If the president won’t put children first, who will?
hools of all types have failed black and brown students as well as families in poverty and we need a president devoted to equity, accountability and achievement.
So why are Democratic presidential candidates backing off education reform?
During the most recent Democratic presidential debate, not one candidate pushed a position of any substance on elementary and secondary education.
Their silence says a lot.
It’s politically smart for Democrats to avoid family feuds. They are taking full advantage of a fractured Republican Party, and they certainly don’t want to split Democrats because of differing views on education.
An aspiring nominee must unify the diversity within the base, and education won’t provide the political glue for the Democratic party – Republican dysfunction is providing that.
Education only became a problem for Dems because the Obama administration put on the reformer cape. The administration’s use of Race to the Top and I3 grants to push ideology over enforcement solidified that identity.
This is an unfortunate situation.
Saying you’re pro-charter doesn’t make you progressive, innovative or a Democrat. Charter schools simply institute changes in governance. It’s what you do with a charter that distinguishes your party lines. Actually, a walk in most charter schools feel like a walk in a traditional public school.
Nevertheless, the ambiguity is what makes reform a hot potato.
There are simply too many reformers who offend Democratic party principles for reform to be Democratic. The next president doesn’t have to be a loyalist to charter or traditional school. The next president must represent his or her party and find ways to force states to deliver good schools to underserved communities.
Dems must focus on holding states as well as universities If the president won’t put children first, who will? - The Hechinger Report:
Sen. Bernie Sanders, of Vermont, left, speaks as Hillary Rodham Clinton looks on during the CNN Democratic presidential debate Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2015, in Las Vegas. Photo: AP Photo/John Locher
