Recapping the biggest education policy changes from the 2026 legislative session | Patricia Levesque

In our season finale of Statehouse Spotlights, Executive Director Patricia Levesque joins host Ashley Mullins to recap one of the most active education policy years we’ve covered. From math and literacy to phone-free schools, teacher policy, pathways, school choice, accountability and responsible artificial intelligence, state leaders moved big ideas through statehouses across the country. Hear what made the 2026 legislative session stand out, even in an election year, and how states connected policy priorities into stronger systems for students. Patricia highlights momentum in math and K-8 literacy, the rapid rise of distraction-free learning policies, growing attention to student safety and AI guardrails, and new efforts to support teachers, strengthen pathways and make school choice policies work well for families. As the season closes, Patricia shares a clear message for state leaders: focus on policy, program and perseverance. Strong laws matter, but so does faithful implementation, and states that improve student outcomes keep building, measuring, adjusting and moving forward. Thanks for joining us this season! We’ll be back with a bonus episode after the November midterm elections to break down what the results could mean for education policy across the states. Remember to join the conversation on social media.  ExcelinEd in Action (@ExcelinAction) / X (twitter.com)  ExcelinEd in Action (@excelinedinaction) • Instagram   ExcelinEd in Action (@excelinedinaction) • BlueSky  ExcelinEd in Action on Facebook   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.