When the Democratic Party platform committee met last weekend to discuss their party's principles, not everyone was happy with the draft K–12 education proposal that was presented. The problem, according to some public school activists? The plank was too positive toward privatization.
According to The Washington Post, these activists criticized the party for using the same sort of language as corporate reformers, including offering limited support for school choice and test-based teacher accountability.
Platform committee and party members responded by revising the plank to reflect the concerns of these activists, adding a proposal to let parents opt their children out of standardized tests. The resulting document makes clear that the Democratic Party wants to keep education a federal issue while limiting school choice.
When it comes to academic performance, the party's position draws heavily from the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the bipartisan bill that replaced No Child Left Behind. While the ESSA does give local and state governments a bit more say in education matters, it also requires them to set high educational standards for their students.
That might sound like a good thing—until you realize the federal government must approve of state accountability measures on student achievement. As Neal McCluskey of the Cato Institute has …show more content…
The proposal states that public charter schools should be required to "accept and retain proportionate numbers of students of color, students with disabilities and English language learners in relation to their neighborhood public schools." This statement does not take into account if these types of students actually apply to these institutions, and seems more like social justice advocacy rather than making sure students are in the schools that best fit their
According to The Washington Post, these activists criticized the party for using the same sort of language as corporate reformers, including offering limited support for school choice and test-based teacher accountability.
Platform committee and party members responded by revising the plank to reflect the concerns of these activists, adding a proposal to let parents opt their children out of standardized tests. The resulting document makes clear that the Democratic Party wants to keep education a federal issue while limiting school choice.
When it comes to academic performance, the party's position draws heavily from the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the bipartisan bill that replaced No Child Left Behind. While the ESSA does give local and state governments a bit more say in education matters, it also requires them to set high educational standards for their students.
That might sound like a good thing—until you realize the federal government must approve of state accountability measures on student achievement. As Neal McCluskey of the Cato Institute has …show more content…
The proposal states that public charter schools should be required to "accept and retain proportionate numbers of students of color, students with disabilities and English language learners in relation to their neighborhood public schools." This statement does not take into account if these types of students actually apply to these institutions, and seems more like social justice advocacy rather than making sure students are in the schools that best fit their