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It was a refreshingly candid look at public education by seven candidates who hope to become president of the United States. Aiming to restore the revered place education once held in American life, candidates Michael Bennet, Joe Biden, Pete Buttigieg, Amy Klobuchar, Bernie Sanders, Tom Steyer and Elizabeth Warren took turns describing, sometimes in vivid detail, how their presidency would help children thrive.
Held Dec. 14 in Pittsburgh and moderated by NBC News education correspondent Rehema Ellis and “MSNBC Live” host Ali Velshi, the daylong forum gave viewers a chance to judge for themselves each candidate’s passion for public education. It was sponsored by the AFT and 10 partners, together representing 7 million union members, educators, parents, students and community activists.
The forum concluded the first phase of the AFT Votes endorsement process. So far, “Public Education Forum 2020: Equity and Opportunity for All” has been the only major presidential campaign event dedicated to public education, giving our members a chance to ask pointed questions about reversing the damage caused by decades of defunding.
“What’s happening today flips the script,” AFT President Randi Weingarten said from the stage to a packed hall of more than 1,200 participants. “It is a paradigm shift because the candidates have a chance to listen to what we’ve witnessed from the lens of our lived experience. Teachers bear a huge responsibility for the nation, but they don’t have the respect or the resources they need.”
The crux of it: money
The candidates fielded questions about how they would go about reviving cash-starved federal programs like Title I of the Every Student Succeeds Act and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, as well as dedicating infrastructure funds to fix crumbling schools and colleges.
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