in the workforce.

During NGA, XQ’s co-founder and CEO, Russlynn Ali, powerfully described high school as a place “where young people decide who they are—and whether the future has a place for them.”  

High school transformation isn’t partisan. Across the country, Republican and Democratic governors have recognized high school as an engine of economic mobility and a linchpin of the American dream.

As Gov. Stitt put it: “the American Dream doesn’t need to be reimagined, it must be reignited. And that starts in our high schools.”

Gov. Moore echoed that focus, noting that “by aligning high school with more career pathways, expanding access to advanced coursework, and valuing real-world learning, we are building a system that works for every student and strengthens Maryland’s workforce and economy.”

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis emphasized “career-connected learning, modernizing how we measure success, and investing in pathways that link students directly to opportunity” in order to help young people graduate with “real-world experience and durable skills.”

And Indiana Gov. Mike Braun made the case that “by making education more relevant and providing direct connections to their future, we are driving better outcomes, both for individual students, as well as our state.”

However, similar to the science of reading movement, passing policy is just the beginning. The real work lies in building capacity, aligning systems, and sustaining the effort long enough to make a meaningful difference in students’ future—which we are grateful to see state and local leaders continue to advance this year.

In this week’s edition, we round up the “Top 10 Articles of the Week” and take a closer look at:

  • State Governors Prioritize Workforce Development with CTE Investments

  • Republicans Unveil Latest Attempt to Pass a Farm Bill

  • Kentucky Supreme Court Strikes Down Charter School Funding Mechanism

  • New UT Policy Restricts Discussion of ‘Controversial’ Topics in Class

  • DOL Announces New Grants to Help Community Colleges Develop Workforce Programs

Top 10 Articles of the Week from W/A’s What We’re Reading Newsletter

  1. What If Phone Bans Are Just The Start? [Rick Hess On Education]

  2. The $165 Billion Question: What The Economist Got Right (and Terribly Wrong) About Education Technology [Nik Bear Brown – Computational Skepticism] 

  3. Parents opt kids out of school laptops, ask for pen and paper [NBC News] 

  4. Can We Please Stop Calling Them “Elite” Colleges? [Inside Higher Ed]

  5. Why Responsible AI May Be the Next Big Higher Ed Giving Trend [Inside Philanthropy, subscription model]

  6. 🎧 Getting the Most out of Community College with Dr. Aarti Dhupelia [Office Hours Podcast]

  7. Why Higher Ed Is Leaning Into Apprenticeships [Inside Higher Ed] 

  8. Engineering Degree Mobility for Working Learners [The EvoLLLution]

  9. Labor Department unveils AI literacy framework [Axios]

  10. The future of work is the future of care [Stars and Stripes]

What We’re Reading: PK-12 and Higher Education

What We’re Reading: PK-12 and Higher Education

Receive a roundup of the latest early childhood, K-12, and higher education news. Published four times a week, this newsletter provides a curated selection of reports, research, and top stories fro...

State Governors Prioritize Workforce Development with CTE Investments

Check out our interactive map!

Roughly one-third of governors have explicitly elevated workforce development as a central economic priority during their “State of the State” addresses. Those governors detailed their interest and effort in improving workforce development in their states to bolster their economies, and many cited high school and career and technical education (CTE) as a means to accomplish those goals:

  • Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey (R) highlighted Alabama’s highest-ever college and career readiness rate and emphasized continued investment in credentialing and career-aligned pathways. She pointed to the addition of 500,000 credentialed workers to the state’s workforce and highlighted expanded specialty programs in fields like cybersecurity, engineering, and health sciences. [WSFA 12]

  • California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) emphasized California’s new master plan for career education and the continued expansion of apprenticeships, positioning education to workforce alignment as central to the state’s economic strategy. 

  • Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) underscored the importance of connecting the skills students learn in school with those needed for good jobs, citing record participation in dual enrollment and community college courses, which he highlighted again this week alongside XQ’s Future of High School report. 

  • Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) pointed to postsecondary affordability and workforce alignment, and proposed a new Vocational Training Grant Program aimed at expanding specialized workforce programs and better connecting students to in-demand, high-paying jobs. [NBC Chicago]

  • Idaho Gov. Brad Little (R) promoted the success of Idaho LAUNCH, a program preparing students to enter in-demand careers directly after high school in fields like healthcare, skilled trades, and teaching.

  • Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) highlighted a 50% increase in investment in CTE, vo-tech, and apprenticeship programs, leading to expanded enrollment and new pre-apprenticeships statewide. 

Budgets Solidify Commitment to Expansion

State legislative sessions are underway across the nation. We’re tracking the following budget proposals, which include notable CTE and workforce funding components:

  • Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves’ (R) FY 2027 Executive Budget Recommendation includes a proposal to transition Mississippi’s apprenticeship office to a State Apprenticeship Agency (SAA) model to enhance state‑level oversight and data management of registered apprenticeships. The budget also proposes $1.4 million to expand Mississippi’s workforce training infrastructure through new Accelerate Mississippi Talent Solutions Centers, with a goal of training and deploying more than 2,000 additional workers in high‑demand fields. 

  • Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee’s (D) FY 2027 budget proposes a $600 million general obligation bond package that includes a dedicated $50 million Career and Technical Education component, Rhode Island’s first bond focused specifically on CTE. The CTE bond is intended to create new programs and improve existing career and technical education offerings, including modern facilities and equipment, while additional bond components support higher education facilities, economic development, housing, and clean energy projects.

  • South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster’s (R) FY 2027 Executive Budget proposes continued and expanded investment in workforce scholarships and job‑training aligned with high‑demand fields. The budget recommends $95 million in lottery funds for the South Carolina Workforce Industry Needs Scholarship (SC WINS) through the South Carolina Technical College System, a program that has already helped more than 120,000 residents cover tuition and required fees to earn postsecondary or industry credentials. 

Looking Forward

Governors are increasingly framing K-12 and postsecondary alignment not as an ancillary education reform, but as a core economic strategy tied to state competitiveness, labor market shortages, and regional growth. Now, it’s a matter of how effectively states’ investments translate into measurable outcomes, like credential completion, employer alignment, wage mobility, and long-term economic resilience.

Go deeper: We will continue tracking where states move from proposal to policy, and where funding commitments signal a deeper structural shift in how states position education as a workforce engine. In the meantime, check out our analysis of all State of the State addresses, year to date, on our blog.

Republicans Unveil Latest Attempt to Pass a Farm Bill

Last week, the Republicans on the House Agriculture Committee released their first draft of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, also known as the “farm bill.”

The farm bill predominantly serves to provide assistance to farmers and a safety net for Americans facing food insecurity, including through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Beyond that, new iterations of the farm bill often include a number of provisions related to education.

Catch up quick: Similar to the Elementary and Secondary Act and the Higher Education Act, Congress periodically passes a new farm bill to reauthorize and reform an array of federal programs administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The last farm bill, signed into law in 2018, expired in 2023; Congress has not been able to pass a new farm bill since then, and instead has relied on two, one-year extensions in 2024 and 2025 to continue support for farm bill programs.

What’s in the Latest Draft Bill?

  • Reauthorizes Schools to Buy Fresh Food From Farms: Lawmakers included the majority of the Local Farmers Feeding Our Communities Act, a bipartisan bill introduced in July 2025 that would create a permanent program modeled after the Local Food for Schools and Local Food Purchasing Assistance programs.

    • These programs—established by the Biden administration during the pandemic—allowed schools to purchase fresh food from small and mid-size farms in their region, but were cancelled in early 2025 by the Trump administration.

    • Under the proposed bill, the permanent program would be eligible for up to $200 million in annual funding, and be facilitated by state, local, and tribal governments.

  • Expands Broadband Access for Distance Learning: The proposed bill would reauthorize the Distance Learning and Telemedicine Program, a grant program that helps rural communities with populations of 20,000 or fewer access broadband and equipment for education and healthcare purposes. Under the bill, the program would be funded at $82 million per year for five years.

  • Supports 1890 Land-grant Institutions: The proposed bill would provide additional financial support to 1890 Land-grant institutions, a group of 19 HBCUs established under the Second Morrill Act of 1890. These colleges are key partners of the USDA, and aim to strengthen research and teaching in the food and agricultural sciences (or, “Ag-STEM”).

  • Establishes Rural Childcare Initiative: The proposed bill would direct the USDA to prioritize projects that address the availability, quality, and cost of childcare in rural communities. This three-year rural childcare initiative would be facilitated through the Community Facilities Program, Business and Industry Loan Guarantee Program, Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program, and Intermediary Relending Program. The text of the farm bill does not include a specific dollar amount to be awarded through the initiative.

What’s Next

The House Committee on Agriculture and Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry share joint jurisdiction over the farm bill and are the primary committees that will draft and mark up the bill before it is brought to the full House and Senate floors for final votes. The committee is set to begin marking up the bill next Monday, February 23, kicking off the effort to pass the farm bill in earnest.

We’re excited to share that registration is now open for the 2026 Solutions Summit, co-hosted by ISTE+ASCD and Whiteboard Advisors, taking place alongside the ISTELive + ASCD Annual Conference in Orlando, Florida.

Register

The Solutions Summit will be held on Sunday, June 28, 2026, from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and will bring together education technology leaders, innovators, and experts for a day of learning, collaboration, and connection. Designed specifically for edtech company leaders, this is a space to share best practices, workshop new ideas, and engage with peers who are shaping the future of teaching and learning.

Why attend? The Solutions Summit offers an unparalleled opportunity to:

  • Gain product development insights: Learn with and from peers and experts about designing edtech for maximum impact—grounded in evidence, research and development, pedagogical insight, and market trends.

  • Make meaningful connections: Share strategies, discover new resources, and connect with industry leaders, entrepreneurs, education decision-makers, and experts from around the world.

  • Expand your network: Meet your peers in the edtech industry and enjoy informal conversations and networking over lunch (included) and table conversations.

Quick Takes

Kentucky Supreme Court Strikes Down Charter School Funding Mechanism

On Thursday, the Kentucky Supreme Court unanimously ruled against the state’s charter school funding law, finding that the mechanism used to allocate public dollars violated the state constitution. Importantly, the decision does not eliminate charter schools outright but invalidates the specific funding pathway lawmakers had established.

The ruling underscores a growing tension in several states: As policymakers pursue alternative school models and funding streams, constitutional constraints around appropriations and funding formulas are becoming central battlegrounds. Expect this to prompt renewed debate in Kentucky over next steps—and signal potential challenges to other states that are evaluating new or revised funding models for charter schools. [The Associated Press]

New UT Policy Restricts Discussion of ‘Controversial’ Topics in Class

The University of Texas System Board of Regents voted unanimously this week to approve a new policy that asks faculty members to avoid discussion of “topics and controversies that are not germane” to their classes. The policy is intended to foster a culture of trust on campus and promote critical thinking amongst students; opponents say that the policy is overly vague and chills free speech.

UT is the third public university system to adopt policies that impact what and how certain topics are covered in the classroom, following the Texas Tech and Texas A&M systems; these systems are among the largest in the nation. [Inside Higher Ed]

DOL Announces New Grants to Help Community Colleges Develop Workforce Programs

On Tuesday, the Department of Labor announced the availability of $65 million to support community colleges as they develop short-term, workforce-aligned training programs. Representing the sixth round of the Labor Department’s Strengthening Community College Training Grants, the funding will focus on programs seeking eligibility for Workforce Pell grants, with individual awards up to $11 million.

This announcement comes after community colleges got a smaller-than-anticipated share of the Education Department’s Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) grants. [Inside Higher Ed]

  • After more than a decade of building Code.org together into the world’s largest K-12 computer science education platform, Hadi Partovi and Cameron Wilson are handing the reins over to Karim Meghji, who has worked alongside both leaders as chief product officer for the past three and a half years. Karim will step into the role of president and CEO, and Hadi will continue his leadership as chairman of the board and Cameron as executive advisor.

  • Kristen Hole was appointed deputy superintendent of Houston Independent School District (HISD), a newly-created role for the district. As deputy superintendent, Hole will oversee the district’s academics and schools offices. Hole most recently served as HISD’s chief academic officer; she previously held senior curriculum and implementation roles at the Texas Education Agency. [The Houston Chronicle, subscription model]

Check out W/A Jobs, which features 3,583 career opportunities from 314 organizations across the education industry. A few roles that caught our eye over the past week:

  • Strategic Education is hiring a Minneapolis-based IT Program Manager to oversee technology-related products, projects, and initiatives.

  • OU Education Services is hiring an Oklahoma-based Senior Paid Media Strategist to lead the strategy, execution, and performance of paid media.

  • Curriculum Associates is hiring an AI Specialist to support the executive operations team with integrating AI into decision-making and workflows.

  • College Board is hiring a Security Architect, Product to advise on secure software architecture, design decisions, and remediation strategies.

  • CENTEGIX is hiring a Senior Endpoint Engineer to strengthen and scale the organization’s platform.

Visit W/A Jobs

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