As coordinator of instructional technology at the Hamilton Department of Education (Tenn.), Bagby is considered one of the savviest IT leaders, bloggers, podcasters and social media personalities in the K12 space.

The families, who are Jewish, Christian, Unitarian Universalist and nonreligious, alleged in court papers that the new law "substantially interferes with and burdens" the parents' First Amendment right to raise their kids in whatever religion they want.

Brittney Whitehead, assistant principal of a small high school in Northwest Philadelphia, came to the Philadelphia School District's educator hiring fair with one goal: She wanted to recruit certified special education teachers. But Whitehead left disappointed.

School leaders said the pay jump has made it much easier to attract teachers to small rural school districts. However, the law—called the LEARNS Act—also got rid of mandated annual raises.