The Best and the Worst Statehouses for Supporting Public Schools
and Their Students

March 2024

From book bans to teacher qualifications, our new national report examines the laws and policies that support or undermine each state’s public schools and the students who attend them.

We rate states on:

  • Privatization Laws: the guardrails and limits on charter and voucher programs to ensure that taxpayers and students are protected from discrimination, corruption, and fraud.
  • Homeschooling Laws: laws to ensure that instruction is provided safely and responsibly.
  • Financial Support for Public Schools: sufficient and equitable funding of public schools.
  • Freedom to Teach and Learn: whether state laws allow all students to feel safe and thrive at school and receive honest instruction free of political intrusion.
Click on the cover below to read the report.
Read the Executive Summary by clicking here.

Hover over each state to explore its grades.

courtesy of Picky Penguin

Watch this short video for highlights of the report.

Public Schooling in America In the News

New Report Identifies the Best and the Worst Statehouses for Supporting Public Schools and Their Students

Read the PR Newswire article here.

Report: North Dakota Number One In Nation For Public Education Support

Read the Forbes article here.

New Report Spotlights the Best and Worst States for Public Education Support

Read the BNN.com article here.

Analyzing The Network for Public Education’s Report: The State of Public Schools Across America

Read the Medriva article here.

New Report Identifies the Best and the Worst Statehouses for Supporting Public Schools and Their Students

Read the Malaysian Reserve article here.

ND makes grade in national report evaluating public school support

Read the Public News Service article here.

The Right’s Long Game to End Public Education

Read The Progressive article here. 

ND makes grade in national report evaluating public school support

Read the Williston Herald article here. 

States with the highest support for public schools: No. 1 may surprise you

Read the District Administration article here. 

Reports document legislature’s continued assault on democratic, inclusive public schools

Read the NC Newsline article here. 

Reports document legislature’s continued assault on democratic, inclusive public schools

Read the News from the States article here.

North Carolina’s public schools earn failing grades in national report

Read the Public News Service article here.

Report: AZ doesn’t do enough to fund, support public schools

Read the Public News Service article here.

Arizona’s Public Schools Fail: Report Blasts Funding, Voucher Programs

Read the BNN.com article here. 

Report: Florida last in public education

Read the Public News Service article here.

Texas Earns a ‘D’ Grade in New Public Schools Report, Barely Escaping Failure

Read the Texas AFT article here. 

Nevada receives “F” in report on state legislative support for public education

Read the KUNR article here.

IN teachers ‘stunned’ by lawmakers’ bid to bypass collective bargaining

Read the Public News Service article here.