In the News: The Democratic Platform: More of a Victory for Reformers Than It Seems

On his blog, Doug Harris takes a close look at the Democratic party’s education platform, reviewing what it says about testing, accountability, charters, and school choice.

Overall, he writes, the platform

doesn’t include any ideas that could reasonably replace the existing reform approach. The reform building is standing intact. All the signs here still point in one direction. The reform movement will slow down a little, but there are still no signs yet of a reversal.

He does note,

Several people I’ve consulted on this have pointed out that platforms aren’t that important and that the nominees ignore them. That’s true, but they are useful windows into the current status of political debates and harbingers of compromises to come.

Earlier, Chester E. Finn, Jr. wrote about changes that were made to the education parts of the Democratic party platform after July 1, which he called a step backward.

The actual debate over those changes to the platform was televised by C-SPAN.

– Education Next

Last Updated

NEWSLETTER

Notify Me When Education Next

Posts a Big Story

Business + Editorial Office

Program on Education Policy and Governance
Harvard Kennedy School
79 JFK Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
Phone (617) 496-5488
Fax (617) 496-4428
Email Education_Next@hks.harvard.edu

For subscription service to the printed journal
Phone (617) 496-5488
Email subscriptions@educationnext.org

Copyright © 2024 President & Fellows of Harvard College