Spoiler Alert: Presidential candidates don’t talk about education a lot. It doesn’t move voters that much. But that doesn’t mean the election doesn’t matter to education. I take a look at that in a U.S. News & World Report column today.
With the primary season upon us everyone in the education world is talking about the presidential candidates. But the presidential candidates are not really talking about education.
This shouldn’t surprise. It happens almost every cycle but is nonetheless treated as novel or curious even though education rarely matters to presidential campaigns. Yes, voters, especially Democratic voters, tell pollsters education is a priority but that’s not the same thing as voting based on a candidate’s education positions…’
…Yet just because the campaign doesn’t turn on education doesn’t mean the outcome won’t impact our sector.
You can read the entire column here. Tell me on Twitter if you’d prefer a giant gold Trump across the Department of Education or the Bush Administration’s little red schoolhouse entrances? I’d choose a door that only lets you in by chance, good metaphor for our current policies and approach to social mobility.
Speaking of which, if you listened to the Democratic candidates last night or are paying attention at all it will come as no surprise that race is about to play a big role in the Democratic primary contest as Clinton tries to grind down Sanders in the upcoming states. Here’s an interesting paradox: That’s coming on the heels of an education bill that dramatically rolled back federal protections for minority students. Hopefully someone will ask about that? But probably not.
Hearing today on implementing the new law.
Elsewhere:
Sara Mead on poverty, support, and children. Stories from struggling students. Political education money race in New York. Federal education budget request overview.