education

A recent study looked at undergraduate and graduate college math programs that prepare elementary school teachers and how much instructional time is devoted to teaching basic concepts and how to teach math. Only 1 in 8 programs met certain recommended minimums.

The Trump administration has cut federal education dollars, and that includes money that goes to schools serving Indigenous students. A lawsuit says these funding cuts are a violation of treaties between the U.S. and sovereign tribes.

Gov. Mark Gordon nixed four bills, including requiring a transvaginal ultrasound before prescribing abortion pills, and a bill prohibiting drones flying over critical infrastructure. He also signed 16 bills into law.

The judge ruled that the state’s public school funding model is unconstitutional because it hasn’t properly accounted for inflation.

Education has been a big topic during this legislative session, especially affecting K-12 schools in the state. Since we’re past the halfway point of the session, we checked in with three stakeholders on a couple of key bills that have been moving forward.

Not many would connect Wyoming with Tunisia, an African nation situated on the northern part of the continent. Yet the Cowboy State and the country have had a relationship for over 20 years. They now want to expand the relationship through the University of Wyoming.

Things kicked off at the state Capitol in Cheyenne on Tuesday, Jan. 14 and already state lawmakers’ priorities are starting to take shape. But lawmakers aren’t the only ones with ideas about how they want Wyoming to run — officials in the executive and judicial branches have priorities, too. This week, we’ll hear what the governor, secretary of state, state superintendent and the head of the judicial branch want for Wyoming, and how their priorities align — and don’t — with lawmakers’.

The Education Commission of the States is a national nonpartisan organization with a stated goal to help create effective education policy in states. Gov. Mark Gordon will chair the organization for two years starting in July 2025.

The legislature’s interim Education Committee failed to pass a draft bill that would have created a statewide mental health policy for K-12 schools. But one lawmaker is already trying to figure out ways to continue the work.