As governors deliver their annual State of the State addresses, they set the policy agenda for the year ahead—signaling where legislatures, state agencies, and stakeholders should expect momentum. In recent years, education initiatives have increasingly been mentioned alongside workforce and economic development, with governors emphasizing student outcomes and workforce readiness.
The schedule of governors’ addresses is tracked by the National Governors Association (NGA). The W/A Research Team will update and summarize the addresses here.
As Whiteboard Advisors tracks all 2026 State of the State addresses, we will be watching closely for how governors elevate education priorities and connect them to broader state goals. Based on recent legislative activity, federal policy dynamics, and early state signals, we expect the following topics to feature prominently this year for Governors that speak on education:
- ESSA Waivers, Assessment, and Accountability
- CTE expansion and High School Transformation
- School Choice and ECCA
- Student Data, Privacy, and Digital Literacy
- The role of AI in Education and Workforce Policy
See a deep dive on each prediction below and highlights from each governor’s address as they happen.
ESSA Waivers, Assessment, and Accountability
Prediction
Governors will frame accountability less as compliance and more as flexibility — particularly through ESSA waivers and efforts to rethink how states use federal education funds and measure outcomes.
Why Now?
Post-pandemic recovery and calls for a future-ready workforce has intensified dissatisfaction with traditional assessment and accountability systems, while states face pressure to demonstrate results without over-relying on standardized testing. At the same time, the U.S. Department of Education has shown openness to waivers that allow states to pursue more innovative approaches.
CTE Expansion and High School Transformation
Prediction
Career and Technical Education, including work-based learning and registered apprenticeships, will be positioned as a central strategy for rethinking high school—not as a separate pathway, but as a core component of student readiness.
Why Now?
States continue to grapple with workforce shortages, declining student engagement and high absenteeism rates, and growing demand for career-connected learning. Governors increasingly see CTE and work-based learning as vehicles for both economic competitiveness and student relevance.
School Choice and ECCA
Prediction
Governors—particularly Republicans—will increasingly reference private school choice and voucher programs, now in the context of the Educational Choice for Children Act (ECCA) and broader debates about the federal role in expanding education options.
Why Now?
As part of the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBA), ECCA created the nation’s first federal K–12 tax-credit scholarship program. Individuals may now receive a dollar-for-dollar federal income tax credit, capped at $1,700 per taxpayer per year, for donations to qualified nonprofit scholarship-granting organizations (SGOs). Those organizations distribute scholarships to K–12 students living in states that opt in, with eligibility limited to students from households earning at or below 300 percent of area median income.
At the state level, the focus now shifts to implementation and alignment. Governors must decide whether and how to participate, designate or approve eligible scholarship organizations, and determine how the federal credit interacts with existing education savings accounts, state tax‑credit scholarships, and voucher programs. These choices raise fresh questions around oversight, equity, administrative capacity, and coordination across systems—making school choice a timely and unavoidable issue for governors in the post‑ECCA landscape.
Student Data, Privacy, and Digital Literacy
Prediction
Governors will increasingly address student data privacy and digital literacy as technology use in schools expands and cell phone bans are implemented.
Why Now
Rapid adoption of digital tools — often without consistent guardrails — has heightened concerns about student data protection, vendor oversight, and cybersecurity. At the same time, states are recognizing the need for students to build digital literacy skills responsibly and that cell phone bans are not a comprehensive solution.
State Signal
- California — A new proposal in California led by OpenAI and in partnership with Common Sense Media seeks to create safeguards for young people interacting with AI, including age verifications.
The Role of AI in Education and Workforce Policy
Prediction
Artificial intelligence will move from novelty to policy signal—cautiously framed, but unavoidable. This might mean more AI-focused task forces and pilot programs to support innovation alongside guardrails.
Why Now?
AI tools are already shaping classrooms and workplaces, often faster than policy guidance can keep pace. Governors are increasingly expected to balance innovation, safety, and workforce readiness.
State Signal
- New York – Gov. Kathy Hochul recently signed major legislation focused on AI safety and transparency, positioning the state as a national leader in AI governance. The law establishes reporting and safety planning requirements for advanced AI systems and reflects growing state-level attention to AI’s implications for students, workers, and public trust.
As governors outline their priorities for the year ahead, these addresses will offer an early window into how states are thinking about the future of education, workforce readiness, and the systems that connect them.
