Clinton Views on Charter Schools, Teacher Evaluations Upset Some Democrats
Some donors are balking, worried that her recent comments toe the line of teacher unions
WASHINGTON—Democrats backing the effort to overhaul American education have become increasingly concerned that presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton isn’t committed to their cause, and some donors are holding back support for her campaign.
Their worries stem from skeptical comments she has made about charter schools and teacher evaluations, as well as her close relationship with teachers’ unions, who are critical of both.
“There are a lot of deep-pocketed donors who are concerned, and they’re going to hang onto their checkbooks until there is more clarity,” said Whitney Tilson, managing partner of Kase Capital, who has given more than $150,000 to Democrats in recent years. He hasn’t donated any money to Mrs. Clinton or the super PAC supporting her this year “primarily because of this issue.”
Another major Democratic donor, Eli Broad, refused requests for contributions from another friendly super PAC, and only changed his mind after personal reassurances from former President Bill Clinton and campaign chairman John Podesta that Mrs. Clinton will support charter schools.
The concerns lay bare Mrs. Clinton’s challenge in managing competing interests inside the Democratic Party. Among them are teachers, many of whom see themselves as scapegoats for society’s problems, and those pushing more accountability and expanded use of charter schools, including many donors.
The threat of withholding contributions carries consequences. Republicans will spare no expense next fall when they coalesce behind a nominee and seek to defeat the Democratic nominee.
Democrats backing an education overhaul have long viewed Mrs. Clinton as an ally and point to her decades of support for rigorous teacher evaluations and charter schools. They hoped that if elected president, she would continue policies of the Obama administration, which tied grants and waivers from onerous federal rules to states’ support for charter schools and willingness to link student test scores and teacher pay.
Still, change is coming to federal education policy no matter who is elected. PresidentBarack Obama recently signed into law a rewrite of national elementary and secondary education regulations that severely limits the federal role in shaping education policy.
To put pressure on Mrs. Clinton, the advocacy group Democrats for Education Reform last spring posted an 18-page collection of her quotes and past positions online, hoping she would stick with them.
Mrs. Clinton hasn’t put out any formal policy on elementary and secondary education, though she often talks about the importance of preschool and has a detailed proposal Clinton Views on Charter Schools, Teacher Evaluations Upset Some Democrats - WSJ:
