School closures and culture wars turned classrooms into battlegrounds — and made the head of one of the country’s largest teachers’ unions a lightning rod for criticism.
The nation’s school system still sees the country’s pupils starkly divided by their religious backgrounds, years after the Good Friday Agreement brought an end to sectarian strife.
A national movement to give parents public vouchers to spend on private schools has run up against the deep loyalty Texas has always had for its public schools.
Party officials across the country have sought to erect more barriers for young voters, who tilt heavily Democratic, after several cycles in which their turnout surged.