BALTIMORE — Republicans have “misplaced priorities” when it comes to education, as the GOP seizes on what they see as a winning issue ahead of next year’s election, according to one House Democrat.
Republicans for months have leaned into issues like parental rights and school curriculums, making strikes to brand the Democratic Party as one that does not believe parents should have control over what their children learn in the classroom.
The GOP conversation has also included talk about how LGBTQ identity and Black history should be taught in schools.
Democrats, however, are going on the offensive, arguing that Republicans have their priorities wrong when it comes to what Americans are most concerned about on the topic of education.
“Fundamentally you get a sense, again, from the House Republican agenda that they put forward over the course of the last several months, that this misplaced priorities,” said Rep. Joe Neguse (D-Colo.), the chair of the House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee (DPCC), when asked about how Democrats plan to message against the GOP position on education.
Neguse said the parents he’s spoken to in Colorado are concerned about affordable childcare, how to improve the pipeline into higher education, better supporting apprenticeship programs and making sure that schools are adequately funded to help reduce class sizes and increase engagement.
“Unfortunately all of them, every single priority I just mentioned, is missing from the so-called agenda, education agenda that House Republicans put forward,” Neguse added. “So that again gives you a clear sense of the contrast.”
Pressed on what the Democratic message will be in response to GOP arguments on education, Neguse responded “I think our response is rooted in common sense.”
The comments came during a press conference at the House Democrats’ annual issues conference in Baltimore. Lawmakers gathered together to plot their strategy to winning back the House majority in 2024 — an election cycle when education will likely emerge as a top issue.
Republicans saw success with an education-heavy platform in November 2021 when Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) won the top job in Virginia, becoming the first GOP candidate since 2009 to clinch a victory in a statewide election in the Old Dominion.
Youngkin discussed education on the campaign trail, arguing that parents should have a say over their children’s curriculum and not school boards. Since then, Republicans nationwide have leaned into the issue.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) rejected a new Advanced Placement African American Studies course in January, arguing that the content of the curriculum is “inexplicably contrary to Florida law and significantly lacks educational value.”
Former President Trump also released an education platform that aims to slash funding for programs related to “critical race theory, gender ideology, or other inappropriate racial, sexual, or political content onto our children.”
And on Capitol Hill, Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) reintroduced the Parents’ Bill of Rights this week, which would mandate that school districts post their curriculum publicly, host in-person meetings with parents and inform parents when situations involving violence or assault occur at school.
Democrats rejected the notion that they do not value parental involvement in education.
“I think parents should have a key role. I think that’s something that is shared by most members of our caucus, I suspect every member of our caucus,” Neguse said. “Because again, most of us are parents, many of us are parents and so we live this every day.”
“We care deeply, of course, and are heavily invested in showing as parents that we’re involved in the education of our children. How could we not?” he continued.
Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-Texas) echoed those sentiments, saying House Democrats are “firm believers” in public education and parents having a role.
“We believe that parents do have a role in making sure that their children are getting the kind of quality education that will keep us competitive going forward in the future,” said Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-Texas), a co-chair of the DPCC.
She continued, drawing what she described as a “sharp contrast” between what Republicans and Democrats seek to accomplish on the issue of education.
“The difference is, though, and where we have to make sure that we draw the sharp contrast, is what we have on the other side of the aisle are extreme Republicans wanting to ban books, wanting to ban access to historical context that is important to understanding our country and important for a robust education,” she said.
“And so we’ve got to make sure that we are in on those conversation in our communities, listening to our communities, listening to those parents, but also drawing that contrast between what we would like to do, which is create highly educated, competitive workforce, versus what our extreme colleagues are trying to do, which is essentially limit access to education for many of our kids,” she added.