Role of Education in 2020 Elections

Reform in the educational system of the U.S. continues to play a pivotal role in determining the tide of the 2020 U.S. election. As we all know, teachers in the U.S. are one of the lowest-paid professionals in comparison to other advanced countries. In the middle of all this, Joe Biden’s new education plan that proposes to increase the pay of teachers through Title I came as a ray of hope for teachers who are not content with their pay scale. On the other hand, Sen. Bernie Sanders’ plan to cancel outstanding student loans has been sneered at by people who think forgiving loans for students who can afford to pay is not a viable solution.

There’s a lot of hype around the viability of Charter schools this year. Former President Barack Obama was the first one to embrace charter schools, but 2020 Democratic presidential candidates in many cases seem not to be favoring them. Michael Bloomberg, a self-funded billionaire, and former New York City Mayor, actively promotes charter schools.

These independently run schools which are publicly funded have been under constant criticism from the Democrats and an issue in teacher strikes that have roiled the nation, even though the top two teachers union presidents say candidates’ positions on charters won’t be a litmus test for the unions’ endorsements.

Charter schools, along with private school vouchers and tax-credit scholarships, are the main educational policies promoted by the Trump administration. 

The #RedforEd teacher strike movement was one of the notable educational movements in January 2018 with the statewide walkout of West Virginia’s teachers. Till now, the protests have put a spotlight on inadequate teacher pay and poor classroom conditions. Most teachers are upset about their low pay and find it hard to make both ends meet with just one job.

Nearly all the Democratic presidential candidates support raising pay for teachers, but only a handful have offered specifics.

According to the recent estimate, over 45 million Americans collectively owe about $1.6 trillion in outstanding student-loan debt. Democratic candidates have a consensus that student-loan debt is a burden for many working-class families and is a liability for the economy. The federal government has already started offering student-loan forgiveness programs for public servants and income-based repayment. 

Conclusion

The educational system of this country is in dire straits and calls for a radical change that encompasses all the concerns of teachers demanding better pay and families that hope for an affordable education for their children.