ExcelinEd in Action Statehouse Spotlights – Details, episodes & analysis

Welcome back, policy enthusiasts and education advocates! Statehouse Spotlights is returning for an exciting 2025 season. You don’t want to miss it.

Ashley Mullins, ExcelinEd in Action’s National Legislative Director, is your host this season, and she will guide us through the education bills to watch throughout the legislative season. If you’re a new listener, our podcast is your go-to for the latest updates on K-12 education legislation across the country. Whether it’s funding, literacy, math, school accountability, teacher pipeline and retention, college and career pathways, students’ digital safety, or school choice initiatives—we’ve got you covered. 

Listen to this 2025 season trailer to learn how the format will be changing this year and more.

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Our hosts Tom Greene and Ashley Mullins are back on the airwaves during the legislative off-season for a really special episode. They’re diving into the recent 2024 gubernatorial elections and exploring what newly elected and re-elected governors are planning for K-12 education. From rethinking school funding and math proficiency to tackling early literacy, career readiness, teacher retention, and even school phone policies, there’s a lot on the horizon. 

They walk through the education policy priorities of governors in the 11 states that held elections here in 2024, and also update you on some key legislative chamber outcomes that will have an impact on education policy in the coming session. Visit our blog post for a deeper dive into where governors stand on education policies.

There's a lot to cover, so jump right in and see how these leaders are planning to reshape the education landscape! 

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast, so you don’t miss any future bonus episodes or season two of Statehouse Spotlights starting in January 2025.   

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Welcome to a special episode of Statehouse Spotlights, and happy Mathematics & Statistics Awareness Month!  

Our Advocacy Team leads Tom Greene and Ashley Mullins update on the latest education legislation movement for the week, then highlight four key policy areas that demand attention from lawmakers. From grading schools to improving student reading and math achievement to studying education-to-workforce pathways, our team will zero in on the startling statistics that matter most and recommend policy changes. 

ExcelinEd in Action’s Executive Director Patricia Levesque joins us on this episode to dig deeper into these compelling statistics that should ignite lawmakers' passion to improve education for all students. It’s full of great evidence and sound policy advice for policymakers in every state.  

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Join us for the latest episode of Statehouse Spotlights as we provide a midseason wrap-up and look-ahead of legislative sessions across the nation. Hosts Tom Greene and Ashley Mullins bring you the latest activity unfolding in statehouses, offering insights into key education bills, emerging trends and notable debates shaping K-12 education policy. 

Joining them for this discussion is Legislative Director for the West region Marcos Lopez, who provides firsthand insights into the challenges and victories faced in his states. From New Mexico to Virginia, Tom, Ashley and Marcos unpack the legislative highlights from states that have officially adjourned their legislative sessions. 

Remember to join the conversation on social media.  

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Tune in to Statehouse Spotlights as we focus on Indiana’s groundbreaking initiative to reshape the high school experience by significantly redesigning diplomas. 

In today’s episode, hosts Tom Greene and Ashley Mullins are joined by Indiana’s Education Secretary, Dr. Katie Jenner, who will share more about this bold and creative high school redesign and how it will prepare Hoosier students for future success.  

Check out our blog to learn more about the incredible strides Indiana policymakers are making in K-12 education. 

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In this episode of Statehouse Spotlights, we share the weekly state actions highlights then dig into data science. Data science is an up-and-coming education policy area. If you’re a policymaker listening to this episode and we do a good job of making the case for prioritizing and investing in it—you and your state could end up a pioneer when it comes to data science education policy.   

The fact is: American industry runs on data. And while data keeps growing exponentially, the number of people who can draw insights from that data to solve real world problems isn’t keeping pace. Data scientists are in huge demand but more and more people are finding that skills in data collection, analysis and visualization are becoming critical to their careers.  

On this show, we share findings from a recent report by The Burning Glass Institute and our sister organization ExcelinEd that underscore the importance of K-12 data science education. 

Tune in as they provide insights into the state-level efforts in this area so far and which states are ripe for student-centered data science policy.  

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Tune in to this episode of Statehouse Spotlights as we delve into the critical topic of adolescent literacy during National Reading Month.  

Hosts Tom Greene and Ashley Mullins will address the concerning social media trends among teachers, who are expressing frustration about the reading levels of their students, pose essential questions about how such literacy gaps could have developed, and highlight the role of pandemic-related school closures on the problem. 

We're excited to have Virginia Delegate Carrie Coyner and Indiana Senator Jeff Raatz on the show to share more about their work leading the charge to improve adolescent literacy post-pandemic. 

Join us as they highlight the significance of early intervention, personalized support and access to resources to address literacy challenges effectively, ensuring all students have the foundational skills needed for academic success and lifelong learning. 

If you’d like to listen to our previous episodes on early literacy, you can find them at the links below. Make sure to also visit www.earlyliteracymatters.org to learn more about what makes up an evidence-based comprehensive early literacy policy. 

• Early literacy bipartisanship on the rise - ExcelinEd in Action Statehouse Spotlights | Acast 
• How smart policymakers handle struggling third-grade readers - ExcelinEd in Action Statehouse Spotlights | Acast 

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Welcome to Statehouse Spotlights, your go-to podcast for the latest in education news across the country. In this episode, we’ll take you on a journey through the 2024 Florida legislative session, offering an inside look at the key developments shaping K-12 education in the Sunshine State. 

From budgets to hot-button education issues, hosts Ashley Mullins and Nathan Hoffman explore the wins and challenges encountered during this pivotal session, where the Florida legislature considered more than 100 education policy proposals. 

Florida is a state many others look to to lead on K-12 education policy. Tune in to learn everything you need to know about how the 2024 Florida legislative session will transform education. 

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In this episode of Statehouse Spotlights, we discuss why rural communities should embrace school choice. 

Hosts Tom Greene and Ashley Mullins will give an overview of the significant growth of school choice programs, particularly since the pandemic, and the challenges faced by rural policymakers and communities regarding these programs. 

They are joined by Jordan Zakery, ExcelinEd in Action’s legislative director in the Midwest, as he addresses common concerns raised by opponents of school choice in rural communities and emphasizes the importance of understanding the principles behind school choice and its benefits. 

Together, they will examine evidence from states with robust education choice programs and highlight success stories and examples of how school choice programs have positively impacted rural communities 

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In today’s episode of Statehouse Spotlights, we delve into third-grade retention policies. Why are they so crucial for struggling readers? Why do some people oppose them despite all of the positive evidence? How have we seen states implement them as part of a successful comprehensive early literacy policy? And where are we seeing legislation advancing in the states right now? 

After sharing the weekly state action highlights, hosts Tom Greene, Ashley Mullins and our regional advocacy director for the Southeast, Miranda Williams, take a deep dive into the role of third grade reading proficiency as a critical milestone in a child's educational journey.  

Tune into Statehouse Spotlights as we address how such third-grade retention laws can play a crucial role in promoting academic success and ensuring that all students can thrive beyond the schoolhouse.  

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