by Katie O’Neal

Officials at all levels will be dealing with the nation’s sagging economy as they try to fix education issues.

At the state level:

• Democrats control all of state government in 17 states

• Republicans control all of state government in 8 states

• Control is split between parties in the remaining states

State budgets usually allocate almost half of their spending to education. Faced with dwindling tax revenues, and in many cases budget shortfalls, officials will have to figure out which programs to cut and keep. Joe Williams, executive director of Democrats for Education Reform, said in this economy, “You won’t see anyone come forward with anything that will cost more money…It’s a matter of playing defense now.”

At the national level:

• Democrats hold 57 seats in the Senate while Republicans hold 40

  • 51 seats are needed for control, 60 seats are needed to be considered a “filibuster proof majority”

  • 3 states remain undecided: Alaska, Georgia, and Minnesota

• Democrats hold 255 seats in the House while Republicans hold 175

  • 218 seats are needed for control

  • 5 seats remain undecided: California, 2 seats in Louisiana, Ohio, and Virginia

The top education issue at the national level is the reauthorization of No Child Left Behind, overdue from 2007. Both chambers will be looking to the new administration for guidance on the issue.