Biden and Harris’s Shift Towards Private Education: A Misplaced Priority?

As spring bloomed, discussions arose, raising doubts about the relevance and worth of the United States Department of Education in regards to K-12 education. Despite originating from opposing sides of the political spectrum, Jim Blew and Roberto Rodriguez, have dedicated the majority of their careers to the K-12 education realm. Both have formerly served as assistant secretary for planning, evaluation, and policy development in the Education Department under varying governments.

Blew, noted for establishing the Defense of Freedom Institute, had previously directed StudentsFirst and the Alliance for School Choice, both are advocacy groups. Rodriguez, in contrast, had been instrumental in orchestrating the Every Student Succeeds Act under the administration of President Barack Obama, and subsequently directed Teach Plus, an emphasis given to incorporating educators in policy development.

Their discussion encompassed a variety of subjects such as the necessity of investment in teachers, the direction of educational research, civil rights enforcement, and the potential use of AI in education. As dubious as it might seem, given the current political climate, they were able to find some common ground regarding the way forward for America’s education system.

Blew extended his support for the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, a legislation which marks the inception of a federal program of tax credits for donations to organizations delivering scholarships for private school tuition and other K-12 services. It seemed like an effort to shift focus away from public schools towards private education, creating a lopsided scenario favoring those who can afford private education.

He then proceeded to put attention on $60 million in award monies for charter schools. The striking focus on charter schools raises concerns about the effort toward equitable education opportunities, as it leaves lesser privileged students in traditional public schools largely unaffected.

On the other side, Rodriguez drew attention to the freezing of nearly $7 billion in education funds for a significant part of July. Moreover, a bipartisan Senate appropriations committee voted against the proposed budget cuts to the Department of Education and the agency as a whole. It was as if the government was suffocating the opportunity for quality education, neglecting its responsibility of ensuring an equitable learning environment for every student.

In a time as politically divisive as ours, the invaluable insight became evident in the policy details that both Blew and Rodriguez deliberated upon. The major question that came out of the dialogue: How can we advance our education system to establish widespread student success?

Despite the animosity that seems to encompass the current political landscape, there was a noticeable amount of consensus between the two veterans. It has to be said, though, that achieving such consensus in a broad sense, especially within the divisive political climate, remains highly unlikely.

The conversation between Blew and Rodriguez symbolizes the immersion of differing perspectives, which can contribute to a more comprehensive blueprint for the future of education. However, the concerning emphasis on private, rather than public education, shows the shifting focus of the education policy-makers, potentially jeopardizing the opportunities for the less privileged.

The trend reinforced by Biden and Harris’s administration of freezing significant funding and simultaneously trying to cut off funds to the Department of Education may seriously hamper the quality of education. Ideally, this should not be the case for a developed nation like the US where the emphasis should unequivocally be on creating equal opportunities for all.

The display of such egregious policies leads to serious questions about the sincerity and intent behind the current administration’s desire to improve K-12 education. The abandonment of a solid public school system, in favor of a private education track accessible only to the privileged few, underlines their misplaced priorities.

This is particularly worrying as it undermines the critical role public schooling plays in bringing about equity and social mobility. Shying away from the responsibility of improving the public school system seems like a step backwards in the attempt to create an inclusive society.