Voters Wondering Who Can Fill Henry Waxman’s Shoes — Pound the Pavement
by Karen Wolfe. Karen is an LAUSD parent leader and activist in support of public schools.
It seems everyone is asking “Who can fill Henry Waxman’s shoes?” The Congressman sent to Washington in the post-Watergate wave became a legendary watchdog and one of the most influential liberals in Congress.
Big shoes indeed.
There is no shortage of candidates vying to replace him—and plenty of campaign issues.
For public education advocates—those of us in a grassroots national movement to take back our schools—education trumps all.
We have become one-issue voters. Because of our deep level of engagement and our reach, education voters are making a difference in elections across the country. New mayors in New York—and just this week, Newark—are thanking education voters for their victories. Those cities are showing that education can be a decisive issue.
Education policy even made the Late Night TV circuit this month when comedian Louis C.K. joked that if the students don’t do well on high stakes tests, the school gets burned down. Indeed, it feels like an attack on our children, and on those charged with protecting them and instilling a lifelong love of learning. Those are just the kinds of things that motivate voters.
Education voters have a detailed understanding of how policies are impacting schools, teachers, students and parents. Vague promises to “put kids first!” just aren’t trustworthy. Buzzwords like “accountability” and “outcomes” are recognized as code for privatization. Race to the Top, Arne Duncan’s ridiculous policy that tells the weakest among us to run faster in order to reach the gold ring of federal funding, provides more resources to successful schools rather than those in most need. Policies like these have left parents and teachers fearful and defensive.
The national assault on public education has been an allied effort by both parties—from Arne Duncan to Chris Christie, from Rahm Emmanuel to Bobby Jindal. Gone are the days when a Democrat can be counted on for support. Candidates need to be analyzed K-12 News Network | Voters Wondering Who Can Fill Henry Waxman’s Shoes — Pound the Pavement: