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Governors’ Top Education Priorities in 2026 State of the State Addresses

State of the State addresses offer new and incumbent governors a platform to elevate their priorities and successes. Since 2005, we’ve tracked, analyzed and identified education policy trends in these addresses to help you understand trending education issues across the United States.

This year’s analysis includes 45 addresses and a detailed look at the top five trends we found across state education-related proposals. Read the full report to learn about each trend, including:
  • Academic Supports and Achievement.
  • K-12 Funding.
  • Career and Technical Education and Postsecondary Workforce Alignment.
  • Early Care and Learning.
  • Teacher Workforce.

Use our interactive map to find complete summaries of education policy priorities outlined in each governor's State of the State address.

We’re grateful for our continued collaboration with the National Governors Association on this report.

Published:

March 31, 2026

Resource Type:

Copyright 2026 / Education Commission of the States. All rights reserved.

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