Why Has Education Been Forgotten From the Campaign Trail?

In the past year, we’ve heard President Obama and Governor Romney talk about everything from Libya to the London Olympics. However, public education has been noticeably absent from our nation’s discourse. A topic that has been included in national political scene since President Reagan sought a second term seems to have somehow diminished in importance this year. While we hear Governor Romney frequently cite how “Massachusetts’ students were #1” during his tenure, that’s cited more to draw attention to his own leadership abilities than to start a meaningful discussion on education reform. (And ironically, while Romney is correct, his impact on Massachusetts’ education was fairly limited). Unfortunately, given that the landmark Federal education law, No Child Left Behind, is up for reauthorization next session, it is crucial we know and debate the candidates’ visions for education now. This is exactly the time when our teachers need the most support and our students the most attention; in other words, when our voices are most required.

There are a few reasons education has been given less prominence. First, contrary to most issues, it’s a subject where the candidates generally agree. While their prescription for change may vary, it’s hard to discount that far too many of our students are not being well served by America’s schools. Barely half of our African-American and Hispanic students graduate. Many of those who do are unprepared for college or career. We continue to see pervasive achievement gaps between wealthy and poor, English language learners and native speakers, to cite just a few. The gender gap has also been growing; females outperform males on almost all measures from standardized testing to graduation rates – across all ethnicities. Because the evidence is so overwhelming, it’s difficult to fight about, which is exactly why education has been forgotten from the debates to stump speeches: it’s not a partisan issue.

What makes education different from other non-partisan issues like the economy, though, is that there are also electoral reasons for its absence from the campaign trail. If elected, both Obama and Romney would be directing education reform from a Federal perch. For Romney, that can play against the small government, conservative credentials he has worked so diligently to build. Federal expenditures, on average, account for only ~7% of local districts’ budgets. It can be hard to justify more Federal regulation in an area where Washington funds little and the Constitution also reserves authority to the states. On Obama’s part, he has helped spur some meaningful changes in American schools during his first term. In the process, however, his approach has upset many in one of his core constituencies: teachers’ unions. Sadly, it is in both candidates’ electoral interest to avoid the topic, but it is not in the country’s.

This column is not designed to be a referendum on solutions, but merely a call to action. No matter what prescription we employ, it will fail without the broad-based involvement and personal accountability of every citizen. The good news for students is that education is a major issue in many state houses across the country. From bond measures to education-focused candidates, most voters will have a chance to make a statement on our K-12 schools in November. We must take that responsibility seriously, and come January, hold Washington accountable for our students’ futures.