Recent surveys have offered contradictory answers as to whether Democrats or Republicans have the advantage on education. In a new analysis for Education Next, we look at why this might be the case and make the case for a bipartisan focus on student outcomes.
The confusion about whether Democrats or Republicans have the advantage on education reflects that voters are not happy with the state of education in this country but haven’t seen either party make the issue a priority. Arguably, improving student outcomes should be the first priority regardless of which party champions it. In fact, both sides should. Among Democrats, Rahm Emanuel has decried “the discussion of locker rooms” and “the discussion of bathrooms,” saying “we better start having a conversation about the classroom.”
His criticism cuts both ways. We should want both parties to compete to come up with a more compelling vision for improving student outcomes, creating a focused direction for where education should go and how it should get there. A competition of ideas should make both sides improve and refine their own, resulting in a better system for everybody—our K–12 students especially. This is how a two-party system should work.
Read the full piece here.
