2016 State of the State Addresses: Governors' Top Education Issues. Education Trends

Overview & Synopsis

Each year, governors take the stage to highlight accomplishments and outline policy priorities for their states. In an effort to provide up-to-date information on education policy trends, Education Commission of the States tracks all education policy proposals and accomplishments featured by governors in these State of the State addresses. At the top of the agenda for governors in 2016 is the continued focus on increasing education funding without raising taxes or cutting other services. Governors also seek to provide additional compensation to teachers while developing strategies to recruit and retain instructors. Additionally, governors are working to coordinate initiatives that make college more affordable and draw residents to degree and training programs for high demand sectors. This report provides a summary of the top education issues highlighted by the 41 governors who have delivered their 2016 State of the State addresses to date. A full summary of the education policy highlights within each address is available on the Education Commission of the States website.