Stark Contrast

Trump is “all in” on school privatization, Harris stands with public schools

As Donald Trump and Kamala Harris prepare to debate tonight, the education agenda of each candidate deserves a look.

NPR digs in to some key issues, and the differences are stark.

School privatization, for example:

First, he’s [Trump] calling for universal school choice. This would, in theory, take public dollars normally spent on a child’s public education and give them directly to parents to spend at whatever school they want, whether it’s public, private or homeschooling at the kitchen table.

By contrast:

Harris has been an outspoken supporter of public education and has been courting educators’ support.

Democrats, on the other hand, made clear in their 2024 platform that they’re against any effort that could weaken the nation’s public schools. “We oppose the use of private-school vouchers, tuition tax credits, opportunity scholarships, and other schemes that divert taxpayer-funded resources away from public education. Public tax dollars should never be used to discriminate.”

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