Tag Archives: Kamala Harris

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JD Vance and Christian Nationalism

Vance advances school privatization agenda in PA event

Peter Greene reports in detail on JD Vance’s comments accusing public school teachers of being Marxist indoctrinators who don’t teach math or reading but are big on teaching America hating.

As Greene notes:

Vance just spoke at a Christian nationalist rally in Monroeville (a Pittsburgh suburb), and some of it was about education.

Greene notes the following remarks from Vance’s appearance:

Some of the stuff that they’re teaching in American schools in 2024, that that’s not just liberalism that is crazy and we’ve got to get it out of our schools or it’s going to poison the minds of our young people.

And, well, it’s just bizarre.

But not if you take it in the context of JD Vance and Donald Trump advancing a Christian Nationalist agenda.

Not because either of them actually care about advancing a Christian takeover of American institutions – but because acting like they are all-in helps them win the votes of the evangelicals that do.

MORE EDUCATION NEWS

Christian Nationalism and the School Privatization Agenda

Kamala Harris on Education

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The End for Ed Secretary?

Cardona will likely move on in 2025

Education Secretary Miguel Cardona seems likely to move on after the election. After all, there will be a new President. And, even though Cardona is a member of the Biden-Harris team, his track record does not seem to suggest reason to keep him on should Harris win in November.

To be fair, he came in as Team Biden was leading an effort to return to normalcy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A recent piece in Politico takes a look at the challenges Cardona has faced – and notes a lack of action on what was once a bold vision for public education:

But he’s run out of time to build a post-pandemic vision that draws absent students back to classrooms, boosts lagging test scores, and reshapes American education. Despite a recent flurry of travel and fiery speeches championing Democratic issues, Cardona’s uneven tenure has clouded his prospects to influence the education industry or a potential Harris administration.

Cardona’s track record is more complicated. After pushing to reopen schools with $122 billion in expiring federal aid, the department is scrambling to recover from a botched debut of college financial aid forms that threatens to upend enrollment. Courts have scrapped affirmative action, stymied Biden’s efforts to cancel student loan debt, and blocked rules that extend campus discrimination protections to transgender students. Congressional Republicans have even called for Cardona’s resignation after he declined to condemn pro-Palestinian protest chants on college campuses.

Harris, who has close ties to teacher’s unions, seems likely to select a more vocal advocate for the concerns of educators. And, well, Trump isn’t exactly interested in education.

MORE EDUCATION NEWS

On the Alarming Advance of the Teacher Pay Penalty

Kamala Harris on Education

MORE Tennessee News

Nashville Lawmakers Take on Corporate Groceries

Why Didn’t Anyone Vote in the TN Primary?

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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.”

MORE Education News

Is Teaching Still Worth It?

Vouchers Blow a Hole in Indiana Budget

MORE Tennessee News

Taking on Project 2025

Grocery Price Gouging Harms TN Families

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The Free Lunch Guy

Harris makes a policy statement with VP pick

Vice President Kamala Harris has chosen Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate.

Walz is a former teacher, union member, and solid progressive.

And in Minnesota, he signed a law making school breakfast and lunch free for every kid, every day.

This may seem amazing to people in Tennessee. Here, lawmakers and Gov. Lee are focused on giving $500 million to the Tennessee Titans, privatizing state roads, and offering $1.6 billion in corporate tax giveaways.

While proposals to make school meals free for all kids in Tennessee have been presented – by both Democrats and at least one Republican – they have consistently been shot down.

Lunchroom Bullies

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The President and Education Policy

A preview of a potential Harris Presidency

Kamala Harris’s bid for the White House offers an opportunity to examine the President’s impact on education policy.

While the federal government and President don’t directly dictate education policy (this is primarily a state and local function), an Administration can certainly set a tone and some parameters.

And, certainly, broad policies like No Child Left Behind had impacts felt at the school level.

Joe Biden has been a friend to public education, and Kamala Harris would likely not deviate from that.

A look at her record reveals someone who has been a supporter of public education and public school educators.

Harris’ very first speech on the US Senate floor was in opposition to the nomination of Betsy DeVos as Trump’s Secretary of Education, shredding her for an utter lack of qualifications and experience.

She’s also called for a significant pay hike for teachers. This echoes the call by Sen. Bernie Sanders to make the minimum starting pay for all teachers $60,000.

While the federal government does not set state and local pay scales for teachers, federal funding could be distributed in such a way as to effectively give teachers a raise.

Moreover, when the message coming from the White House is “boost teacher pay and invest in schools,” state policymakers are more likely to move in that direction – especially in states where the leadership is of the same party as the President.

In her first week as a candidate, Harris addressed the American Federation of Teachers and argued in favor of increased teacher pay and measures to reduce the risk of gun violence at schools.

Should she become President, her record suggests she would stand with public schools and support teachers.

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Potential VP’S VP

Josh Shapiro has a voucher problem

With some reports indicating that Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro is on the short list to become Vice President Kamala Harris’s running mate, a key problem is emerging for Shapiro: School vouchers.

Public education advocates have taken notice of Shapiro’s open support of using public money to fund unaccountable private schools.

Shapiro is often referred to as a moderate in his party, and it strikes me that a Democrat can earn the “moderate” label simply by selling out public schools and supporting privatization schemes like charter schools or vouchers.

It appears Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is now on the shortlist as well. Walz is a staunch supporter of public schools and signed a law ensuring free school meals for all kids in Minnesota schools.