Time for Education Advocates to Get Behind Bernie Sanders?
By Anthony Cody.
For the past seven months, I have been holding my breath hoping that Bernie Sanders would follow the logic of his passionate defense of working people and willingness to confront hedge funders and financiers, and apply this thinking to K12 education policy. As we know, many of the most ardent backers of the privatization of schools are these same wealthy individuals.
Last May, I wrote this column, suggesting ways that Sanders could win support from education activists like myself. Last night, Sanders made a clear statement of support for public schools, shared on Diane Ravitch’s blog. He said:
I’m not in favor of privately run charter schools. If we are going to have a strong democracy and be competitive globally, we need the best educated people in the world. I believe in public education; I went to public schools my whole life, so I think rather than give tax breaks to billionaires, I think we invest in teachers and we invest in public education. I really do. (see video here, statement at 1:48:32)
This morning I posted a longer transcript of remarks Sanders made at a gathering of the Massachusetts Teachers Association last October. He makes it clear that he supports the teaching profession, and our unions. It is also notable that when Sanders was in Chicago recently he made a point of stating that he did not need support from Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who has closed fifty schools and waged war on the teachers union.
I think it is time for education advocates to get behind the Sanders candidacy. I think support would be stronger were he to lay out policies along the lines I suggested, but I think there are several powerful reasons to support him. Here they are:
For years, we have argued that when attempting to improve educational outcomes for students, we cannot ignore the effects of poverty. We have called on leaders to directly address poverty – and Sanders has by Time for Education Advocates to Get Behind Bernie Sanders? - Living in Dialogue:'
Bernie Sanders Talks Education at the Massachusetts Teachers Association - Living in Dialogue http://bit.ly/1PMiBJ3
By Anthony Cody.
Educators have growing interest in the candidacy of Senator Bernie Sanders. Today I posted my own statement of support for his candidacy. This support has been a bit slow in coming, because many, including myself, have expressed a desire for more specific policies regarding K12 education. Along those lines, Diane Ravitch yesterday shared this statement Bernie Sanders made on Jan. 3 in New Hampshire on her blog.
I’m not in favor of privately run charter schools. If we are going to have a strong democracy and be competitive globally, we need the best educated people in the world. I believe in public education; I went to public schools my whole life, so I think rather than give tax breaks to billionaires, I think we invest in teachers and we invest in public education. I really do. (see video here, statement at 1:48:32)
Last October 15, Bernie Sanders spoke to a gathering of members of the Massachusetts Teachers Association, and spent time addressing education issues. Below is a transcript I made of his remarks.
Bernie Sanders:
Let me just begin by saying thank you for what you do. You are the heroes and heroines of America today, and your job is enormously difficult, and it is enormously important. Certainly one of the goals of the campaign that we are running, which we call “the political revolution,” is to transform America in many respects, and certainly at the top of our lists is to transform how we prioritize education. I cannot think of anything more important to this country than to have the best public education system in the world. And I know we all love Tom Brady, and we have all these athletes that are making millions of dollars a year, but, you know, it might not be a bad idea if we made everybody in America realize that teaching is a great profession, it is an enormously important profession, it is a profession that should be respected and well compensated. We want the best and the brightest to go into teaching, and to stay in teaching.
Let me just begin by saying thank you for what you do. You are the heroes and heroines of America today, and your job is enormously difficult, and it is enormously important. Certainly one of the goals of the campaign that we are running, which we call “the political revolution,” is to transform America in many respects, and certainly at the top of our lists is to transform how we prioritize education. I cannot think of anything more important to this country than to have the best public education system in the world. And I know we all love Tom Brady, and we have all these athletes that are making millions of dollars a year, but, you know, it might not be a bad idea if we made everybody in America realize that teaching is a great profession, it is an enormously important profession, it is a profession that should be respected and well compensated. We want the best and the brightest to go into teaching, and to stay in teaching.
I am for better or for worse – you’ll have to judge – a product of public education. I believe in public education and I believe that public education is one of the strongest Bernie Sanders Talks Education at the Massachusetts Teachers Association - Living in Dialogue http://bit.ly/1PMiBJ3
