Research has indicated that the magnitude of the impact of the continued nationwide teacher shortage is underrepresented as published estimates do not reflect the fact that shortages are not evenly spread across all schools but have been more acute in high-poverty areas. Highly qualified teachers are in high demand and therefore have more options available to them on where to teach, leaving them to be recruited by higher-income school districts and joining schools with better support and working conditions (Economic Policy Institute, 2019). Based upon the legislation filed seeking to address teacher retention and recruitment, it is evident that legislators are recognizing the threat of teacher shortages and vacancies on their districts’ most marginalized young learners.

For example, Senator and President Pro Tempore of the Virginia Senate L. Louise Lucas, successfully enacted Virginia Senate Bill 1215 which creates a stakeholder working group to make recommendations regarding competitive pay for teachers in Virginia. The recommendations are to be provided by no later than November 1, 2023, and will address the appropriateness, feasibility, potential fiscal impact, and potential unintended consequences of certain definitions for and calculations of competitive teacher pay. These recommendations could also serve as an example for other states to model to address this increasing shortage and ensure teachers are properly compensated for the important work that they do.

A bill seeking to directly address the dilemma mentioned above and provide additional compensation for teachers working in failing school districts was Mississippi House Bill 1446 by Rep. Omeria Scott, which would have required the State Department of Education to pay a salary supplement to those licensed teachers who teach subject areas experiencing a critical storage in “D” and “F” rated school districts. The bill died in committee, never having an opportunity to be heard and voted on its merits despite the wealth of research and knowledge available on the issue. Without addressing the dire needs of these schools, children living in these school districts will continue to fall behind in their education and the gap of equity and opportunity available for them will continue to widen. EPU will continue to review and monitor education related bills and work with our partners and stakeholders to ensure that these issues remain at the forefront of the minds of policy makers and legislators in future legislative sessions.

Across all five states, legislators continue to direct attention and effort towards curriculum reforms, requirements, and parental oversight of the education of their children. The outcomes of these bills often have a mixed impact on the advancement of racial equity in the South. On one hand, the pushes by some in Southern states to align literacy curricula with science-based practices will strengthen the reading development of young minority students, such as Virginia House Bill 1526, sponsored by a bipartisan group of 60 legislators. This measure will also now require that each local school board provide reading intervention services to such student who demonstrate substantial deficiencies based on their individual performance on reading assessment exams and literacy screeners. Bills such as VA House Bill 1526 have a profound impact on the advancement of equity and opportunity for underserved communities as the National Assessment of Education Progress reports that Black, Hispanic, and socioeconomically disadvantaged students score lower in reading at all levels in every reporting year (Center for American Progress 2020).  Additionally, one’s literacy skills have been shown to directly affect employment options, likelihood of living in poverty, likelihood of incarceration, access to health care, and life expectancy. As average reading proficiency scores have declined over the last decade and have been exacerbated by the educational interruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, it is refreshing to see legislators working across the aisles to address these deficiencies and forge a successful pathway for students to thrive.

Neurological research continues to reveal the importance of brain development in the early stages of childhood. The National Education Association reports that providing a high-quality education for children before they turn give yields significant medium- and long-term benefits for students, including decreasing the likeliness of having to repeat a grade, being more academically prepared for higher grades, and leading to being higher earners in the workforce. Policies addressing early childhood education will particularly support reducing the income-achievement gap as they will offer more opportunities to working families that may not have otherwise been able to afford such options. In line with recommendations from the NEA to provide access to effective early education programs, legislators in Mississippi sought to improve the early childhood education options available in their state. Mississippi House Bill 817, a bi-partisan measure co-sponsored by our Unum Fellow Rep. Zakiya Summers, will increase the minimum funding levels for each student enrolled in full-day and half-day Early Learning Collaborative programs, including those at Head Start agencies, which will allow for these centers to enhance the programs and services delivered to their students.

Southern legislatures continue to push through school choice policies that may likely have inequitable outcomes, particularly in the form of expanding charter schools and promoting private school vouchers. Research indicates that school choice programs which allow parents to select the schools their children attend deepen educational inequality and fail to yield consistent learning gains. School choice can also increase racial and economic segregation. The results of school choice measures introduced in the 2023 legislative sessions varies. In West Virginia, Senate Bill 47 was enacted to create a charter school stimulus fund, offering charter schools up to $400,000 in grants for start-up costs during their first two years. In Georgia, however, Senate Bill 33, which intended to provide a “promise scholarship account” of $6,000 per school year for participating students to apply towards private school tuition, was unsuccessful. It did pass in the Senate strictly along party lines with all Republicans voting in favor of the bill and all Democrats opposing it. In the House, however, it was voted down when 16 Republican members voted against it.

• House Bill 2175: to limit the number of permits to construct wind power farms for power
• Significance: Limiting the number of these renewable energy sources in West Virginia will perpetuate the reliance upon coal and expose its residents to harmful toxins, especially for marginalized Black community that are more likely to live near these plants and therefore more likely exposed to harmful pollution. 
• Status: Sine Die – Failed (upon adjournment of the session – no further action after introduction)

• Senate Bill 680: creates a task force to provide recommendations for fostering a fair and equitable transition of the state’s energy infrastructure to renewable energy technologies within minority, underserved, rural, and low-income communities; the makeup of the task force would include four representatives from minority, underserved, rural, or low-income communities, and at least one environmental justice expert, among others
• Significance: This bill recognizes the importance of understanding how all – no matter their socioeconomic status or race – can be a part of the transition to renewable energy technologies. Quite often, minority and other underserved communities have been left behind when it comes to energy transitions as most “greener” options, such as electric vehicles and solar panels, are often unaffordable. Having a task force to provide recommendations for the inclusion of these communities is a first step toward ensuring a more equitable transition, making it more possible for compliance and thereby creating a larger impact for the environment.
• Status: In Senate