Last Thursday, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee held a hearing titled The State of K-12 Education where lawmakers and expert witnesses expressed deep concerns over declining student achievement and the urgent need for reform. Witnesses confirmed that student performance in reading and math has been in decline since 2013, with pandemic-related learning loss worsening an already downward trend. To address declines, including the stagnation in scores for children with disabilities, the panel emphasized strategies to reverse the trajectory, including the adoption of evidence-based literacy curricula, strengthened academic standards, and performance-based incentives for teachers and schools. Several witnesses and Senators supported outcome-based teacher compensation, mentoring programs, and teacher apprenticeship models as ways to address workforce shortages and incentivize excellence. Lawmakers and witnesses from both parties also raised alarms about rising chronic absenteeism, student disengagement, and the mental health crisis—issues they linked in part to smartphone use and social media. Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle expressed interest in setting appropriate limits on technology use in schools and equipping educators and students with AI literacy skills, while also cautioning against the risks of unregulated use. Additionally, there was agreement on the importance of early childhood education, with some Senators highlighting the need to improve access to quality childcare and pre-K systems as essential foundations for long-term academic success. Some Democratic lawmakers criticized the Administration for cuts to education grant awards, arguing that the U.S. must align its funding with its stated commitment to students and public education.