The speech that could help Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders seal the deal
Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders shakes hands as they greet the audience before Thursday’s Democratic presidential primary debate in Durham, N.H. (David Goldman/AP)
As former secretary of state Hillary Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) battle it out for the Democratic presidential nomination, it is fair to say that neither has devoted a great deal of attention to K-12 school reform. Education activist Bertis Downs believes he can help one of them seal the nomination with the right speech on this topic by winning over the millions of teachers, parents and other people for whom public education is vitally important.
How is this done? By showing a clear understanding of the issues facing public education today and the toll that corporate school reform has taken on schools, teachers and students. Downs, the parent of two daughters, was legal counselor and manager of the now disbanded band R.E.M., and he spends a great deal of time advocating for public education in Clarke County, Georgia, where he lives, as well as around the country. This appeared in Salon, and I’m publishing it with permission.
By Bertis Downs
Both Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders have decided to start talking about the state of K-12 public education in recent weeks. This is a very positive, if overdue, development, with both of them questioning the efficacy and priority of charter schools in the national dialogue on educating our children; and Sanders recently proposing a new, equity-focused approach to funding education in the United States.
Still, the candidates’ words don’t seem to resonate with many of the largely untapped public education parents and teachers who are in search of a candidate. Neither candidate really has a grasp on the varied and complex issues that have to be addressed when considering the changes and reforms our schools and children truly need. Let’s help their campaigns by outlining The speech that could help Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders seal the deal - The Washington Post:
