Republicans aim to make a big leap in education if former President Trump returns to the White House.
Rep. Byron Donalds (Florida) helped kick off the Republican National Convention (RNC) in Milwaukee this week by singing the praises of school choice, saying the Biden administration is “in the pocket of the far-left teachers unions, they lock up the poor kids like me in failing, dead-end schools.”
The Republican Party’s official platform emphasizes cutting funding for schools that teach critical race theory, keeping transgender girls out of women’s sports and deporting “pro-Hamas radicals” from college campuses, among other conservative priorities.
“The platform itself this year is very different from previous platforms. Previous platforms were much longer, much more detailed when it comes to policy, and so even in some of the other areas of education there is language that points in the right direction, but without a lot of detail,” said Jason Bedrick, researcher at the Heritage Foundation’s Center for Education Policy. “So it points to things like parental rights, but what exactly does that mean? How exactly will the party implement them? This document is not particularly clear.”
Culture Wars Are a Top Priority
Republicans are planning to make big changes after four years of a Democratic presidency that blocked their efforts on parental rights and what they think should be taught in schools.
“Republicans offer a plan to grow excellent K-12 schools, ensure safe learning environments free from political interference, and restore parental rights. We commit to an education system that empowers students, supports families, and promotes American values. Our education system must prepare students for successful lives and high-paying jobs,” reads the introduction section of the GOP platform’s education section.
Parental rights have become an increasingly popular topic of discussion during the COVID-19 pandemic as schools have closed and academic grades have fallen.
House Republicans passed a National Bill of Rights for Fathers in 2023, but it failed to pass the Democratic Senate and was unlikely to be signed by President Biden.
Other nationally Republican issues that Republican states have fought in their legislatures include efforts against critical race theory and the teaching of gender identity and sexual orientation in schools.
Eighteen states have already banned critical race theory in K-12 classrooms, with others looking to join.
Four Republican states have also sued the Biden administration for including sexual orientation and gender identity in the discrimination aspects of Title IX.
“We believe schools should educate, not indoctrinate,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) said at the convention on Tuesday. “We defend parental rights, including universal school choice.”
The Republican platform also signals support as red states seek to bring more religion into classrooms.
Louisiana is requiring every classroom to have a poster of the Ten Commandments, while Oklahoma seeks to incorporate the Bible into civics and history classes.
“Republicans will reinstate the 1776 Commission, promote Fair and Patriotic Civic Education, and veto efforts to nationalize Civic Education. We will support schools that teach America’s Founding Principles and Western Civilization,” the Republican Party platform states.
School choice and structure
In addition to the culture wars, Republicans are looking to make major advances in the way schools are run.
At the top of the list is school choice, which has spread rapidly across GOP-led states, most recently through education savings accounts (ESAs). ESAs are government-funded accounts for parents who decide not to send their children to a traditional public school, with a certain amount of money allowed each year for families to invest in private education or homeschooling.
“When I was in first grade, my mother took me out of public school because she realized that public education was failing me,” Donalds said at the convention. “I needed to be challenged and I needed the opportunity that only a private school could offer. My mother is an educator and she really believed in my potential, but Democratic politicians wanted to lock me into a failing school, but my mother fought for me.”
Republicans want every state in the country to implement ESA accounts.
“This is a litmus test issue for Republicans, and now that has been cemented by making clear in the platform that the party supports school choice for all,” Bedrick said, adding, “I would hope the base would hold Republican elected officials accountable.” before the platform.”
Other reforms that Republicans want in schools include ending teacher tenure, adopting merit pay, revising student disciplinary procedures, funding job training programs, and generally “payback.”[ing] education for the states.”
“The United States spends more money per student on education than any other country in the world, and yet we are at the bottom of every educational list in terms of results. Let’s close the Department of Education in Washington, DC and send it back to the United States, where it belongs, and let the States manage our education system as it should be managed”, states the platform.
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
