Democrats Once Proposed Tripling Charter Schools. Here's What's Changed
In 2000, Vice President Al Gore ran for president as a Democrat on an education plan that called for tripling the number of the nation's charter schools —a plan that was mirrored in his party's platform that year.
Nearly two decades later, many of the busload of politicians seeking the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination are hesitant to say anything positive about charters, and some have sought to distinguish themselves through sharp critiques and even calls for a national moratorium on the publicly funded, privately operated schools. It's been one of the most notable education talking points in the primary.
A look at the two major parties' platforms in the years since the first charter school law was passed shows that Democrats first supported charters as an alternative to private school vouchers, which were supported by both Sen. Bob Dole in his 1996 GOP bid for the White House and by former President George W. Bush during his 2000 campaign.
You can see the evolution of the platform language in the chart below and explore the changes for yourself.
"We should expand public school choice, but we should not take American tax dollars from public schools and give them to private schools," says the Democrats' 1996 platform in its first mention of charter schools since Minnesota passed the first state charter law in 1991. "We should promote public charter schools that are held to the highest standards of accountability and access."
But the party has added conditions to its support of the concept, at least in print, while Republicans have largely remained consistent in lauding both private-school vouchers and charters.
Some highlights:
- In 2004, Republicans' support for charters included a call for assistance with facilities, a major issue for the sector.
- In 2008, Democrats specifically mentioned promoting charter schools "that are accountable," along with other priorities, like reforming teacher-preparation programs.
- In 2012, Republicans listed virtual schools among the options they supported. Concerns about accountability of virtual charter schools have divided some in the school choice advocacy community.
- In 2016, the Democratic platform included opposition to charter schools managed by for-profit organizations, calls CONTINUE READING: Democrats Once Proposed Tripling Charter Schools. Here's What's Changed - Politics K-12 - Education Week
