Education eyes were on Washington this week to see what President Obama would say about schools in his State of the Union address. But just as in 2010, if you really want to follow the action on education reform this year, it’s better to look to the states. All the new governors (29), state education chiefs (18 new ones elected or appointed since November), and state legislators (nearly 1,600) mean things are more fluid in the states, where teacher tenure is becoming a major flashpoint. Florida and New Jersey are considering pretty much ending tenure altogether. And while these states may be ground zero for tenure battles, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania are also considering significant changes.

Read the full column at TIME.com