5 Questions Every Policymaker Should Ask Education Leaders This Year

Authors: Kathleen E. Arney, M.Ed., Senior Policy Analyst, The Hunt Institute; Terri Conrad, Ed.D., Deputy Director of K-12, The Hunt Institute

School supplies are back on the shelves, and teachers are beginning to set up their classrooms. However, recent headlines describe staffing reductions at the U.S. Department of Education and delayed federal funding nationwide. As the first day of school approaches, education leaders and policymakers are faced with last-minute decisions.   

For many leaders, this is a time to ground themselves in making the best decisions for student learning. Fiscal challenges are not new territory for experienced professionals. However, the combination of federal changes, an impending fiscal cliff, slowing school enrollment, and more school choice means that most states and districts have a complicated road ahead.   

Communities need to band together to strategize during these times and create additional support networks that will benefit all students.

Whether you are a state or local elected leader, a community organizer, or a stakeholder wanting to support your local schools, here are a few questions to ask your local education leaders to understand the current landscape in your community

1. Have you been impacted by delayed federal education funding?  

After a tense July, the federal administration agreed to release delayed Title II, Title III, and Title IV funds. Over $6 billion in education funding allocated by the Congressional budget is set to be sent to schools after a month’s delay.   

While this relieves a significant amount of pressure on schools, the delay in funding may still contribute to stressors on a local level. In simplified terms, schools and districts operate on a reimbursement system, through which they use their funding to pay for their operational needs and then use federal funds to reimburse themselves for the money spent within specific categories.  

Without warning of a potential delay in federal funds, many schools and districts  have spent their funding according to budgets created earlier in the year, resulting in a shortfall during the early school months that could have lasting repercussions on fixed costs, such as teacher compensation. Additionally, schools often use these funds to hire additional staff members to reduce class sizes or support English Learners. With these funds being delayed, many districts enacted hiring freezes to prevent hiring staff without funds to pay for them.

2. Is the shifting school choice landscape impacting your calculus for this school year? 

States like North Carolina, North Dakota, Texas, and Tennesee are expanding school choice options for students and families. These programs increase student mobility between schooling options, requiring schools and districts to move quickly to adjust to changes in student population.   

For example, many states determine annual school funding based on student-based metrics, like Average Daily Membership (ADM) or Average Daily Attendance (ADA). ADM is the average student enrollment over a given period, typically a school year.  

Some states that use ADM fund schools based on the previous year’s enrollment, while others use the current year’s enrollment. In contrast to ADM, ADA bases funding on average daily attendance over a shorter period, like the first two weeks of the school year, or on a specific date in the school year.  

In either of these circumstances, student movement between school environments impacts school funding, and students may move schools after funding has been determined. 

While enrollment numbers were relatively consistent, no such promises can be made when students and families have more options available to them. Choice certainly adds more freedom for families, but it leaves schools guessing about the funding they will have available.  

3. What impact has cell phone usage and/or bans had on your school?

As we start this school year, 27 states now require schools, school boards, or districts to develop policies that restrict the use of cell phones while in school. Cell phones and social media use have a well-documented effect on mental health, including mental distress, self-harming behaviors, and even suicidal ideation.   

Despite these negative effects, cell phone bans are being met with mixed reactions. Some parents are pointing to school safety concerns as a reason why students should have access to cell phones in school. Others argue that parents need to be able to contact their children regarding transportation changes.   

Education leaders must embrace these uncomfortable conversations this year to maintain community relationships during implementation or policy development. Families are more likely to support new cell phone policies if they were involved in their development.   

4. Has teacher retention and recruitment changed or impacted you this school year?  

Despite news of teacher layoffs, many states are still struggling to staff classrooms with high-quality teachers. According to 2024 data from the Learning Policy Institute, nearly 1 in 8 teaching positions nationally were left unfilled or filled by uncertified teachers. The U.S. Department of Education provides a list of critical shortage areas for teachers each year, demonstrating the need for continued strategic recruitment and retention.  

Teachers and students feel the impact of the reduced teacher workforce in larger class sizes, additional responsibilities, and increased strain on teacher capacity. Some states and districts are working to introduce supportive pathways into the classroom through apprenticeship models or removing teacher licensure exams for certification, which do not correlate with classroom performance.   

 Economists argue that there is not an actual teacher shortage, but rather an inefficient spread of teachers. For example, there are more English teachers than available positions, while math, science, and special education roles continue to go unfilled. Regardless of the root cause, 47 percent of schools nationally report challenges filling vacancies.   

Schools and districts are exploring creative options for teacher retention, like strategic staffing, which reimagines the one-teacher-one-classroom model, or providing salary incentives for the most effective teachers to increase their class sizes slightly.  

 It is important that any decisions made about teacher retention and recruitment include stakeholders at all levels of education, from the state to the classroom.   

5. How are you measuring the impact of academic initiatives?  

Academic initiatives are nothing new for seasoned teachers and leaders. In fact, over time, some become jaded to new ideas, suggesting they are the latest fad to help students learn.  

Over the past few years, several states have made legislative strides to bring evidence-based practices to classrooms. Most schools and districts are now looking towards implementing these practices. It is time to consider ever-important questions about what resources are needed, what is missing, and who is brought into these new or returning initiatives.   

One way to encourage investment in academic initiatives and make the case for any missing or recurring resource costs is to set a clear plan for measuring impact and effectiveness at the beginning of implementation.

While test scores are helpful, many decision-makers need more frequent data than annual snapshots. Consider implementing check-ins with teachers about what is working, gathering family feedback on what they notice at home, or providing opportunities for teachers to dig into their formative data more frequently and share their findings. It is hard to argue with success, and if the data shows your new initiative is not working, that’s important to know, too.  

Every school year seems to have unprecedented challenges as we continue in our post-COVID education era. Still, it is vital to prioritize what matters and stay focused on the available assets. Educators and students are shockingly creative when given the opportunity. Let’s make sure they have what they need to have a great school year.

Need Education Research or Technical, Unbiased Support? We’re Here to Help 

The Hunt Institute offers a wide range of technical assistance services and we are here to help. Through programs like The Path Forward, focused on supporting state literacy, or Virginia English Learner Network, aiming to provide direct support to schools and districts supporting marginalized students, The Hunt Institute sits at the intersection of policy, research, and practice. It takes a village to support our students. Only together can we make our school systems the best places for our students to learn and grow.