State of the State Addresses: 2025 Education Priorities Take Center Stage
In advance of this year’s legislative sessions, Governors set out their priorities in their State of the State addresses. As the legislative sessions draw to a close nationwide, we look back at some of the priorities Governor’s outlined as a way to set expectations for implementation and education policy priorities over the next few years.
Last year’s legislative sessions saw the passage of a number of education initiatives. As a result, this year’s State of the State addresses included several victory laps from governors touting their new education efforts as well as announcements of new, smaller programs or revisions intended to support or expand implementation of these broader education initiatives.
Governors also spent time in their State of the State message to talk about their budget priorities, since many states adopted a biennial budget this year. Here are five summaries of different approaches and policy proposals from State of the State addresses.
OREGON – Governor Tina Kotek
Governor Kotek proposed a $600 million increase in a financial calculation known as the “current service level” (CSL), a baseline measure that lawmakers use to set the education budget. In addition, she proposed more than $205 million to help students recover from the pandemic: $127 million for early literacy and $78.5 million for summer learning.
At the same time, the Governor made it clear that the new money would be part of a plan to raise student learning. She proposed “exploring a single, statewide, publicly accessible student information system.” It would be accompanied by administrative actions to “ensure that the Oregon Department of Education holds up its end of the bargain on accountability. When a district’s numbers show failure for their students, there will be help and attention – not voluntarily requested, but required, direct assistance to make sure all resources are pointed toward better student outcomes.”
PENNSYLVANIA – Governor Josh Shapiro
Governor Shapiro spent part of his State of the State address highlighting his administration’s work on reforming a public education funding formula he said all in the state “knew was unconstitutional.” He went on to emphasize that the $11 billion in the 2024 budget was not only a record amount for public education funding but also created a new adequacy formula “that drives that money out to the schools that need it most.” His budget proposes adding an additional $526 million to the adequacy formula.
Because Pennsylvania, like other states, is experiencing teacher shortages, Governor Shapiro highlighted a new initiative to fund student teacher stipends. While student teaching has generally operated as an unpaid internship, the lack of salary can keep teaching candidates from completing their licensing requirements. These new stipends allow all teacher candidates to be able to afford student teaching.
TEXAS – Governor Greg Abbott
The rules and laws governing how each state legislature performs its responsibilities vary by state. In Texas, the legislature meets for 140 days every other year. During the first 60 days of the session, lawmakers can file bills without any restrictions. After that, only bills related to local matters, emergency items, and appropriations can be filed.
However, the Governor can declare certain priorities as emergencies. That allows the legislature to vote on them during the first 60 days. By tradition, the Governor announces those emergency items in the State of the State address.
This year, Governor Abbot is again trying to establish an Education Savings Account (ESA) program. His previous efforts were unsuccessful, but in 2024, he supported primary opponents of some legislators in his own party who were opposed to ESAs.
It was no surprise that the ESA program was one of his announced emergency measures. He also designated increasing teacher salaries to an all-time high as an emergency. Finally, he supported an expansion of career and technical education as an emergency. Many of the most in-demand jobs are careers like welders, plumbers, and electricians, the Governor said. “To prepare students for these careers, high schools must provide more career training programs so students can go from graduation directly into a good-paying job.”
CALIFORNIA – Governor Gavin Newsom
California Governor Gavin Newsom has not followed the traditional route for delivering a State of the State address. Instead of addressing a joint session of the legislature, he gave his third State of the State address to an empty Dodgers Stadium during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2024, he sent a letter to the Legislature. This year, his address was delivered by video.
But although the delivery locales may be unorthodox, the speech was similar in tone to most of the State of the State addresses delivered by other Governors, particularly in education.
In 2021, California launched a major investment in early learning programs. This year, California is “creating a new grade to give Californians an early start: Pre-K for all by 2025,” according to Newsom. The initiative supports several early learning programs, including transitional kindergarten, the California State Preschool Program, Head Start, and locally funded early learning programs.
To increase academic success for all students, California will continue its focus on improving reading instruction. Starting in the 2025-26 school year, all kindergartners will receive routine screenings for reading difficulties, including dyslexia. Parents and guardians will receive the results of the screening, including information on how to interpret the results and the proposed supports and services for children identified as “at risk”.
The state is also opening community schools with wraparound services for students and families. “Students will be able to get free meals, behavioral health, and family support, as well as high-dose tutoring,” Newsom promised. This builds on the state’s commitment to the community school model, which began with a $4 billion investment in 2021.
Finally, he recognized California’s investment in community college. Today, everyone in the state “can access community college – for free.” While many colleges and universities across the country suffered from declining enrollment, that was not true in California. Although COVID did cause enrollment numbers to dip, efforts like expanded dual enrollment programs, making it easier for community college students to transfer to four-year institutions, and high school programs like Oakland’s Linked Learning are encouraging more students to enroll.
KANSAS – Governor Laura Kelly
Another perspective on ESAs came from Kansas Governor Laura Kelly. Here is a transcript of what she had to say about the value of public schools and the reasons she was opposed to ESAs.
“It’s pretty straightforward: 90 percent of our students go to our public schools. Along with early childhood education and care, the smartest, most effective investment we can make in our next generation is through our public schools.
But even beyond the economic gains, when we talk about protecting the Kansas way of life – our public schools are the heart and soul of so many of our communities.
It’s where we come together – particularly in our rural areas – for Friday night football and for school plays. For carnivals and bake sales – it’s where we gather to build strong communities.
So, for both the future we aspire to create and the values we aspire to maintain, we must continue to make our public schools our top priority. That’s why my budget proposal this year will again, for the seventh consecutive year, fully fund our public schools.
Prioritizing our public schools means investing in them. Protecting them. Always fighting to make them better.
And never, ever taking taxpayer dollars from our public schools to give to private schools. Doing so weakens our public school system, particularly in our rural communities. As a state, we just can’t afford to do that.
So, simply put, I will continue to reject any attempt, no matter what it looks like, to re-route public taxpayer dollars to private schools.”
Conclusion:
State of the State addresses are always a combination of the practical and the aspirational. This year was no different. But the degree of uncertainty about federal spending on education during the coming year adds a layer of complexity to the promises and plans laid out by each Governor.
Many of the existing programs that Governors discussed depend at least to some degree on federal support. How will states continue their forward progress on education while also addressing potential budget shortfalls and uncertainty at the federal level? Those efforts will likely be the focus of addresses and legislative sessions over the next few years. For more information about great work happening in states and ways to further support state policy work, check out All4Ed’s State Policy Center.
Meet the Author
Jenn Ellis joined All4Ed in August 2021 as Director of State Government Relations and supports the organization’s state and local policy agenda to ensure all students graduate prepared to complete postsecondary education and achieve success in a rapidly changing world.
Ms. Ellis has spent her career in the unique intersection between research, substantive policy, law, and real-world outreach and impact and has significant experience leading education-based policy, advocacy, and legislative initiatives. She also has a passion for making policy and data accessible, interesting, and actionable for everyone.
