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

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

NEW YORK, Feb. 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Public Schooling in America, issued by the Network for Public Education (NPE), rates the states on 42 factors that impact public education. The report includes a special focus on student protection—both inside and outside the public school system.

Five states received an "A" grade for their strong support of public schools; however, 17 states received an "F" based on their failure to support public schools and protect children in educational settings within and outside their public schools.

Top five states                                                       

1. North Dakota                                                     
2. Connecticut                                                         
3. Vermont                                                             
4. Illinois                                                                
5. Nebraska                                                            

Bottom five states

     47. Arkansas
     48. North Carolina
     49. Utah
     50. Arizona
     51. Florida

Rated categories include:

Privatization: guardrails and limits on charter and voucher programs.
Homeschooling: laws to ensure child wellbeing and safety.
Financial Support for Public Schools: sufficient and equitable funding.
Freedom to Teach and Learn: instruction free of political intrusion; student safety protections.

Florida earned only 19 of 111 possible points—the only state to lose all points for its lack of financial support for public schools. Along with North Carolina, it was in the bottom ranking for Freedom to Teach and Learn.

According to Carol Burris, NPE's Executive Director, "Florida's statehouse enacts policies designed to drive children out of public schools and into unregulated and unstable alternatives. Sadly, it's working. Along with Arizona, it's become a sunny state for shady education practices."

North Dakota received the highest score. "North Dakota stands out for traditional, not radical, conservative values in education," Burris said. Connecticut earned second place.

Commenting on the report findings, NPE President Diane Ravitch warns, "Our public schools made America a great nation. The rush to privatization undermines public schools while promoting discrimination, waste, fraud, and abuse. If we continue to divert public money to privately-managed charter schools, religious schools, private schools, and homeschooling, we put our nation at risk."

The full report and its ratings can be found here.

The Network for Public Education is a national advocacy group whose mission is to preserve, promote, improve, and strengthen public schools for current and future generations of students.

Contact: Carol Burris
[email protected]
(646) 678-4477

SOURCE Network for Public Education