We’ve long known that politicians influence how ordinary Americans think about education issues. Voters “follow the leader” — embracing or rejecting policies championed – or opposed – by elites in their political tribe.
Of course this phenomenon isn’t unique to education. But its problematic effects have played an outsized role in the K-12 arena in recent years.
First, there were the COVID-era school closures. The effort to reopen schools was initially untainted by partisanship. But when President Donald Trump championed in-person learning in the summer of 2020, reopening became coded in red and blue. Democratic politicians and teachers union leaders swiftly rebuked Trump on the issue. Ordinary voters responded in turn. Reopening then became a partisan quagmire that put kids last.