How much say does a governor have over the classroom?

As the culture wars drift further into the education realm, they’re spawning questions fundamentally tied to American democracy.

With legislative sessions in full swing across the nation, state lawmakers are considering a raft of bills that could change how and what students are taught.

Some of the proposed legislation addresses student mental health, teacher staffing, and the role of career and technical education. Other bills put issues such as gender studies, the teaching of history, and parent rights under the microscope. Proposed laws concerning what can or cannot exist in...